Neo-Old Indian: 2.Bg5
Neo-Old Indian: 2.Bg5
Definition
The Neo-Old Indian is a branch of the Trompowsky Attack that arises after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d6. By replying with …d6 instead of the more common …e6, …d5, or …Ne4, Black deliberately steers the game toward structures that resemble the Old Indian Defence (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 e5) while allowing the white bishop to remain on g5 for the moment. The “Neo” prefix signals that this Old-Indian set-up is reached through a modern (and rarer) move order, sidestepping many of White’s best-prepared Trompowsky lines.
Typical Move Order
After the illustrative starting moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d6 the play often continues:
- 3. Nf3 Nbd7 4. Nc3 e5 – the most Old-Indian-like approach; Black prepares …Be7 and …O-O.
- 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 Nbd7 5. Nf3 e5 – a slower version aiming for …h6 followed by …g5 in some cases.
- 3. e4 Nbd7 4. Nc3 e5 5. Nf3 Be7 – quickly challenging the bishop on g5 to clarify the pin.
Black’s key ideas are to develop harmoniously with …Nbd7, …e5, and …Be7, castle king-side, and later play …c6 and …Qc7 or …a5, depending on White’s set-up. White, on the other hand, tries to exploit the early commitment of Black’s d-pawn, keep the bishop active, and sometimes launch a quick kingside expansion with f4 or h4.
Strategic Themes
- Old-Indian Structure: With …d6 and …e5 Black gains a firm central foothold but accepts a slightly cramped position until …exd4 or …c6 frees the game.
- The g5–bishop: White’s bishop pins the f6-knight, discouraging …e5–e4 breaks. Black may challenge it with …h6 and …g5 or simply …Be7, allowing an eventual trade Bxf6.
- Flexibility vs. Simplicity: Black’s move order avoids forcing concessions (such as doubled pawns after …Ne4 Bxf6) and keeps multiple transpositional possibilities open.
- Kingside vs. Queenside Play: Because the center often becomes fixed after …e5, White looks for kingside chances (f2–f4, g2–g3, h2-h4) while Black counter-punches on the queenside with …a5, …c6, and …b5.
Historical Background
The Old Indian Defence was a staple of the 1950s and 60s, championed by players like Gurevich, Gligorić, and Stein, but gradually fell behind the more dynamic King’s Indian. The Neo-Old Indian move order (2…d6 against the Trompowsky) appeared in master play in the late 1980s, notably in the games of Sergey Dolmatov and Yury Balashov, as a surprise weapon. Today it remains something of a sideline—rare at elite level but popular with club and correspondence players who wish to avoid heavy Trompowsky theory while still adhering to a classical Indian setup.
Illustrative Game
Shortened score with a few critical moments:
White: A. Shirov Black: V. Milanović – European Club Cup, 2000. Shirov sacrificed a pawn with 12. a4!? and generated strong queenside pressure, illustrating how quickly the game can sharpen once the center locks.
Typical Tactical Motifs
- e4–e5 Break: After Black castles, White may sacrifice a pawn with d4–dxe5 followed by Nf3xe5 to open the f-file against Black’s king.
- Bxf6 Double Pawns: Trading on f6 damages Black’s structure; after …Qxf6, the queen can become a tactical target on the same diagonal as the bishop on c4 or queen on d1.
- h-file Assault: If Black plays …h6 and …g5 too ambitiously, White can leave the bishop on g3 (after Bg5–h4–g3) and open lines with h2-h4 or f2-f4.
Common Pitfalls
- For Black: Playing …e5 too early without …Nbd7 can allow Bg5-h4 followed by Qa4+, winning the e-pawn outright.
- For White: Grabbing the e5-pawn (after …e5 exd5?!) can backfire if Black quickly mobilises with …c6 and …Qb6, regaining the pawn with interest.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Grandmaster Boris Spassky used the Old-Indian set-up throughout his career, yet never faced 2.Bg5 d6—proof of how rare the “Neo” approach remained until modern times.
- Online engines once rated 2…d6 as inferior, but with better defensive resources and neural-network engine help the variation’s evaluation has drifted back toward equality.
- The line is a favourite of correspondence players because it leads to strategically rich positions in which long-term planning can outweigh raw calculation.
Practical Advice
Players choosing the Neo-Old Indian as Black should become comfortable in slightly cramped positions and learn typical freeing moves like …c6, …a5, and pieces reroutes to f8–g7 or c7–e7. As White, a sound repertoire choice is to combine early e2–e4 systems with flexible piece play (Nf3, Bc4, Qe2) to preserve the bishop’s pressure and keep Black’s center under scrutiny.