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Four Knights Game: Glek Variation

Glek–Grischuk, CCM4 Ordix Open 2004 · Rapport–Duda, FIDE Candidates 2022 · 6:48 · ECO C47

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In this video

Game 1: Igor Glek (2578) vs Alexander Grischuk (2705)

CCM4 Ordix Open 2004, 7 August 2004 · Black won (0-1) · 54 moves

Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.

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Key moments

  1. 4...Bb4The first move after the opening line0:24
  2. 21...cxd6The queens come off1:36
  3. 44.Bf1The evaluation moves from −0.42 to −1.503:29
  4. 46.Ra7+Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here3:39
  5. 47.Ra6The evaluation moves from −2.37 to −3.803:44
  6. 50...Rxf1The evaluation moves from −4.94 to −3.454:02
  7. 54...Kh7Black wins after 54 moves4:22

Evaluation

Above the line, White is better; below it, Black. Scores are in pawns, capped at five either way.

Game 2: Richard Rapport (2764) vs Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2750)

FIDE Candidates 2022, 26 June 2022 · White won (1-0) · 29 moves

Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.

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Key moments

  1. 4...Bc5The first move after the opening line4:46
  2. 24...Rae7The evaluation moves from −0.05 to +1.446:12
  3. 27.Kg1White stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:25
  4. 28...gxf5The evaluation moves from +2.74 to +5.386:32
  5. 29.Ne4White wins after 29 moves6:35

Evaluation

Above the line, White is better; below it, Black. Scores are in pawns, capped at five either way.

About these games

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6, the move 4.g3 prepares Bg2 and short castling, so the bishop covers the long diagonal and the d5 square instead of going to b5 or c4. White usually keeps the centre closed with d3 and later looks for a kingside expansion with f4 or g4. Black can develop the dark-squared bishop actively with ...Bb4 or ...Bc5.

Glek–Grischuk went 4...Bb4 5.Bg2 Bxc3 6.bxc3, and Black used the ...Nxe4 fork trick: after 7...Nxe4 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.Bxe4 d5, Black regained the piece and White was left with doubled c-pawns. White pushed the f-pawn to f5 and f6 and aimed the pieces at the kingside, but after 21...cxd6 the queens were off. The rook-and-bishop endgame stayed level, 0.00 at 34.Rb3, until 44.Bf1 moved the score from −0.42 to −1.50. After 47.Ra6 it went from −2.37 to −3.80, as Black's rook and passed f-pawn closed in on the white king. 50...Rxf1 won the bishop, and Black won after 54...Kh7.

Rapport–Duda followed the modern 4...Bc5 5.Bg2 d6 6.d3. White built up slowly with h3, Kh2 and 14.fxe3 and stood slightly worse, −0.64 after that move. Then g4-g5 and h4 opened lines against the black king. After 27.Kg1, White stayed more than two pawns ahead. 28...gxf5 raised the score from +2.74 to +5.38, and White won after 29.Ne4. Game 1 was a long endgame. This game was a direct pawn storm on the kingside.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Glek vs Grischuk, CCM4 Ordix Open 2004
  3. 4:30Game 2: Rapport vs Duda, FIDE Candidates 2022

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3

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