Nimzo-Indian/Dutch Defense

After the opening moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 Ne4 7.Qc2 f5, what began as a Nimzo-Indian Defense in the Rubinstein Variation has transposed into a position that could have been reached via the Dutch Defense.

Following 8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 O-O 10.Nd2 Qh4 11.f3 Nxd2 12.Bxd2 Nc6, the game has arrived at a well-known position.


Let's take a look at how world champions Alekhine and Fischer won from it, playing the black pieces.

In Rabinovich-Alekhine, Moscow 1920, White tried 13.e4 fxe4 14.Bxe4 Na5 15.Rae1 Bxe4 16.Rxe4 Qh5 17.Qa4 Nxc4

Black has won a pawn. Alekhine wrapped up the victory by sacrificing material to penetrate White's position.

18.Re2 b5 19.Qb3 Qf5 20.Rfe1 Rab8 21.Bc1 a5 22.Re4 a4 23.Qd1 Rbe8 24.Qe2 c5 25.Be3 cxd4 26.Bxd4 e5 27.f4 d6 28.h3 Re6 29.fxe5 dxe5 30.Bc5 Rf7 31.Rb1 h6 32.Rxb5 Nd2 33.Rxa4 Qc2 34.Rb8+ Kh7 35.Kh1 Rf1+ 36.Bg1 Rxg1+ 37.Kxg1 Qc1+ 38.Kf2 Rf6+ 39.Ke3 Nb1+, White resigns.

In Maurer-Donaldson, Liechtenstein 1994, White varied with 14.fxe4 e5 15.d5 Ne7 16.c5 Ng6 17.cxb6 axb6 18.c4 c6 19.a4 Qg4 20.a5 Nh4 21.Bc3 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 bxa5 23.Qf2 Ng6 24.Bxa5 Nf4 25.Kh1 h6, White resigns.

Instead of 13.e4, the game Aloni-Fischer, Netanya 1968 continued with 13.Rae1 Na5 14.Rb1 d6 15.Be1 Qg5 16.Qe2 e5 17.e4 fxe4 18.fxe4 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 c5 20.Kg1 Ba6 21.Bg3 cxd4 22.cxd4 exd4 23.Bxd6 Qe3+ 24.Qxe3 dxe3 25.Re1 Bxc4 26.Rxe3 Bxa2 27.e5 Be6


A pawn up, Fischer now wove a mating net, despite the scarcity of material.

28.Re1 Nb3 29.Ba6 Nc5 30.Be2 a5 31.Bc7 a4 32.Bxb6 Nb3 33.Bd1 Rc8 34.Kf2 Nc1 35.Re3 Rb8 36.Bc5 Rb2+ 37.Kg3 Nb3 38.Bd6 Nd4 39.Bg4 Bxg4 40.Kxg4 Rxg2+ 41.Kh3 Rg1 42.e6 Nf5 43.Rd3 g5 44.Bg3 h5, White resigns.


Rather than waste a tempo with his queen rook by 13.Rae1, White played more economically in Smyslov-Bronstein, Alekhine Memorial 1956. The game was drawn quickly after 13.Rab1 Ne7 14.a4 Ba6 15.a5 Nc6 16.axb6 axb6 17.Ra1 Na5, draw.