^G(5)(22)(NIMZO.

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^C^I My System: 21st Century Edition ^C by Aron Nimzowitsch #TOC ^C^B TABLE OF CONTENTS ^B!(W) A word from the publisher

PART 1 - THE ELEMENTS !(I) !(II) !(III) !(IV) !(V) !(VI) !(VII) !(VIII) !(IX) Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. On the center and development On open files The seventh and eigth ranks The passed pawn On exchanging Elements of endgame strategy The pin Discovered check The pawn chain

PART 2 - POSITIONAL PLAY !(X) !(XI) !(XII) !(XIII) !(XIV) !(XV) Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Positional play and the center The doubled pawn and restraint The isolated d-pawn and its descendants The two bishops Overprotection Maneuvering against weaknesses

^C^I Page down for Illustrative Games List PART 3 - ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES &(225) Nimzowitsch-Alapin, Carlsbad,1911 &(226) Teichmann-Nimzowitsch, Carlsbad,1911 Page 169 Page 170

&(227) &(228) &(229) &(230) &(231) &(232) &(233) &(234) &(235) &(236) &(237) &(238) &(239) &(240) &(241) &(242) &(243) &(244) &(245)

Van Vliet-Znosko-Borovsky, Ostend,1907 Lee-Nimzowitsch, Ostend,1907 Dr. v. Haken-Giese, Riga,1913 Dr. Tarrasch-J. Berger, Breslau,1889 Rabinowitsch-Nimzowitsch, Baden-Baden,1925 Samisch-Nimzowitsch, Copenhagen,1923 Nimzowitsch-Pritzel, Copenhagen,1922 Nimzowitsch-Dr. Tarrasch, Breslau,1925 Sir George Thomas-Dr. Alekhine, Baden-Baden,1925 P.S. Leonhardt-Nimzowitsch, San Sebastion,1912 Nimzowitsch-von Gottschall, Breslau,1925 Nimzowitsch-C. Behting, Riga,1919 Nimzowitsch-von Freymann, Wilna,1912 Nimzowitsch-P.S. Leonhardt, San Sebastion,1911 Nimzowitsch-Dr. Fluss, Correspondence,1913 Rubinstein-Nimzowitsch, Marienbad,1925 Louis Paulsen-Dr. Tarrasch, Played in 1888 Nimzowitsch-Tarrasch, San Sebastion,1912 Professor Becker-Nimzowitsch, Breslau,1925

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172 173 174 176 178 180 181 183 187 189 191 193 195 197 198 200 202 204 206

^C^I Page down for more &(246) &(247) &(248) &(249) &(250) &(251) &(252) &(253) &(254) &(255) &(256) &(257) &(258) &(259) &(260) &(261) &(262) &(263) &(264) &(265) &(266) &(267) &(268) Opocensky-Nimzowitsch, Marienbad,1925 Rubinstein-Duras, Carlsbad,1911 Maroczy-Suchting, Barmen,1905 Nimzowitsch-Dr. Michel, Semmering,1926 Dr. Tarrasch-J. Mieses, Berlin,1916 Grunfeld-Dr. Tartakower, Semmering,1926 Kline-Capablanca, New York,1913 Rubinstein-Levenfish, Carlsbad,1911 Bugoljubow-Nimzowitsch, London,1927 Nimzowitsch-Anton Olson, Played in 1924 Blackburne-Nimzowitsch, Petrograd,1914 Nimzowitsch-Rubinstein, Dresden,1926 Nimzowitsch-Rosselli del Turko, Baden Baden,1925 Johner-Nimzowitsch, Dresden,1926 Nimzowitsch-Taubenhaus, Petrograd,1913 Rubinstein-Znosko-Borovsky, Petrograd,1909 Allies-Nimzowitsch, Simul Exhibition,1926 Three Swedish Amateurs-Nimzowitsch, Cons. game,1921 Teichmann-Nimzowitsch, San Sebastion,1911 Dr. Lasker-Amos Burn, Petrograd,1909 Nimzowitsch-Marshall, New York,1927 Nimzowitsch-Alekhine, Semmering,1926 Andersson,Enstrom,Oebert-Nimzowitsch, Upsala,1921 Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 209 211 213 215 217 218 219 221 222 224 225 227 229 231 234 235 236 238 240 243 245 246 248

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&(269) &(270) &(271) &(272) &(273) &(274)

Yates-Nimzowitsch, London,1927 Nimzowitsch-Salwe, Carlsbad,1911 Gregory-Nimzowitsch, Petrograd,1913 Spielmann-Nimzowitsch, San Sebastion,1911 Nimzowitsch-Spielmann, San Sebastion,1912 Nimzowitsch-A. Hakansson, Kristianstad,1922

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250 253 254 256 258 258

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#W ^C A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER My System, by Aron Nimzowitsch, first published in 1925, has its place among the two or three all-time most instructive books in the literature of chess. Indeed, it is difficult to find a strong chessplayer who has not studied this great classic. The current edition, My System - 21st Century Edition, incorporates many positive changes. To accomodate the modern reader, the chess notation has been converted to algebraic format and the text has been updated to contemporary language. Wider than average pages allow the book to "lie flat" on a table during study. In parts one and two, paragraphs are double spaced to provide for easier reading, while the illustrative games section is peppered with new diagrams and liberal spacing to facilitate the study of variations. Aron Nimzowitsch comments in the preface to his book Chess Praxis (published 1936), "I would have liked to see each game provided with four or five diagrams to facilitate the study of the variations which often are particularly intricate, but obese volumes are not in favor nowadays (slimming is the watchword)." In this vein I feel certain that he would be most pleased to know that My System - 21st Century Edition contains 419 diagrams! This is nearly double the number found in the original 1930 English language edition from which this book is derived. In short, everything possible has been done to make the use of this book convenient and easy for today's chessplayer. I wish to thank the staff of the John G. White Collection of the Cleveland Public Library for the Photograph from which the cover illustration was created. I would also like to express my gratitude to Senior Master John Hall for his most helpful suggestions throughout the project. I am indebted to John Merrill of Augusta, Maine who "rescued" me with a five-day loan of his portable computer when mine failed during my summer vacation, and to Dr. Alan Weissman of Carrollton, Texas, whose special "computer" glasses allowed me to restart work when I was temporarily sidelined by a case of computer-induced eye strain. The goal of contemporary Nimzowitsch, thousands of continue its making My System as accurate and easy as possible for the reader has been achieved. the master work of Aron after nearly seventy years of challenging and teaching the world's best chess thinkers, is now in a position to noble task throughout the next century.

Lou Hays Dallas, Texas December 1991

This disk is published under special agreement between ChessBase USA and Hays Publishing to complement the hard-copy book and further enhance the utility of Mr. Nimzowitsch's work. The combination of Nimzowitsch's talent for teaching and Chessbase technology provide you with the most comprehensive and efficient study platform available in today's chess community. The games and positions are presented on the disk in the same order as the book. Diagrams that have no associated moves in the book have not been included on the disk and some diagrams have been modified to include a white and/or black king due to the requirements of ChessBase software products. To utilize this document just double click your choice in the Table of Contents. This will "jump" you directly to the chapter you wish to study. The games and positions included in each chapter provide a game title and page number corresponding to the page number in the book where the game is located. Double click your choice to load the game to the chess board. To return to the document simply press the HOME key. You will find a control line at the end of each chapter, double click to return to the Table of Contents. For those of you not using a mouse, use the Down Arrow key to highlight your selection and press ENTER. Don Maddox Manasquan, New Jersey September, 1992 ^C^I !(TOC) Click here to return to Table of Contents #I ^C^I Chapter 1. On the center and development &(1) &(2) &(3) &(4) &(5) &(6) &(7) &(8) &(9) &(10) &(11) &(12) &(13) &(14) &(15) &(16) &(17) &(18) Wrecking of a Pawnless Advance A. Nimzowitsch-Amateur Win of a Tempo Win of a Tempo by Exchange Win of a Tempo by Exchange 2 Intermezzo with a Win of Tempo Liquidation Liquidation of the Center Unmotivated Exchange The Center as a Demobilizer The Center as a Demobilizer 2 The Center as a Demobilizer 3 The Center as a Demobilizer 4 The Center as a Demobilizer 5 Surrender of the Center Surrender of the Center 2 Lee-Nimzowitsch, Ostend Yates-Nimzowitsch Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 10 10 10

&(19) Declining &(20) Declining &(21) Declining &(22) Gaining a &(23) Gaining a ^C^I !(TOC) Click

a Pawn a Pawn 2 a Pawn 3 Center Pawn Center Pawn 2 here to return to Table of Contents

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11 11 11 11 12

#II ^C^I Chapter 2. On open files &(24) &(25) &(26) &(27) &(28) &(29) &(30) &(31) &(32) &(33) &(34) Opening a File Thomas-Alekhine Exploiting Open Files Gaining the Back Ranks Evolutionary Attack Revolutionary Attack Revolutionary Attack 2 Restricted Advance in a File Outposting Advance Posting Nimzowitsch-Amateur Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 14 14 15 16 17 17 17 18 19 21 21

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#III ^C^I Chapter 3. The seventh and eighth ranks &(35) &(36) &(37) &(38) &(39) &(40) &(41) &(42) &(43) &(44) &(45) &(46) &(47) &(48) &(49) Revolutionary Attack in the Seventh Rank Revolutionary Attack in the Seventh Rank 2 The Seventh Rank The Seventh Rank 2 The Seventh rank 3 Taking with Check Taking with Check 2 Absolute Seventh rank Tarrasch-Lasker Perpetual Check The Seventh Rank 4 The Seventh Rank 5 The Seventh Rank 6 Nimzowitsch-Bernstein Nimzowitsch-Eliasstamm Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 24 24 24 24 25 25 25 26 26 27 27 29 29 30 30

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#IV ^C^I Chapter 4. The passed pawn &(50) &(51) &(52) &(53) &(54) &(55) &(56) &(57) &(58) &(59) &(60) &(61) &(62) &(63) &(64) &(65) &(66) &(67) &(68) &(69) &(70) &(71) &(72) &(73) &(74) &(75) &(76) &(77) &(78) &(79) &(80) Pawn Majorities Blockade of Passed Pawns Kolste-Nimzowitsch Alekhine-Treybal Change of Blockading Squares Effect of the Blockade Effect of the Blockade 2 Attacking the Blockade Attacking the Blockade 2 Enveloping Attack Enveloping Attack 2 The Frontal Attack Enveloping Attack 3 Enveloping Attack 4 The Turning Movement The Reserve Blockade Ideal Passed Pawns Ideal Passed Pawns 2 Protected Passed Pawns Protected Passed Pawns 2 Outside Passed Pawn Outside Passed Pawn 2 Advance of a Passed Pawn Advance of a Passed Pawn 2 Advance of a Passed Pawn 3 Nimzowitsch-Rubinstein Hausen-Nimzowitsch Tarrasch-Berger Nimzowitsch-Alapin Nimzowitsch-Amateur Nimzowitsch-Nilsson Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 32 33 34 34 37 38 38 40 40 41 41 42 43 43 43 43 45 46 46 46 46 47 48 48 48 50 50 50 51 51 52

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#V ^C^I Chapter 5. On exchanging &(81) &(82) &(83) &(84) &(85) &(86) &(87) &(88) Exchange in Order to Open a File Destroying a Defender Exchange to Avoid a Loss of Time "Selling one's life" Bernstein-Perlis Rosselli-Rubinstein Rosselli-Rubinstein Nimzowitsch-Druwa Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 53 54 54 54 55 56 56 56

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#VI ^C^I Chapter 6. Elements of endgame strategy &(89) &(90) &(91) &(92) &(93) &(94) &(95) &(96) &(97) &(98) &(99) &(100) &(101) &(102) &(103) &(104) &(105) &(106) &(107) Centralization of the King Rubinstein-Nimzowitsch Centralization Centralization 2 The Shelter The Shelter 2 Bridge Building Aggressive Rooks Aggressive Rooks 2 Aggressive Rooks 3 The Knight as a Defender The Bishop as a Defender Nimzowitsch-Jacobsen "Materialization" of a Rank Capablanca-Martinez Nimzowitsch-Spielmann Thomas-Nimzowitsch Post-Alekhine Cohn-Nimzowitsch Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 58 58 59 59 60 60 60 61 62 62 63 63 65 65 65 66 66 67 67

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#VII ^C^I Chapter 7. The pin &(108) The Total Pin &(109) The Total Pin 2 &(110) Win of a Pinned Piece with a Pawn Attack &(111) Win of a Pinned Piece with a Pawn Attack 2 &(112) Win of a Pinned Piece with a Pawn Attack 3 &(113) The Exchange Combination &(114) Morphy-Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard &(115) The Exchange Combination 2 &(116) The 1st and 2nd Motives &(117) Tarrasch-Unknown &(118) Unpinning &(119) Unpinning 2 &(120) Cohen-Nimzowitsch &(121) Unpinning 3 &(122) The "Question" &(123) Ignoring the Threat &(124) Bringing Reserves to Unpin &(125) Bringing Reserves to Unpin 2 &(126) Maneuvering Before Unpinning &(127) Unpinning 4 &(128) Unpinning 5 &(129) Unpinning 6 &(130) Nimzowitsch-Vidmar ^C^I !(TOC) Click here to return to Table of Contents Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 70 70 71 71 71 72 72 73 73 73 74 74 74 75 75 76 77 77 77 78 78 78 78

#VIII ^C^I Chapter 8. Discovered check &(131) &(132) &(133) &(134) &(135) &(136) &(137) &(138) &(139) Discovered Check The See-Saw The See-Saw 2 Torre-Lasker Double Check Double Check 2 Double Check 3 Reti-Tartakower Nimzowitsch-Ryckhoff Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 82 82 83 83 83 84 84 84 85

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#IX ^C^I Chapter 9. The pawn chain &(140) &(141) &(142) &(143) &(144) &(145) &(146) &(147) &(148) &(149) &(150) The Pawn Chain The Pawn Chain 2 The Pawn Chain 3 The Pawn Chain 4 Blockading the Pawn Chain Widening the Blockading Ring The Siege of the Pawn Chain The Base as a Weakness in the Endgame Exploiting a Weak Base Transfer of the Attack Transfer of the Attack 2 Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 87 88 90 92 93 93 94 96 97 99 100

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#X ^C^I Chapter 10. Positional play and the center &(151) &(152) &(153) &(154) &(155) &(156) &(157) &(158) &(159) &(160) &(161) &(162) &(163) &(164) &(165) &(166) Nimzowitsch-Amateur The Freeing Move The Freeing Move 2 Nimzowitsch-Giese Nimzowitsch-Alekhine The Mobile Pawn Mass The Mobile Pawn Mass The Invasion of the Center Capablanca-Martinez The Invasion of the Center 2 The Change of Front Berntsson-Bjurulf Opocensky-Nimzowitsch Nimzowitsch-Alekhine Yates-Nimzowitsch Rubinstein-Nimzowitsch Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 105 107 107 108 108 110 111 111 111 112 112 113 115 115 116 117

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#XI ^C^I Chapter 11. The doubled pawn and restraint &(167) &(168) &(169) &(170) &(171) &(172) &(173) &(174) &(175) &(176) &(177) &(178) &(179) &(180) &(181) &(182) &(183) &(184) &(185) &(186) &(187) &(188) &(189) &(190) &(191) &(192) &(193) Static Weakness of the Doubled Pawn Doubled Pawns Haakanson-Nimzowitsch Janowsky-Nimzowitsch Nimzowitsch-Rosselli Nimzowitsch-Samisch Spielmann-Rubinstein Nimzowitsch-Perlis Yates-Olland Teichmann-Bernstein Billecard-Bernstein The Mysterious Rook Move The Mysterious Rook Move 2 The Mysterious Rook Move 3 Kupchik-Capablanca Gottschall-Nimzowitsch The Freeing Move The Mobile Center Pawn First restrain, Next Blockade, Lastly Destroy Shoosmith-Nimzowitsch Restraint Van Vliet-Nimzowitsch Restraint 2 Nimzowitsch-Reti Special Variation Blockade Spanning Half the Board Huge Sensation Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 121 122 123 123 124 124 125 126 127 127 128 129 129 130 130 130 131 133 133 133 134 134 135 135 135 136 136

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#XII ^C^I Chapter 12. The isolated d-pawn and its descendants &(194) &(195) &(196) &(197) &(198) &(199) &(200) &(201) &(202) Isolated d-Pawn Nimzowitsch-Taubenhaus Rubinstein-Lasker Lasker-Tarrasch Nimzowitsch-Giersing and Kinch The Isolani Rubinstein-Nimzowitsch Nimzowitsch-Tartakower Bernstein-Teichmann Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 137 139 140 141 142 144 145 145 145

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#XIII ^C^I Chapter 13. The two bishops &(203) &(204) &(205) &(206) &(207) &(208) The Bishop vs. the Knight The Horrwitz Bishops The Horrwitz Bishops 2 Richter-Tarrasch Harmonist-Tarrasch Michel-Tartakower Page Page Page Page Page Page 147 148 148 149 150 151

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#XIV ^C^I Chapter 14. Overprotection &(209) &(210) &(211) &(212) &(213) &(214) &(215) Nimzowitsch-Rubinstein Nimzowitsch-Spielmann Reti-Yates Overprotection Three Amateurs-Nimzowitsch Nimzowitsch-Jacobson Tarrasch-Barthmann Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 153 154 154 155 156 156 157

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#XV ^C^I Chapter 15. Maneuvering against weaknesses &(216) &(217) &(218) &(219) &(220) &(221) &(222) &(223) &(224) Rubinstein-Selesnieff Kalaschnikow-Nimzowitsch Nimzowitsch-Kalinsky Von Gottschall-Nimzowitsch Von Holzhausen-Nimzowitsch Teichmann-Nimzowitsch Vestergaard-Nimzowitsch Seifert-Nimzowitsch Lasker-Salwe Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 160 160 161 162 163 163 164 164 164

^C^I !(TOC) Click here to return to Table of Contents ^C Copyright 1992, ChessBase USA ^C P.O. Box 133 ^C Hagerstown, Md. 21741