There is Isolated Knowledge or Specialization which is what GM Lev Alburt calls it when you choose one position and analyze it exhaustively. He advises that this will allow you to gain mastery over an important position so that you can play it confidently from either side. Such specialization also will increase your general chess knowledge and allow you to become acquainted with similar P-structure themes.
Alburt also advises that this will increase you pattern recognition and tactical skills which allows you to take strategy and tactics from known positions and apply them to similar situations.
Many players, especially older players who grew up on Nimzovich, assume that the Isolated d-Pawn, like any isolated Pawn is weak and should be avoided. That’s not true. In the 1974 Karpov-Korchnoi Candidates Match black had and Isolated d-Pawn in seven games without a loss.
The most common occurrence of this P-formation has it opposed by a P on e6 as in the following diagram:
A study of the ending shows that the P-structure is unfavorable for white. However, the middlegame is much more complicated. The isolated P can, in certain circumstances, attain a dynamic strength when the piece placement is favorable. In some cases the Isolated d-Pawn can be sacrificed by advancing it.
In other cases the Pawn supplies two good bases of operation for a N on c5, especially when black has played …a6 and …b4 in order to develop his B at b7. The other good N outpost is e5. From e5 the N can help to work up an attack against the K and if black drives it away with …f6 his K-side becomes weak.
`The following guidelines will be helpful in determining the correct handling of positions with an Isolated d-Pawn.
White:
1. Avoid any great simplification
2. Post pieces to allow the advance d5 at a suitable moment or to force black to tie up his pieces preventing the advance.
3. Occupy e5 with a N and attack K-side or operate on the c-file.
Black:
1. Advance of the d-Pawn must be prevented. This can best be done by posting a N on d5 (or less preferable, a B)
2. Post pieces (e.g. …Nc6 and …Bf6 to tie white’s pieces to the defense of the d-Pawn
3. Seek simplification and play for the ending.
[Event "Hilversum"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1947.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Laszlo Szabo"]
[Black "Frits van Seters"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E56"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 18"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "1947.??.??"]
{[%evp 24,51,62,33,37,41,144,185,219,192,255,256,256,244,443,258,452,469,785,
756,710,747,688,617,624,619,704,698,710,704] E57: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein} 1.
d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 cxd4
9. exd4 dxc4 10. Bxc4 {Along the way to this position there have been a great
many possible move selections for both players.} Be7 {Here it is worth noting
the importance of the P on a3. On one hand it prevents the blockading of the
d-Pawn by ...Nb5-d5 and at the same time iy prepares for white to play Qd3
which, in conjunction with the moves Bg5 and Ba2-b1 can be used to launch a
K-side attack. Another possible setup of the white pieces which Nimzovich
recommended is Qe2, Be3, Rfd1 and Rac1. In that case white first develops all
his pieces and waits for a suitable moment before beginning his attack.
However, experience has shown that white has better prospects if he plays as
Szabo did in this game because a speedy attack against the black K is more
effective.} 11. Re1 b6 {According to Czech GM, author and theorist Ludek
Pachman 11... a6 is less advisable, but later theory has proven black’s
resources are adequate.} 12. Qd3 {Although white does not play it in this game,
this move prepares for a potential Q+B battery with the B on b1.} Bb7 13. Bg5 {
Pachman gives this move a ? saying that black underestimates the danger that
the aggressive placement of white’s pieces presents, thinking he has
sufficient time to complete his development undisturbed.} Rc8 14. Rad1 {
This is a critical position for black. His best options are 14...Nd5
(Pachman's recommended move) or to play 14...h6 forcing white to make a
decision of where to retreat the B (e3 or h4). In either case the position
remains equal.} Qc7 {This move is not good and black immediately finds himself
in difficulty.} (14... Re8 {This rather poor move shows just how precarious
black's position is.} 15. h4 g6 16. d5 Nxd5 17. Bxd5 exd5 18. Nxd5 Bxg5 19.
hxg5 Rxe1+ 20. Rxe1 Qf8 21. Nf6+ Kh8 22. Qd7 Ba8 23. Qh3 h5 24. g4 {1-0 Ribli,
Z (2570)-Wells,P (2530) Szeged 1997}) 15. Ba2 $16 Rfd8 {Black's position may
look pretty solid, but white is practically winning in this position.} 16. h3 {
The reason for this move is that it forestalls any tactical complications that
could arise from black playing ... Ng4} (16. Qe2 Re8 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. d5 Na5
19. dxe6 fxe6 20. Nb5 Qc2 21. Bxe6+ Kf8 22. Ne5 Bxe5 23. Qxe5 {1-0 Scarella,E
(2330)-Leitao,R (2445) Mar del Plata 1996}) 16... Rd7 {Black is continuing to
play in a much too routine fashion. He is now preparing to double R’s and
put pressure on white’s d-Pawn, but the move allows white the desired
breakthrough 16... h6 would have at least allowed him some hope.} (16... h6 17.
Bh4 Nh5 {White has two good options here. One is the thematic 16.Bb1, but even
stronger appears to be} 18. d5 Bxh4 19. Nxh4 Ne7 20. d6 Qc6 21. Re4 Nf6 22. Rd4
{with an excllent position.}) 17. d5 {This central breakthrough quickly
decides the game.} Nxd5 18. Bxd5 Qd8 {This is a plausible movem but 18...h6
would have enabled him to hang on because the potential for complications is
enormous!} 19. Qe4 {From the human point of view this is, as Pachman said, the
decisive maneuver. Residing in my database was an old analysis of this game
using what at the time was one of the best engines available (Houdini 1.03a
w32) analyzing with 2 threads at 6 seconds per move. The analysis lead to some
positions with difficult piece combinations. Needless to say, Stockfish 18
deatroyed the analysis.} (19. Bxe7 {This is the engine's esoteric line which
no human would consider.} Qxe7 20. Qb5 Rdd8 (20... Rcd8 21. Bxc6 Rxd1 22. Rxd1
Rxd1+ 23. Nxd1 Bc8 {and white is two pieces up!}) 21. Be4 Qc7 22. Qe2 h6 23.
Nb5 Qb8 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Rc1 Na5 26. Bxb7 Nxb7 27. Nbd4 {and white has won a
N for a P and has a technically won game.}) 19... exd5 {This falls in with
white's plan and results in a quick end.} (19... Bxg5 {is, by far, the best
practical chance.} 20. Nxg5 Qxg5 {Now white is forced to find the onlt winning
move.} 21. Bxe6 Rxd1 22. Bxc8 Ne5 23. Bxb7 Nf3+ 24. Qxf3 Rxe1+ 25. Kh2 Re6 {
White has a B+N vs. a R which theoretically is winning, but practically things
would not be so clear!}) 20. Nxd5 {White is clearly winning.} Bxg5 {Just one
move too late.} 21. Nxg5 {Szabo finishes up with sledgehammer blows.} g6 22.
Qh4 h5 23. Nf6+ {[%mdl 512]} Qxf6 24. Rxd7 Nd8 25. Re8+ Kg7 26. Rxf7+ {[%mdl
512] Black resigned. Nice finish!} (26. Rxf7+ Nxf7 27. Ne6+ {wins the Q.}) 1-0
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