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Ruy Lopez: Arkhangelsk Variation

Almasi–Beliavsky, Dortmund 1998 · Hess–Onischuk, USA Ch 2012 · 6:44 · ECO C78

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In this video

Game 1: Zoltan Almasi (2630) vs Alexander Beliavsky (2690)

Dortmund 1998, 27 June 1998 · 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.c3The first move after the opening line0:32
  2. 16...Nc4The evaluation moves from +0.51 to +2.741:12
  3. 24...Qb6White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:52
  4. 37...Bxg2The evaluation moves from +3.46 to +5.402:56
  5. 41...Ba4The evaluation moves from +5.32 to +7.123:16
  6. 43.Kf3White wins after 43 moves3:24

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Robert Hess (2635) vs Alexander Onischuk (2660)

USA Ch 2012, 12 May 2012 · 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. 7.Re1The first move after the opening line3:56
  2. 32.Ncd4The evaluation moves from −0.19 to −1.565:52
  3. 34.Nd6The evaluation moves from −1.42 to −3.52, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:02
  4. 35...Rxe7The queens come off6:10
  5. 39...Rd2Black wins after 39 moves6:30

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 6...Bb7 Black develops the queen's bishop to the long diagonal at once, aiming it at e4 and, beyond it, at the white king's side. White can meet this with c3 and d4 to build a centre, or test Black straight away, because the e4-pawn is only lightly defended once Black has played ...b5 and ...Bb7.

Almasi–Beliavsky took the direct route: 7.c3 Nxe4 8.d4 gave up the e4-pawn for time. Beliavsky's king stayed in the centre until 19...O-O, and White's pieces gathered on the kingside with Qh5, Qh3 and Bf4. The turning point was 24...Qb6, which took the score from +1.25 to +3.01. After 28.Rd6 Rxe7 29.Rxb6 Rxe5, White had queen against rook and bishop. 37...Bxg2 raised the score from +3.46 to +5.40, and 41...Ba4 lifted it from +5.32 to +7.12. White won at move 43.

Hess–Onischuk followed the main line, 7.Re1 Bc5 8.c3 O-O 9.d4 Bb6. White pushed the d-pawn to d6. After 20...Qxd6, Black was +1.16, up from +0.10. Here it was Black who attacked: 25...Bxh3 26.Rxh3 Nxh3+ 27.gxh3 Qxh3 broke open White's king for level material, at 0.00. After 32.Ncd4 the score dropped from −0.19 to −1.56. From 34.Nd6 Black stayed more than two pawns ahead, and 35.Qxe7 went from −2.62 to −4.57 as the queens came off. Black's rook then took the b- and a-pawns, and Black won after 39...Rd2.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Almasi vs Beliavsky, Dortmund 1998
  3. 3:33Game 2: Hess vs Onischuk, USA Ch 2012

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bb7

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