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A30 English

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation. General

Eigil Hansen vs Aron Nimzowitsch, 1928

0-1, 27 moves

[Event "Kopenhagen, 1928"]
[Site "PC6"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[EventDate "1928.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Eigil Hansen"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "A30"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "54"]
1. c4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} c5 2. f4 {This move may give a bad impression, but as we will see soon the wrong thing isn't the move but the impression!} Nf6 3. d3 d5 { Otherwise 4.e4 would have followed, giving Hansen a solid position} 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 {You may compare this position to my Dresden variation: 1.c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 The two positions have in common the d3 pawn and the opened d column, but in the game the Black's best resource ...Nxc3 followed by ...g6 isn't playable. Consequently, Mr. Hansen opening is ingenious and praiseworthy.} Nf6 6. Be3 {!} e6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. Nf3 Bd7 { To...provoke 9.d4 !} 9. d4 {? 9.h3, follwed by Be2 was much more solid. For instance: 9. ... Nh5? 10.Kf2 and then 11.g4. With this move, White demonstrates not to have a good intuition for solid positions (a player like F. Saemisch wouldn't even think about a move like d4!)} cxd4 10. Nxd4 Bb4 { White's position is already trembling} 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 12. Qxd8+ Rxd8 13. e5 { White has lost most of his powerful center and has to face his weakness on white squares} Ne4 14. a3 {An ingenious idea: White is trying to provoke a final with opposite colours Bishops} Bxc3+ 15. bxc3 Nxc3 16. Bc4 {Now 16.Bxa7 is impossible due to 16. ... Nd5 and f4 is undefendable. (Obviously not 17.g3? Nxf4 18.gxf4 Bxh1)} Rc8 {The most suitable strategy against a an expanded formation! Leaving everything "hanging" and increase the pressure} 17. Rc1 Bxg2 18. Rg1 Rxc4 19. Rxg2 b5 20. Rgc2 { Or 20.Rg7 Ke7 followed by 21.Rhc8 with serious threats} Nd5 { What a solid Knight!} 21. Rxc4 bxc4 22. Rxc4 Kd7 23. Bxa7 Rc8 {The triumph of the solid position! The smart White player has earned back all he could (his opponent's material advantage), but now he has got a "fluttering butterfly" in f4, an "unleashed dog" in a7, and two "lost sheep" in a3 an h2, while the King is sitting at proper distance on his throne... The end is terryfing!} 24. Re4 { After 24.Rxc8 Kxc8 the "butterfly'" would have stopped fluttering} Rc1+ 25. Kf2 {If 25.Kd2 then 25. ... Rh1 26.Re2 Ra1! (not the immediate 26. ... N:f4 due to 27.Rf2 g5 28.Be3) 27.Bc5 Nxf4} Rc2+ 26. Kg3 {Or 26.Kg1 Rg3 27.a4 Rf3} Rc3+ 27. Kg4 {? A blunder due to the approaching zeitnot, but there was no issue anyway} f5+ {Naturally 28.exf6 Nxf6+ and the Rook is lost. This game illustrates clearly the weakness of an "expanded center" advanced too early.} 0-1

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