Are the classics necessary?

by ChessBase
4/17/2024 – "I am a big fan of Aron Nimzowitsch," writes IM Zoran Petronijevic, who works as a chess trainer and lives in Nis (Serbia). "In yesterday's game Firouzja-Nepo, I found some ideas by him. We can often read that the study of the classical heritage of chess is completely unnecessary for advancing in chess, that the games of the classics are outdated, and that there is no (or almost no) benefit from them. I deeply disagree with that."
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I want to cite an example from modern practice, from the Candidate Tournament, where knowledge of the classics was almost decisive for understanding the position. It is about the game Firouzja-Nepomniachtchi, played in round 9 of the Candida.

Some comments are in the games. I didn't analyze the games in depth, I intended to show how important classics are. Maybe you can find this material useful. If not, nothing, in any case, I will use it for my students.

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1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.e3 e6 4.b3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.a3 6.0-0 6...Bd6 7.Bb2 0-0 8.0-0 b6 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.Nd2 a6 10...Rc8 11.f4 b5 12.dxc5! Bxc5 13.Qf3 13.Qe2!? 13...Nd7? 13...Rc8 is Nimzowitsch's suggestion 14.Qg3 14.b4 14...Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Bd6 16.Bd4 Qe7 17.b4 g6 Better was 13...Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Ne4= 14.Nxc6 14.Qg3± 14...Bxc6 15.Qg3 Nf6 15...f6 16.Qh3 f5 17.b4 Be7 18.Nb3 Bf6 19.Nd4 Nimzowitsch 16.Rad1 16.b4! was better 16...a5 17.Qh3 17.Nf3! Bxe3+ 18.Kh1 Nimzowitsch 17...h6 17...d4 18.e4 e5 19.fxe5 Bd7 Nimzowitsch 20.Rf5! 18.g4 18.Rf3 18...d4 19.e4 Qd7 19...e5 20.Rde1 20.g5 e5 20.e5 Nd5 21.Ne4 20...e5 21.f5 Nh7 21...Qe7 22.Nf3 Nd7 23.Nh4 Nimzowitsch 22.Nf3 Qe7 23.Qg3 Rfe8 24.h4
24...f6 24...Bxa3!? 25.Bxa3 Qxa3 26.g5∞ 25.Ra1 Qb7 26.Rfe1 Kf7! A nice idea. Black is escaping with his king on safer place. 27.Re2 Rh8! 28.Kg2 28.g5 hxg5 29.hxg5 Nf8 28...Nf8 29.g5 29.c3!? 29...hxg5 30.hxg5 Nd7 31.gxf6 31.Rg1 Ke7 Nimzowitsch 31.c3∞ 31...gxf6 32.Nh4 Rag8 33.Ng6 Rh5 33...Ke8 34.Kf2? 34.Qf3 34...Nf8 34...Rg7 35.Rg1 Rg5 35...Nxg6 36.fxg6+ Kg7 Nimzowitsch 36.Qh4 36.Qh2 Nimzowitsch Rxg1 37.Kxg1 Nxg6 38.Qh5 Kf8 39.fxg6 Qg7 40.Rg2 Rh8 36...Rxg1 36...Nxg6 Nimzowitsch 37.Kxg1 Nxg6 38.Qh5 Kf8 39.fxg6 Qg7 40.Rg2 Rh8 41.Qe2 41.Qf5 Bd7 42.Qf2 Rh6 41...Rh4?! 41...Rh6! 42.Qg4 Bd7 Nimzowitsch 42.Bc1 Rxe4 43.Qd2? 43.Qxe4 Bxe4 44.Bxe4 d3+ 45.Kf1 dxc2 Nimzowitsch 43.Qf2! Re3 43...Ke8 44.Qf5 Re1+ 45.Kf2 Bd7 46.Bxb5 44.Qh4 Bxg2 45.Kxg2 Qb7+ 46.Kh2= 43...Rh4-+ 44.Qxa5 Qd7 45.g7+ Kg8 46.Bc4+ bxc4 47.Qxc5 Rh1+! 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Van Vliet,L-Nimzowitsch,A-0–11907D05Ostend-B3
Nimzowitsch,A-Buerger,V-1–01927A03London Chess imperial club
De Saint Amant,P-Staunton,H-0–11843E14Match Staunton-Saint Amant +11-6=421
Spassky,B-Petrosian,T-0–11969E12World-ch26 Spassky-Petrosian +6-4=1311

Sagar Shah shows you on this DVD how you can use typical patterns used by the Master of the past in your own games. From opening play to middlegame themes.

As the author explains in the introductory video, knowing the classic games from the past enriches your chess understanding in general, and helps to improve the level of your own games.

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