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Four Knights Game: Scotch Four Knights — Part 2 of 2

Adhiban–Carlsen, Tata Steel Masters 2018 · Nakamura–Gukesh, Norway Chess 2025 · 7:04 · ECO C47

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In this video

Game 1: Baskaran Adhiban (2655) vs Magnus Carlsen (2834)

Tata Steel Masters 2018, 14 January 2018 · Black won (0-1) · 36 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. 7...d5The first move after the opening line0:34
  2. 16...gxf6The queens come off1:12
  3. 27.Rc1The evaluation moves from −1.07 to −1.962:04
  4. 32...Be6The evaluation moves from −0.95 to −3.06, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:32
  5. 36.Kf3The evaluation moves from −5.18 to −8.012:49
  6. 36...d3Black wins after 36 moves2:52

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Hikaru Nakamura (2804) vs Gukesh D (2776)

Norway Chess 2025, 26 May 2025 · White won (1-0) · 50 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. 7...O-OThe first move after the opening line3:24
  2. 40.Rd8White stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:00
  3. 43...g5The evaluation moves from +4.84 to +5.856:18
  4. 45...Rf7The evaluation moves from +5.73 to +7.426:28
  5. 47...Qf1+The evaluation moves from +5.97 to +8.416:38
  6. 50.Bd5White wins after 50 moves6:50

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 6.Nxc6 bxc6 Black has doubled c-pawns, but the recapture towards the centre supports a quick ...d5, while the bishop on b4 pins the c3-knight. With 7.Bd3 White develops quietly, castles and aims at Black's pawns. When White exchanges on d5 the usual result is Black's c- and d-pawns facing White's queenside majority, with open lines for both sides' pieces.

Adhiban–Carlsen continued 7...d5 8.exd5 O-O 9.O-O cxd5 10.Bg5 c6 11.Qf3. White traded on f6 with 15.Bxf6, and after 16...gxf6 the queens were off. Black's kingside pawns were broken, but Black kept the bishop pair and began pushing the queenside pawns: 22...c4, 23...a4 and 25...d4. Then 26...Bxc2 won a pawn, and by 27.Rc1 the score was −1.96. After 31...Bxa2 and 32...Be6 the evaluation went from −0.95 to −3.06. Black kept the bishop and passed pawns, and after 36.Kf3 (−5.18 to −8.01) the pawn advance 36...d3 left White lost. Black won.

Nakamura–Gukesh reached the same position by a different move order and went 7...O-O 8.O-O d5 9.exd5 Bg4 10.f3 Bh5, a sharper choice than Game 1. White played 12.Bxf6 and 13.Nxd5, then let the b2-pawn go with 13...Qxb2. Unlike Game 1, the queens stayed on. After 20.Nxg6+ fxg6 the score rose from +0.72 at 22.g3 to +2.36 at 27.Re5 as White's rook, queen and bishop closed in on Black's king. From 40.Rd8 White stayed more than two pawns ahead. A decisive kingside attack followed, and after 50.Bd5 White won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Adhiban vs Carlsen, Tata Steel Masters 2018
  3. 3:00Game 2: Nakamura vs Gukesh, Norway Chess 2025

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3

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