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Four Knights Game: Spanish, Symmetrical

Fressinet–Adams, 4NCL 2005-06 2006 · Anand–Mamedyarov, Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015 · 8:04 · ECO C49

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In this video

Game 1: Laurent Fressinet (2625) vs Michael Adams (2707)

4NCL 2005-06 2006, 1 May 2006 · Black won (0-1) · 55 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.Bg5The first move after the opening line0:32
  2. 21...Kxf6The queens come off1:36
  3. 31.R3f2The evaluation moves from −0.71 to −1.942:24
  4. 41.Kf1The evaluation moves from −1.29 to −4.92, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here3:14
  5. 55...Kd4Black wins after 55 moves4:26

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Viswanathan Anand (2791) vs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2756)

Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015, 25 April 2015 · White won (1-0) · 43 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.Ne2The first move after the opening line4:58
  2. 41.d6The evaluation moves from +1.96 to +2.97, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here7:40
  3. 42...Rf8The evaluation moves from +3.10 to +6.317:48
  4. 43.d7White wins after 43 moves7:50

Evaluation

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

About these games

Both sides develop symmetrically, castle and play a quiet d3 and ...d6 against the opposing pin on the c-file knight. With no early central tension, the struggle is over the pinned knights: White can add a second pin with Bg5 or reroute the c3 knight to the kingside, while Black can give up a bishop for a knight to double White's c-pawns.

Fressinet–Adams continued 7.Bg5 Bxc3 8.bxc3 h6 9.Bh4. Black gave White the bishop pair and doubled c-pawns, then broke the pin with 13...g5 after taking on f3. The queens came off with 21...Kxf6, at +0.02. Black's knights, aimed at the weak c-pawns and e4, outplayed the bishops: 31.R3f2 moved the score from −0.71 to −1.94, and 41.Kf1 took it from −1.29 to −4.92. Black won the e4 pawn with 46...Nxe4 and Black won after 55...Kd4.

Anand–Mamedyarov kept the knight instead: 7.Ne2, then 8.c3, 9.Ng3 and 10.d4 built a broad centre without allowing doubled pawns. White took over the d-file, won a pawn with 25.Rxd6 and returned the exchange with 28.Rd5 Bxd5 29.cxd5 for a passed d-pawn. The score stood at +2.67 after 31...Qa5 but fell to +0.96 by 36...Qc3. White then pushed the pawn: 41.d6 left White more than two pawns ahead, 42...Rf8 moved the score from +3.10 to +6.31, and White won after 43.d7.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Fressinet vs Adams, 4NCL 2005-06 2006
  3. 4:35Game 2: Anand vs Mamedyarov, Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6

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