user9304: Nimzovich was a proponent of the idea of over-protection, a concept which I don't understand well enough to ever implement in my games. Are there any example games at the GM level that illustrate this concept particularly well as a theme? 

user8160: The classic game that is typically used to explain 'excessive' protection is Aron Nimzowitsch vs A Giese (played in 1913)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1316457
pay attention to moves 10. Nf3! (first defense of e5) then 11. Re1! (second defense), and finally 13. Bf4! (third defense of e5)

9304: <p>Nimzovich was a proponent of the idea of over-protection, a concept which I don't understand well enough to ever implement in my games. Are there any example games at the GM level that illustrate this concept particularly well as a theme? </p>
 8160: <p>The classic game that is typically used to explain 'excessive' protection is Aron Nimzowitsch vs A Giese (played in 1913)</p>

<p><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1316457" rel="nofollow">http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1316457</a></p>

<p>pay attention to moves 10. Nf3! (first defense of e5) then 11. Re1! (second defense), and finally 13. Bf4! (third defense of e5)</p>
