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Philidor Defence: Antoshin Variation

Grischuk–Bacrot, Ordix Open Mainz 2004 · Steingrimsson–Mamedyarov, 33rd ECC Open 2017 Antalya · 6:38 · ECO C41

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In this video

Game 1: Alexander Grischuk (2705) vs Etienne Bacrot (2712)

Ordix Open Mainz 2004, 8 August 2004 · White won (1-0) · 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...Re8The first move after the opening line0:34
  2. 24.Rxd2The queens come off1:49
  3. 25...bxc6The evaluation moves from +1.58 to +3.74, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:56
  4. 39.Rd6The evaluation moves from +5.91 to +7.693:04
  5. 55.Kf3White wins after 55 moves4:24

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Hedinn Steingrimsson (2576) vs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2791)

33rd ECC Open 2017 Antalya, 8 October 2017 · Black won (0-1) · 26 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...Re8The first move after the opening line4:57
  2. 22...Bf5The evaluation moves from −1.14 to −2.386:05
  3. 24.d6The evaluation moves from −1.22 to −5.47, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:12
  4. 26.Bh5The evaluation moves from −5.58 to −7.046:22
  5. 26...Bxe4Black wins after 26 moves6:25

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 3...exd4 4.Nxd4 Black gives up the centre and accepts a small, solid position with the pawn on d6, aiming to develop quickly with ...Nf6, ...Be7 and ...O-O and then hit back with ...Re8, ...Bf8, ...c6 or ...c5 and a later ...d5. White keeps the extra central space given by the pawn on e4 and the knight on d4, and tries to make d6 a weakness or to push Black off the board.

Grischuk–Bacrot continued 7...Re8 8.Bf3 c6, and White gained space with 10.h3 and 12.g4 while Black pushed the a-pawn and rerouted the knight to c4. Black's ...d5 break freed the game only briefly. After 24.Rxd2 the queens were off, and 25.Nxc6 bxc6 26.Bxc6 won material: the score jumped from +1.58 to +3.74. White created a passed c-pawn that reached c7, 39.Rd6 raised the score to +7.69, and White won on move 55.

Steingrimsson–Mamedyarov went 7...Re8 8.f4, a more aggressive set-up than Game 1. Black answered with ...Bf8 and ...c5, then expanded with ...b5-b4 and struck with 21...d5. With 24.d6 White lost control, and the score fell from −1.22 to −5.47 as Black's pieces poured into the centre. After 26.Bh5 Bxe4 Black won on move 26. Unlike Game 1, the counterattack here came on both wings before White could use the extra space.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Grischuk vs Bacrot, Ordix Open Mainz 2004
  3. 4:33Game 2: Steingrimsson vs Mamedyarov, 33rd ECC Open 2017 Antalya

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O

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