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Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, 5.d3 a6 6.O-O

Jobava–So, Tata Steel Masters 2015 · Praggnanandhaa–Keymer, Prague Chess Festival 2024 · 6:34 · ECO C54

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In this video

Game 1: Baadur Jobava (2727) vs Wesley So (2762)

Tata Steel Masters 2015, 16 January 2015 · Black won (0-1) · 39 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. 6...Ba7The first move after the opening line0:30
  2. 28.Rc7The evaluation moves from −1.48 to −3.76, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:09
  3. 30.Nc6The evaluation moves from −3.77 to −6.102:19
  4. 39.Rb6The evaluation moves from −7.65 to −8.903:04
  5. 39...Qe6Black wins after 39 moves3:06

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (2747) vs Vincent Keymer (2738)

Prague Chess Festival 2024, 27 February 2024 · White won (1-0) · 41 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. 6...Ba7The first move after the opening line3:36
  2. 25...Kh6The evaluation moves from +0.27 to +2.245:02
  3. 30...Ng6The evaluation moves from +1.98 to +5.34, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:28
  4. 31...Kxg5The queens come off5:32
  5. 41.Rxb6White wins after 41 moves6:20

Evaluation

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

About these games

White builds slowly with c3 and d3, keeping a later d4 in reserve, while Black's ...a6 prepares a retreat for the c5 bishop to a7, where a b4 or d4 advance cannot hit it. Both sides usually castle and manoeuvre behind a closed centre, with White's d4 break as the main source of tension.

Jobava–So went sharp at once: after 6...Ba7, 7.Bd5 and 9.Nxe5 won the e5 pawn, but So regained material with 10...Nxd5 and kept the two bishops. White's 11.Bg5 was met by 11...f6 and 14...fxg5, and Black's king walked to g8 while the bishops pressed on the queenside and against d3. The real break came with 26.Qxd6, which took the score from −0.19 to −1.63. After 28.Rc7 it dropped to −3.76, and Black stayed more than two pawns ahead from there; 30.Nc6 made it −6.10. Black won after 39...Qe6.

Praggnanandhaa–Keymer reached the same position by a different move order and followed the modern plan of a4, Re1, h3 and d4. After 11...h6 and 12...g5, White sacrificed with 13.Nxg5 and attacked the exposed king. The score swung back and forth until 25...Kh6 sent it from +0.27 to +2.24. After 30...Ng6 it reached +5.34, the queens came off with 31...Kxg5, and White won the endgame after 41.Rxb6. Unlike Game 1, White kept the centre closed and played for a kingside attack instead of grabbing a pawn early.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Jobava vs So, Tata Steel Masters 2015
  3. 3:15Game 2: Praggnanandhaa vs Keymer, Prague Chess Festival 2024

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. O-O

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