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My explorations of the White side of the NIMZO-INDIAN began with the main line 4.e3 (I had a few theoretical novelties under my sleeve.), moved on to the offbeat 4.f3 (my arsenal filled with new ideas) and eventually came to rest with the highly popular 4.Qc2.

Silman-G Kane
Bagby Memorial 1982
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 (Poor Mr. Kane was the unlucky recipient of a couple of Silman novelties. The first occurred after 4.e3 d5 5.Bd3 0-0 6.Nf3 b6 7.0-0 Bb7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.a3 Bd6 10.b4 a6 11.Qb3 Re8 12.a4 Nc6 13.Ba3 a5. At the time, this position was thought to be comfortable for Black, but I showed this assessment to be false after 14.Bb5! axb4 15.Bxc6 Bxc6 16.Bxb4 Ne4 17.Rfc1 Bxb4 18.Qxb4 when I had a clear advantage and scored a smooth win.) 4...c5 5.d5 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Nh5 7.g3 f5 8.e4 f4 (This well known position was considered to be quite nice for Black at that time, but John Grefe [who kindly spoon fed me several incredible ideas] and I had analyzed a new idea that completely turned this assessment around.) 9.dxe6!! (After this game appeared in Players' Chess News, 4.f3 enjoyed several months of international popularity.) 9...Qf6 (Of course, 9...0-0 loses right away to 10.Qd5 with the double threat of 11.Qxh5 and 11.e7+.) 10.Ne2 fxg3 11.Bg2 Qe6 12.hxg3 Nf6 13.g4 (White now has a clear advantage, though I can't say my technique was all it could have been.) 13...0-0 14.g5 Ne8 15.Nf4 Qe5 16.Nd5 Qg3+ 17.Kf1 Nc6 18.Rh3 Qe5 19.Kg1 g6 20.f4 Qg7 21.e5 d6 22.Nf6+ Nxf6 23.exf6 Qf7 24.Re3! Qc7 25.Bd5+ Kh8 26.Qe2 Bf5 27.Bd2 Rad8 28.Rae1 h5 29.Re7! Rd7 30.Re8 Rd8 31.Rxf8+ Rxf8 32.Qe8! Qd8 33.Bxc6 bxc6 34.Qxc6 Qd7 35.Qxd7 Bxd7 36.Re7 Bf5 37.Rxa7 Rb8 38.Ra6 Kg8 39.Rxd6 Ra8 40.Be3, 1-0.

Silman-Van Buskirk
Santa Barbara 1989
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 0-0 6.a3 Bxc5 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.Bg5 Nd4 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.e3 Qa5 11.exd4 Qxg5 12.Qd2 Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 (A main line, but why would anyone want this as Black? White has all the winning chances while Black can't hope for more than a draw.) 13...b6 14.b4 Bb7 15.f3 (A useful move that blunts the action of the b7-Bishop and takes the e4 and g4 squares away from the Black Knight.) 15...Rfc8 16.Nb5 Ne8 17.Bd3 Kf8 18.Rhc1 Ke7 19.c5 (White's extra space and queenside majority allow him to play for a win without any risk.) 19...d6 20.cxb6 axb6 21.Rxc8 Bxc8 22.a4 d5 23.a5 h6 24.Kc3 bxa5 25.Rxa5 Rb8 26.Ra7+ Rb7 27.Kb3 Rxa7 28.Nxa7 Bb7 29.b5 Nd6 30.Kb4 Kd7 31.Kc5 Ba8 (This is one ugly Bishop!) 32.b6 (My Knight and b-pawn prevent Black's King from getting to the queenside.) 32...Nb7+ 33.Kb4 Nd8 34.Bb5+ Ke7 35.Nc8+ Kf6 36.Nd6 e5 37.Ne8+ Ke7 38.Nxg7 exd4 39.Nf5+ Ke6 40.Nxd4+ Kd6 41.Nf5+ Ke5 42.Nxh6 d4 43.Be8 f5 44.Nf7+ Nxf7 45.Bxf7 Kf4 46.Bc4 Ke3 47.h4, 1-0.

Silman- Shapiro
World Open, 1990
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 Bxc5 6.Nf3 Qb6 7.e3 Qc7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 b6 10.b3 Bb7 11.Bb2 a6 12.Rac1 (A useful move that discourages ...b6-b5 and ...d7-d5 breaks while also giving the Queen some much needed support. However, the more aggressive 12.Na4 with the idea of meeting 12...Be7 by 13.Bd4 deserves serious consideration.) 12...Be7 13.Ng5!

(A tactical operation that's designed to create long-term weaknesses in my opponent's position.) 13...g6 (Of course, 13...h6?? walks right into 14.Nd5! exd5 15.Bxf6, while 13...Rc8 14.Nd5! exd5 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Qxh7+ Kf8 17.cxd5 Qxc1 18.d6 and 13...Rd8 14.Nd5! exd5 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Qxh7+ Kg8 17.cxd5 Qd6 18.Qh8+ Ke7 19.Qxd8+! Kxd8 20.Nxf7+ Ke7 21.Nxd6 Kxd6 21.e4 are two other lines that Black must avoid. On 13...Re8 I would have played 14.Na4! [Threatening both 15.Bxf6 and 15.Bd4.] 14...e5 15.Bd3 h6 16.Ne4 with advantage.) 14.Nge4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 f5 16.Qc3! (A key move that forces Black to weaken the d5-square.) 16...e5 17.Nd2 d6 18.Rfd1 Bc6 19.b4 Bf6 20.Qb3 Kg7 21.Bf3 (Now I begin to peel away the defenders of d5.) 21...Nd7 22.Bxc6 Qxc6 23.Nb1! (I went out of my way to create that hole on d5, now it's time to bring the Knight there!) 23...e4 24.Nc3 Be5 25.Nd5 Rae8 26.b5! (Normally White would not play this move since it creates a hole on c5. However, it wins a pawn tactically so the usual positional considerations have to be thrown out the window in place of greed.) 26...Qc5 (No better is 26...Qb7 27.bxa6 when 27...Qxa6 28.Nc7 picks up an Exchange.) 27.Ba3 Qc8 28.bxa6 Nc5 29.Qxb6 Nd3 (And not 29...Qxa6? 30.Bxc5.) 30.Rc2 Rf7 31.f4 (A good move that deprives the Black Bishop of the use of the e5-square. Naturally, it can't be taken en passent due to Rxd3.) 31...Bf6 32.Rb1 Bd8 33.Qb5 Re6 34.Bb2+ Kh6 35.Bd4, 1-0. I'm quite proud of the way I made use of some interesting tactics to secure a long-term strategic advantage.

Silman-Berube
World Open, 1991
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bxc5 7.Bg5 Be7 8.e4 Qa5 9.Bd2 Qc7 10.h3 a6 11.Be2 Ne5? (I was happy with my advantage in space, but this move allows me to roll him over.) 12.Nxe5 Qxe5 13.f4 Qd4 14.e5 Ng8 15.0-0-0 (Black's lack of development incited me seek a tactical execution.) 15...f6 16.Kb1! (Setting up a little combination.) 16...fxe5 17.Bh5+ g6 18.Bxg6+ hxg6 19.Qxg6+ Kd8 20.Nd5! (The point, and also the end of the game. The threat of 21.Ba5+ is devastating.) 20...Qxd2 21.Rxd2 exd5 22.fxe5 d6 23.Qg7 Bf5 24.Ka1 Kd7 25.Qxh8 Bg6 26.Qg7, 1-0.

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