ANNOTATED GAME

5. .. Ne4: A new move for Queen's Indian
pablano (2006) vs. jprante (1954)
Annotated by: jprante (2152)
Chess opening: Queen's Indian (E15), Nimzovich variation (exaggerated fianchetto)
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1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3
The Queen's Indian defence. Usually, this ends up in equalized games, very well analyzed. In this game with Black, I tried to fight for the initiative with a new move.

 
5... Ne4
A new move! Why should Black not move the Knight into the center, with a delayed d5. White must take care because the plan 7. Bg2 followed by 8. 0-0 is countered by Black with 9. .. f5. Other possibilities were 5. .. d5 or 5 .. Bb4, but both alternatives are known and have been discussed recently (e.g. http://www.chesspublishing.com/content/10/index.htm#qui)

 
6. a3 Be7
Black prepares castling.

 
7. Bg2
And so is White.

 
7... d5 8. O-O O-O 9. Bb2
Required move if White plans Nc3 - The black Knight on e4 is looking for quick exchange.

 
9... f5
! The center is under Black's control, but White is going for a Knight combination. No less than five Knight moves follow.

 
10. Ne5 Nd7 11. Nc6 Qe8 12. Nc3 Ndf6 13. Nxe7+ Qxe7 14. Nxe4 Nxe4
After the Knight exchange combination, White has a small advantage for now.

 
15. Rc1 Rad8 16. f3 Nf6 17. c5
! This was surprising for Black. With Qd2 and Re1 White is back in the fight for the center.

 
17... f4 18. Qd2 fxg3
Black is attacking on the King side. The pawn opens the f file.

 
19. hxg3 Nh5 20. Kh2
Forced. 20. g4? Nf4!

 
20... Rf6
The plan is doubling the rooks on the f file and a discovered attack with check on the h file.

 
21. Qg5 Qf7 22. Bh3 Re8
This move prepare e5.

 
23. Rc2 bxc5 24. dxc5
A discovered attack of Bb2 at the rook Rf6!

 
24... e5 25. Bg4
g6 is not possible because of Qh6. Black is going for Queen exchange.

 
25... Rg6 26. Bxh5 Rxg5 27. Bxf7+ Kxf7 28. Rd2 Kg6
28. .. d4 was also possible. White could only go for a draw with 29.f4 Rf5 30.Kg1 exf4 31.Bxd4 Rxe2 32.Rxe2 Bxe2 33.Rxf4 Rxf4 34.gxf4

 
29. Rxd5 Bxe2 30. Re1 Bxf3 31. Rdxe5 Rgxe5 32. Bxe5
After this combination, it is rather clear that the game is drawn. Black will exchange rooks.

 
32... Kf5 33. Bc3 Rxe1 34. Bxe1 c6 35. Bc3 g5 36. Kg1 h5 37. b4 Bd5 38. Kh2 Kg4
Bishops on different colors are not always reason enough to draw a game, but here, the pawns are blocked, and White can handle the end game, even if the position is slightly worse than Black's. So, is the new move 5. .. Ne4 a better alternative to Queen's indian defence classical lines, or is Black's position not getting strong enough for some advantage over White?