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Petroff Defence: Nimzowitsch Attack — Part 1 of 2

Karjakin–Wang, 75th Tata Steel 2013 · Nakamura–Giri, Reggio Emilia 2012 · 6:48 · ECO C42

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In this video

Game 1: Sergey Karjakin (2780) vs Wang Hao (2752)

75th Tata Steel 2013, 14 January 2013 · White won (1-0) · 42 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. 5...Nf6The first move after the opening line0:28
  2. 37.cxd6The queens come off2:54
  3. 40.Rf6White stays more than two pawns ahead from here3:09
  4. 42.Re7+White wins after 42 moves3:19

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Hikaru Nakamura (2758) vs Anish Giri (2714)

Reggio Emilia 2012, 5 January 2012 · Black won (0-1) · 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. 5...Nxc3The first move after the opening line3:46
  2. 20.Bf5The evaluation moves from −0.23 to −1.454:48
  3. 21...Nc5The evaluation moves from −1.61 to −0.354:55
  4. 31...Rxc4The queens come off5:45
  5. 34.b3The evaluation moves from −1.52 to −3.12, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:58
  6. 41...Bxc5Black wins after 41 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 4...Nxe4, White's 5.Nc3 offers a knight exchange instead of the more usual d4. If Black takes with 5...Nxc3, White recaptures 6.dxc3, accepting doubled c-pawns for open lines, fast development and often queenside castling with a kingside pawn attack. Black can also decline with the quiet 5...Nf6, which leads to a symmetrical position with both kings castled short.

Karjakin–Wang Hao went 5...Nf6 6.d4, and both sides castled short. White gained queenside space with 11.c4 d5 12.c5, and Black gave up the bishop pair with 13...Bxf3. After 20...Bxe3 21.fxe3 the f-file opened, and Black was slightly better at −0.46 after 20.Kh1. White doubled rooks on the f-file, and the score swung to +0.79 at 30.Ref2. The queens came off with 37.cxd6, leaving a passed pawn on d6. White's rook reached the sixth rank with 40.Rf6 (+2.13), and after 42.Re7+ White won.

Nakamura–Giri took the main 5...Nxc3 6.dxc3, with White castling queenside and pushing 10.h4 and 13.h5, unlike the symmetrical Game 1. Black answered in the centre with ...d5 and 15...Bxf3 16.gxf3, damaging White's pawns. Black's queen and knight raids took the score to −1.45 at 20.Bf5. The queens came off with 31...Rxc4, and the ...d4 break followed. At 34.b3 the evaluation dropped from −1.52 to −3.12; the d-pawn advanced to f2 via 34...dxe3 35...exf2, and after 41...Bxc5 Black won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Karjakin vs Wang, 75th Tata Steel 2013
  3. 3:28Game 2: Nakamura vs Giri, Reggio Emilia 2012

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3

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