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Philidor Defence: Lion Variation, 4.dxe5 Queen Trade

Adams–Azmaiparashvili, Cap d'Agde 2003 · Pons–Carlsen, 5th Final Masters Bilbao 2012 · 7:56 · ECO C41

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In this video

Game 1: Michael Adams (2725) vs Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2693)

Cap d'Agde 2003, 26 October 2003 · 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. 6.Bc4The first move after the opening line0:29
  2. 36...Ke6White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:52
  3. 38...Be5The evaluation moves from +2.82 to +7.073:02
  4. 42...Ke7The evaluation moves from +3.17 to +4.853:22
  5. 44.Ra2The evaluation moves from +5.92 to +2.723:29
  6. 55.Kxc7White 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: Francisco Vallejo Pons (2697) vs Magnus Carlsen (2843)

5th Final Masters Bilbao 2012, 25 September 2012 · Black won (0-1) · 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. 6.Nf3The first move after the opening line4:52
  2. 31.Rc1The evaluation moves from −0.44 to −2.006:48
  3. 33.gxh4The evaluation moves from −1.83 to −2.77, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:58
  4. 39.axb5The evaluation moves from −3.20 to −5.577:28
  5. 42.Kd4Black wins after 42 moves7:42

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8, White exchanges queens at once and Black's king loses the right to castle. The pawn structure is symmetrical in the centre, with White's e4 against Black's e5. White hopes to use quicker development, the open d-file and the d5 square. Black wants to tuck the king away on e8, c7 or e7 and show that a queenless position with a solid e5 pawn leaves nothing to fear.

Adams–Azmaiparashvili continued 6.Bc4 Ke8. White castled long, gave up the bishop with 12.Bxf6 and posted a knight on d5. When the knights came off on c6 and 27.Bxa8 won the exchange, the score was +1.62 at 25...Kxc6 and +1.83 at 35...Kd7. From 36...Ke6 White stayed more than two pawns ahead. 39.Kc5 let the score drop from +7.07 to +3.84, but 42...Ke7 took it back up from +3.17 to +4.85. 44.Ra2 cut it from +5.92 to +2.72. White's king walked to c8 and the b-pawn reached b7, and White won after 55.Kxc7.

Vallejo Pons–Carlsen went 6.Nf3 Bd6, and here Black played for the initiative. After 10.Nxd6 cxd6 Black had doubled d-pawns, then gained space with ...g5, ...f5 and ...d5. After 24...Nxg3 the game became bishop against knight. The score stayed near −0.50 until 31.Rc1 moved it from −0.44 to −2.00. From 33.gxh4 Black was more than two pawns ahead. Later 36.Kd2 (−2.37 to −3.50) and 40.Ke3 (−4.17 to −5.80) made things worse for White, and the passed d- and h-pawns decided the game: Black won. White never got the queenside grip that Game 1 produced.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Adams vs Azmaiparashvili, Cap d'Agde 2003
  3. 4:33Game 2: Vallejo Pons vs Carlsen, 5th Final Masters Bilbao 2012

The opening line

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. dxe5 dxe5 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8

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