2017 3 Tables - May Round 1 NM Davis Whaley, 2352 - Anton Taylor, 2011 Nimzo-Indian 4.e3 (E41)

2017 3 Tables - May Round 1 
NM Davis Whaley, 2352 - Anton Taylor, 2011 
Nimzo-Indian 4.e3 (E41)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Ne2 d6 This is a bit of a sideline. I honestly could not remember the mainline (cxd4) or how I was supposed to play there. d6 is a nice idea giving white a bit of space to close the center and get in e5. I will probably play this line again but I will be better prepared the next time. 7. O-O e5 The silicon monsters absolutely hate this move but it is the only clear idea after d6. My chess sense tells me that it is hard for white to prove a direct winning method here. However, at a ply greater than 20 komodo gives +- 0.78. 8. d5 Ne7 9. f4 exf4 I hated to play this move but I saw no reasonable alternative. It is rough equality with white being a bit better. The main problem practically is that the Bishop on c8 has very few squares and zero attakingt prospects. 10. exf4 Bg4 11. Qc2 Ng6 12. Ng3 O-O 13. f5 Ne5 14. h3 Nh5 15. Nge4 Bxh3 16. gxh3 Qh4 17. Kg2 f6 18. Bd2 Bxc3 19. Qxc3 Rae8 20. Rae1 g5 21. fxg6 Nxg6 22. Bc2 Nhf4+ 23. Bxf4 Nxf4+ 24. Kh2 Kh8 25. Qg3 Qxg3+ 26. Kxg3 Nh5+ 27. Kh4 Re5 28. Nxd6 Rg5 29. Rxf6 1-0
 The remainder of the game is interesting with a lot of alternatives and a lot of potential pitfalls for white (even though he is a piece up at the cost of a pawn). However, it seems more efficient for time for me to go back and look at the opening again and draw some positional conclusions before the tactics came into play. Once again I have trouble in a Nimzo based opening line (I recall a game from last month where I played against Michael Johnson and lost right out of the opening as happened here.