Verifying Schandorff-Playing 1.d4 The Indian Defences

Schandorff proposes 4.e3 against the Nimzo-Indian with 5.Nge2 in Playing 1.d4 The Indian Defences(Qualith Chess 2012).

See QualityChess Playing_1.d4_-_The_Indian_Defences

His key games are,

Game	Line			Tournament	Year
1	4…Nc6	Botvnnik	Taimanov	Moscow(4)	1952
2	4…c5	Botvnnik	Smyslov	Moscow(5)	1952
3	4…0-0	Botvnnik	Keres	Hague/Moscow	1948
4	4…b6	Aronian	Istratescu	Antalya	2004
5	4…b6	Ugge	Hall	Corr	2003
6	4…c5	Popov,S	Savic	Mataruska Banja	2007
7	4…c5	Najer	Mitenkov	Moscow	1996
8	4…c5	Sasvari	Kunzelmann	Corr	2005
9	4…0-0	Iljushin	Murzin	Togliatti	2001
10	4…0-0	Ivanisevic	Gyimesi	Bihac	2010
11	4…0-0	Ponomariov	Kramnik	Wijk aan Zee	2003
12	4…0-0	Astroem	Yarshenko	Corr	1997

I verified game 4 where Schandorff proposes the aggressive 8.Qf3/9.g4 plan. White imposed a sharp game in the 2004 Aronian stem game. I found some independant improements and present these findings.

My first outing with 4.e3 did not go so well so now additional work must be done to upgrade my knowledge level. This analysis is part of  the hoped for 'cure'.


Aronian,Levon (2645) - Istratescu,Andrei (2587) [E45]
EU-ch 5th Antalya (11), 27.05.2004[Yip]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5.Nge2 Ba6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Nxc3 d5 8.Qf3 A very direct approach that exploits the absence of Bb7.[Yip] 8...0–0 9.g4!? (diagram) 

Bayonet type attacks are common the Open Sicilian but not so much in the Nimzo-Indian.

Position 1

White has the bishop pair deep in the ending. How should white make progress?

White to play