Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Move by Move, The

THE NIMZO-LARSEN ATTACK by Cyrus Lakdawala offers one stop shopping for those looking for an opening for White. The San Diego IM covers all of Black’s replies to 1.b3 using 60 well-annotated games utilizing a Question and Answer format that engages the reader in a way that traditional opening books don’t.

Although this book is primarily aimed at players from 1800 to 2200, there is still plenty to interest stronger players as well. One line in particular is the sequence 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bd6 5.Na3, which Lakdawala dubs the Beginner Variation for obvious reasons. This line can lead to particularly creative play with one example being 5…a6 6.Be2 (6.Bxc6 is also played) 6…Na5 7.c4 0-0 8.Nc2 Nc6 9.g4!? b5! 10.g5! as in T.L. Petrosian-Vishnu, Fujairah City 2012.

Lakdawala draws from older classics as well as new games with Fischer, Larsen and Nimzowitsch all featured prominently, a few via 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3.

Recommended