98_E30-E31_Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Varia

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98_E30-E31_Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Varia
Compiled by nakul1964

I have often wondered why this variation does not get more attention and appreciation, because it seems one of the best ways to counter the ever-solid Nimzo-Indian. This was the first book to explore the possibilities inherent in the Leningrad system (an early Bg5 by White, a main theme in many d4 openings). The only great name knowledgeable chess fans are likely to recall in connection with this way of attacking the "Nimzo" is that of the tenth world champion, Boris Spassky, (1969-1972), who used it with good results, thanks probably to his trainer at the time, Vladimir Zak, who was apparently the pioneering theoretician of this variation.

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Leningrader System
Im Leningrader System beantwortet Weiß die Fesselung seines Springers mit der Gegenfesselung 4. Lc1-g5. Es ist eine interessante Möglichkeit, Schwarz aus dem Konzept zu bringen, weil sich das Spiel ganz anders entwickelt als in den anderen Systemen der Nimzowitsch-Indischen Verteidigung. Die Chance von Schwarz besteht darin, mit 4. ... h7-h6 5. Lg5-h4 den weißen Läufer abzudrängen, so dass er am Damenflügel nicht mehr eingreifen kann, und dann am Damenflügel den Angriff zu suchen. Auf c7-c5 antwortet Weiß meist mit d4-d5.

In der Partie Spasski – Tal (Tallinn 1973) antwortete Tal nach 4. ... h7-h6 5. Lg5-h4 c7-c5 6. d4-d5 im Geiste des Blumenfeld-Gambits mit 6. ... b7-b5.

Den Namen erhielt diese Variante, weil sie von starken Meistern aus Leningrad oft angewandt wurde, etwa Sak, Spasski, Kortschnoi und Tolusch. Wikipedia article: Nimzowitsch-Indisch#Leningrader System

<4. Bg5 - < The Leningrad Variation <>> received its name because its theory was developed extensively by players from that city, such as Boris Spassky. The main line runs <4...h6 5. Bh4 c5 6. d5 d6 7. e3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 e5>,

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when Black has achieved a Hübner Variation-like blockade, the difference being that White's dark-squared bishop is outside the pawn chain.

The pin on the f6-knight is very annoying, and Black often finds himself compelled to break it by playing the drastic <...g7-g5>, which also clamps down on a potential f2-f4 break by White. This move weakens Black's kingside, so he often will not castle, walking his king to c7 via d8. An alternative to <6...d6> is <6...b5>, much played in the 1970s after Mikhail Tal scored a crushing win over Spassky at Tallinn 1973. Spassky vs Tal, 1973 annotated: http://www.chess.com/blog/NimzoRoy/...

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Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad (E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line (E31) Opening Explorer

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Spassky: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Timman: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Berliner: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Bagirov: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

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6. f3 h6 7. Bh4 O-O 8. e4 Re8 9. Qc2 exd5 10. cxd5 Nbd7 11. Bb5
H Berliner vs J Sloth, 2001
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 44 moves, 1-0
6.d5 d6 7.e3 exd5 8.cxd5 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 10.Qc2 Qe7 11.Bd3 Bxc3+
Timman vs Lobron, 1983
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 47 moves, 1-0
6. d5 d6 7. e3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 e5 9. f3 Nbd7 10. Bd3 Qe7 11. Ne2
Timman vs Kudrin, 1985
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 29 moves, 1-0
6.d5 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 d6 8.e3 O-O 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.dxe6 fxe6 11.Nf3
L Aronson vs A Khasin, 1957
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 28 moves, 1-0
6. d5 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 e5 8. Qc2 d6 9. e3 Qe7 10. Nf3 Nbd7 11. Nd2
Spassky vs Kholmov, 1957
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
6.d5 b5 7.dxe6 fxe6 8.cxb5 d5 9.a3 Ba5 10.e3 O-O 11.Bd3 a6
Larsen vs R Garbarino, 1993
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 30 moves, 1-0
6. f3 bxc4 7. e4 h6 8. Bh4 exd5 9. exd5 O-O 10. Bxc4 Bxc3+
A Ipatov vs V Iordachescu, 2012
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 37 moves, 0-1
6. d5 b5 7. dxe6 fxe6 8. cxb5 d5 9. e3 O-O 10. Nf3 Qa5 11. Bxf6
Spassky vs Tal, 1973
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 38 moves, 0-1
6. e3 exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7 8. Bd3 h6 9. Bh4 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qa5
Rapport vs Y Yu, 2012
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 59 moves, 1-0
6.e3 Qe7 7.Ne2 exd5 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Be6 11.Nb5
Hort vs Miles, 1982
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 32 moves, 1-0
6.e3 Qe7 7.Ne2 exd5 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3 Be6 10.cxd5 Bf5
Mamedyarov vs N Grandelius, 2011
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 21 moves, 1-0
6.e3 Qe7 7.Nf3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 e5 11.Nd2 Bf5
D Rogozenco vs Onischuk, 1993
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 37 moves, 0-1
6.e3 c5 7.Bd3 c4 8.Bc2 Qa5 9.Bxf6 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qxc3+ 11.Kf1
H Berliner vs Bisguier, 1960
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 27 moves, 1-0
6. Bh4 b5 7. e4 d6 8. Qc2 O-O 9. dxe6 Nc6 10. Nf3 Bxe6 11. cxb5
Korchnoi vs B Djurasevic, 1956
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 25 moves, 0-1
6. d5 d6 7. e3 exd5 8. cxd5 Nbd7 9. Bb5 O-O 10. Nge2 Ne5 11.O-O
Spassky vs Smyslov, 1953
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 35 moves, 1-0
6. Bh4 d6 7. e3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 e5 9. Nf3 Bf5 10. Nd2 g5 11. Bg3
Spassky vs Short, 2001
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 62 moves, 1-0
6.d5 d6 7.e3 e5 8.Ne2 Nbd7 9.a3 Ba5 10.Qc2 O-O 11.Nc1 Re8
Spassky vs Keres, 1965
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 50 moves, 1-0
6.Bh4 d6 7.e3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 e5 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.Ne2 Qe7 11.Bf5 g5
W Schmidt vs P Enders, 1981
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 29 moves, 0-1
6. d5 d6 7. e3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 e5 9. Bd3 e4 10. Bc2 g5 11. Bg3
A H Williams vs Karpov, 1974
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 30 moves, 0-1
6. d5 d6 7. f3 O-O 8. e4 Re8 9. Bd3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Nbd7 11.dxe6
A Lukin vs Karpov, 1967
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 58 moves, 0-1
Spassky vs P N Lee, 1966
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 24 moves, 1-0
Diez del Corral vs M Damjanovic, 1969
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 35 moves, 1-0
c5 5.d5 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 e5 7.Nf3 d6 8.Nd2 h6 9.Bh4 Nbd7 10.e3 Nf8
Spassky vs Larsen, 1970
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
6.d5 Qa5 7.Bxf6 gxf6 8.Qc2 d6 9.Nf3 e5 10.Nd2 Nd7 11.g3 Nb6
Korchnoi vs Geller, 1955
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 42 moves, 0-1
6.e3 exd5 7.cxd5 Nbd7 8.Bb5 h6 9.Bh4 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qa5 11.Bxd7+
A Korobov vs Kramnik, 2013
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 58 moves, 1/2-1/2
Spassky vs Timman, 1973
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
H Berliner vs G Sanakoev, 2001
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 62 moves, 1/2-1/2
H Berliner vs S Fazekas, 1962
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 42 moves, 1-0
H Berliner vs Y Rokhlin, 1965
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 46 moves, 1-0
H Berliner vs A Kaufman, 1957
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 26 moves, 1-0
H Berliner vs H Seidman, 1957
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 86 moves, 1/2-1/2
H Berliner vs S Bernstein, 1958
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 40 moves, 1-0
Tal vs Gipslis, 1951
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 24 moves, 1-0
Keene vs A J Sobey, 1965
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 30 moves, 1-0
V Zak vs Lilienthal, 1951
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 32 moves, 1-0
J Kristiansen vs B Barth Sahl, 2007
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 40 moves, 1-0
Morozevich vs Vyzmanavin, 1994
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 56 moves, 0-1
H Melkumyan vs A Donchenko, 2014
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 40 moves, 1-0
Korchnoi vs Larsen, 1967
(E21) Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights, 44 moves, 1-0
Yusupov vs Korchnoi, 1995
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 59 moves, 1/2-1/2
V Zak vs G Goldberg, 1951
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 31 moves, 1/2-1/2
V Zak vs Y Shaposhnikov, 1952
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 53 moves, 0-1
T Harestad vs H Strand, 2005
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 48 moves, 0-1
O Neikirch vs A Matanovic, 1957
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 43 moves, 1/2-1/2
Rapport vs T Polak, 2012
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 27 moves, 1-0
N Papenin vs S Galanov, 2009
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 34 moves, 1/2-1/2
A Cherepkov vs Korchnoi, 1959
(E29) Nimzo-Indian, Samisch, 30 moves, 0-1
M Umansky vs D Kayumov, 1989
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 32 moves, 0-1
T Batchimeg vs Y Hou, 2014
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 22 moves, 0-1
Timman vs Yusupov, 1986
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 43 moves, 1/2-1/2
NN vs Bronstein, 1961
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 19 moves, 0-1
Spassky vs Szabo, 1959
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 18 moves, 1/2-1/2
F Berkes vs Pelletier, 2009
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 30 moves, 1-0
F Berkes vs V Chuchelov, 2011
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 39 moves, 1-0
H Steiner vs Unzicker, 1952
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 40 moves, 0-1
Tolush vs Antoshin, 1955
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 62 moves, 0-1
Tolush vs N Karaklajic, 1957
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 72 moves, 1-0
B Gurgenidze vs Petrosian, 1959
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 35 moves, 1/2-1/2
Shabalov vs S Macak, 2010
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 21 moves, 1-0
Shabalov vs Kaidanov, 2011
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 36 moves, 0-1
Spassky vs Lisitsin, 1956
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 43 moves, 1-0
Tolush vs Lisitsin, 1956
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 51 moves, 1/2-1/2
Sämisch
Zhao Jun vs D Xiu, 2011
(E26) Nimzo-Indian, Samisch, 31 moves, 1-0
Timman vs Karpov, 1976
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 45 moves, 1/2-1/2
Korchnoi vs G Siegel, 1993
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 32 moves, 1-0
Spassky vs H Neunhoeffer, 1986
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 29 moves, 1-0
D Rogozenco vs M Wahls, 1999
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 43 moves, 1-0
M Breutigam vs M Wahls, 2001
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 51 moves, 0-1
J Ragnarsson vs I Krush, 2004
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 44 moves, 0-1
P Simonsen vs T Skovgaard, 2001
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 59 moves, 1/2-1/2
B Adhiban vs N Batsiashvili, 2016
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 62 moves, 1/2-1/2
Sasikiran vs G Milos, 2000
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 46 moves, 0-1
I Ivanisevic vs Onischuk, 2011
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2
A Yuneev vs K Klaman, 1979
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 22 moves, 1-0
Harikrishna vs C Bauer, 2007
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 47 moves, 1/2-1/2
A Moiseenko vs Landa, 2010
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 65 moves, 1-0
P Acs vs Harikrishna, 2007
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 45 moves, 1-0
Malinin vs U Schuster, 1990
(E30) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
H Lehmann vs S Tatai, 1968
(E31) Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad, Main line, 49 moves, 0-1
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