[Event "Dresden"]
[Site "Dresden"]
[Date "1926.04.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Johner, Paul F"]
[Black "Nimzowitsch, Aaron"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E41"]
[WhiteElo "2414"]
[BlackElo "2577"]
[Annotator ""]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "1926.04.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
{The Players Paul Johner (1887–1938) was a Swiss player and musician, who
won or shared the Swiss Championship six times. His best success was his
victory in a quadrangular tournament in Berlin 1924, where he came ahead of
Rubinstein, Teichmann and Mieses. Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935) was one of the
strongest players in the world during the 1920s and was also influential as a
thinker and writer. He was born in Riga and rose to prominence before the
First World War. The war interrupted his career for six years but when
Nimzowitsch was able to resume international competition he rapidly advanced
into the world elite. After a succession of tournament victories, his
challenge for the World Championship was accepted by Capablanca in 1926.
However, Nimzowitsch was unable to raise the necessary money and when the
world title passed to Alekhine in 1927, the new champion preferred to play a
title match against Bogoljubow (some have said that this was because Alekhine
regarded Nimzowitsch as the more dangerous opponent). After 1931 he could not
maintain his level of play and was no longer a realistic title contender.
Nimzowitsch fell ill in 1934 and died from pneumonia some months later.
Nimzowitsch was, along with Réti, one of the most prominent members of the
“Hypermodern” school of chess, which introduced many new ideas into the
game, especially in the area of opening play (see the introduction to Game
Réti - Bogoljubow, for more details). Nimzowitsch’s influence on opening
theory was especially profound and a number of opening lines bear his name.
The two most important are the Nimzo-Indian Defence (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3
Bb4), and the French Defence line 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4, which is
called the Nimzowitsch Variation in most non-English speaking countries. Both
are still in everyday use. Nimzowitsch wrote three important books of which
two, My System (1925) and Chess Praxis (1929) are regarded as classics of
chess literature and are still in print. The Game This is probably one of
Nimzowitsch’s most creative achievements at the chessboard. As early as move
12 he implements a plan that shocks the chess world. The incredible thing is
that it seems to work! Certainly Johner has no answer to the unique problems
facing him. He looks on as a virtual spectator as his pawns are blocked and
then his position dismantled bit by bit. A game of pure joy!} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4
e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {Nimzowitsch’s own defence, which is generally known as the
Nimzo-Indian (the name “Nimzowitsch Defence” is reserved for 1. e4 Nc6,
even though this is a far less important opening). In the nineteenth century
virtually all the top players would have played 3...d5 here (if they hadn’t
already played ...d5 on move one), controlling the centre in a classical way
by occupying it with pawns. However, Nimzowitsch discovered another way to
play for Black, which seems very normal now, but at the time was quite
revolutionary. His concept was to control the centre with pieces rather than
pawns, a kind of long-distance command, which has the advantage of retaining
much flexibility. This theory was one of the key ideas of the Hypermodern
school of chess, led by Richard Réti and Nimzowitsch himself.} 4. e3 O-O 5.
Bd3 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O Bxc3 8. bxc3 d6 9. Nd2 $1 {Nimzowitsch} (9. e4 e5 10.
d5 Na5 {Nimzowitsch} (10... Ne7 $5)) 9... b6 {/\10...e5 11.d5 Na5 12.Nb3 Nb7
Nimzowitsch} (9... e5 10. d5 Na5 (10... Ne7 11. e4 $1 {Nimzowitsch}) 11. Nb3)
10. Nb3 $2 (10. f4 $1 e5 11. fxe5 dxe5 12. d5 Na5 13. Nb3 Nb7 14. e4 Ne8 {
/\15...Ne8-d6}) 10... e5 $1 11. f4 (11. d5 e4 $1 12. Be2 (12. dxc6 exd3 $17)
12... Ne5 $1) 11... e4 $1 (11... Qe7 12. fxe5 dxe5 13. d5 Nd8 14. e4 Ne8) 12.
Be2 Qd7 $3 {This move, together with the subsequent queen manoeuvre, astounded
the chess world at the time it was played, but its concept has been an
inspiration to many grandmasters since. Nimzowitsch’s main idea was first to
restrain, then blockade and finally destroy. Here Black starts the restraining
part of the plan. The only possible action for White in this position is on
the kingside. He would like to expand there with g4, so Black basically takes
steps to prevent this. The fact that the queen blocks the bishop for the
moment is quite irrelevant. The whole picture will be seen in a few moves’
time. In My System Nimzowitsch writes “Black sees in White’s kingside
pawns (f-, g- and h-pawns) a qualitative majority. The text move involves a
complicated method of restraint."} (12... Ne8 $1 13. g4 (13. f5 Qg5) 13... f5
14. d5 (14. dxc5 $5 dxc5 15. Qd5+ Qxd5 16. cxd5 Ne7 17. Rd1 Nd6) 14... Ne7 15.
g5 {Leads to petrification-Nimzowitsch Führt zu Versteinerung -Nimzowitsch})
13. h3 $2 {No annotations by Nimzowitsch, but the move weakens g3.} (13. f5 $5
{Szabo} Ne7 14. g4 h5 $1) (13. Bd2 $5 {Larsen} Ne7 14. Be1 Nf5 $2 (14... Ng4
15. Qd2 f5 {not easy to storm the white position.}) (14... Ba6 $5 15. Bh4 $2
Nf5 16. Bf2 cxd4 $1) 15. Bf2) (13. a4 $1 {Larsen} a5 14. Bd2) 13... Ne7 14. Qe1
$2 {Discounting the small glimmer of a chance at move eighteen, this was
White’s last chance to make a fight of it in the positional battle.} (14. Bd2
Nf5 {/\15...Nf5-g3 to exchange the Be2, which covers the Pc4.} (14... h5 $1 {
Larsen} 15. Bxh5 (15. Be1 Nf5 16. Bf2 g6) 15... Nxh5 16. Qxh5 Qa4 $1 (16... Ba6
17. f5 $1) 17. f5 f6 18. Rf4 $2 Bxf5) 15. Qe1 g6 16. g4 Ng7 17. Qh4 Nfe8 {
/\18...f7-f5} 18. a4 {inter alia to prevent Qd7-a4.} f5 19. g5 Nc7 20. d5 Ba6 {
A preventive measure directed against 21.a4-a5, for now the reply could be 21..
.b6-b5.} 21. Kf2 Qf7 22. Rfd1 (22. Qh6 $2 Nxd5 $1 23. cxd5 Bxe2 24. Kxe2 Qxd5
25. Nc1 Nh5 $1 {with permanent imprisonment of the White's queen. Black wins
by promoting the pawns.}) 22... Kh8 $14 {/\23...Nh5, Kg7(!) and finally h7-h6
- Nimzowitsch.}) (14. Kh2 $1 {Szabo}) (14. g4 $5 {Szabo}) 14... h5 $1 {The
start of the process of tying White up. Der Beginn der Einschnürung.} 15. Bd2
(15. Qh4 Nf5 16. Qg5 Nh7 17. Qxh5 Ng3) 15... Qf5 $1 {To make its way to h7.
This was the original point of the restraining maneouvre. Um nach h7 zu
wandern, dies war die originelle Pointe des Hemmungsmanövers.} 16. Kh2 Qh7 $1 {
The restraining manoeuvre Qd8-d7-f5-h7 represents one of the most remarkable
conceptions invented by Nimzowitsch.} 17. a4 Nf5 {/\18... Ng4+ 19.hxg4 hxg4+
20.Kg1 g3 etc.} (17... a5 $1) 18. g3 (18. a5 $1 {Larsen} Ng4+ 19. Bxg4 hxg4 20.
axb6 gxh3 21. gxh3 Nh4 22. Qg3 {It's not easy to prove a clear win for Black -
Larsen.}) 18... a5 $1 {It's easier to defend the weakness on b6 than the
weakness on a4. Compare Spassky,B-Fischer,R (05) Wch28-Reykjavik 1972, 0-1/
(27) b6 ist leicht zu decken. Vgl. Spassky,B-Fischer,R (05)/Wch28-Reykjavik/
1972/0-1/27/} 19. Rg1 Nh6 20. Bf1 Bd7 21. Bc1 Rac8 {Black has enough play on
the kingside, so he is not worried about the centre being closed by d4-d5.
Schwarz braucht die Abschließung durch d4-d5 nicht mehr zu fürchten, denn er
hat genug Spiel am Königsflügel.} 22. d5 Kh8 23. Nd2 (23. Kg2 Rg8 24. Kf2 g5
$19) 23... Rg8 {Now comes the attack.} 24. Bg2 g5 25. Nf1 Rg7 26. Ra2 Nf5 27.
Bh1 Rcg8 28. Qd1 gxf4 $1 29. exf4 Bc8 30. Qb3 Ba6 31. Re2 (31. Bd2 Rg6 $1 32.
Be1 Ng4+ 33. hxg4 hxg4+ 34. Kg2 Bxc4 $1 35. Qxc4 e3 $19) 31... Nh4 $1 {
Black’s positional masterpiece has been completed, and he now completely
dominates the board. The rest is of the game is simply tactics. Tactics tend
to flow freely from a position of strength, and this game is no exception.} 32.
Re3 (32. Nd2 Bc8 $1 (32... Qf5 $2 33. Qd1 $1 Bc8 34. Qf1) 33. Nxe4 (33. Qd1
Bxh3 $1 34. Kxh3 Qf5+) 33... Qf5 $1 34. Nf2 Qxh3+ $1 35. Nxh3 Ng4#) 32... Bc8
33. Qc2 Bxh3 $1 34. Bxe4 (34. Kxh3 Qf5+ 35. Kh2 Ng4+ 36. Kh3 Nf2+ 37. Kh2 Qh3#)
34... Bf5 {The best, since h5-h4 can no longer be stopped; after the fall of
the Bh3 the defence has become hopeless. Das Beste, denn nun ist h5-h4 nicht
mehr aufzuhalten; nach Fall des Bh3 ist die Verteidigung eben hoffnungslos
geworden.} 35. Bxf5 Nxf5 36. Re2 h4 37. Rgg2 hxg3+ 38. Kg1 Qh3 39. Ne3 Nh4 40.
Kf1 Re8 $1 {/\41...Nxg2 42.Rxg2 Qh1+ 43.Ke2 Qxg2+!} (40... Re8 $1 {White
resigned.} 41. Ke1 Nf3+ 42. Kd1 Qh1+ {. Lessons from this game: 1) The
Nimzo-Indian is one of the soundest defences to 1. d4. 2) The art of restraint
is a very important concept. In My System Nimzowitsch asks himself the
question “Was ...Qd8-d7-f5-h7 an attacking manoeuvre?”, before answering
in his own way “Yes and no (!). No, since its whole idea was to restrain
White’s kingside pawns. Yes, since every restraining action is the logical
prelude to an attack, and since every immobile complex tends to be a weakness
and therefore must sooner or later become an object of attack.” Who can
argue with this logic? 3) Positional domination is often the precursor to a
decisive tactical flourish. In this game Black only begins the tactics around
move thirty. Ten moves later White is forced to resign.}) 0-1
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