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Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defence, l'Hermet Variation

Maghami–Navara, Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 · Vitiugov–Harikrishna, Prague Masters 2019 · 6:38 · ECO C67

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In this video

Game 1: Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (2594) vs David Navara (2722)

Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010, 22 September 2010 · Black won (0-1) · 51 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...d6The first move after the opening line0:34
  2. 36.Qe5The evaluation moves from −0.99 to −5.48, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:49
  3. 39.Rxe3The evaluation moves from −2.72 to −5.373:04
  4. 41.Rd7The evaluation moves from −4.33 to −6.273:14
  5. 51...Qb1+Black wins after 51 moves4:06

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Nikita Vitiugov (2726) vs Pentala Harikrishna (2730)

Prague Masters 2019, 7 March 2019 · White won (1-0) · 30 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...Nbd4The first move after the opening line4:40
  2. 15...d4The evaluation moves from +0.37 to +2.415:12
  3. 16...gxh6White stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:18
  4. 23...Qxb2The evaluation moves from +2.82 to +4.235:52
  5. 25...Rg5The evaluation moves from +4.05 to +6.036:02
  6. 30.Ne6+White wins after 30 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 4...Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.dxe5 Nxb5, Black has taken the bishop and holds the two bishops, while White has a pawn on e5 that cramps Black's pieces. 7.a4 attacks the knight on b5 to gain time and queenside space. White plays for development and the e5 wedge; Black looks for safe squares for the knight and a way to castle.

Ghaem Maghami–Navara went 7...d6 8.e6 fxe6 9.axb5 Nb4. Black accepted doubled e-pawns to keep the bishop pair, and White pushed the b-pawn with 11.b6 and 12.bxc7. After 16.c4 d5 17.cxd5 exd5 Black had an isolated d-pawn, and the score stayed near −0.50. Navara then gave up the exchange with 25...Rxf3 26.Nxf3 Qxe6 and pressed against the white king. The game swung late: 34...Qb6 let the score fall from −5.65 to −1.68, but 36.Qe5 returned it to −5.48. 39.Rxe3 took it from −2.72 to −5.37. 41...Rh1+ 42.Kxh1 Bxg2+ 43.Nxg2 Qxe5 won the white queen, and Black won after 51...Qb1+.

Vitiugov–Harikrishna took the main line 7...Nbd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 d5. Here White kept the e5 pawn and gained space with 11.a5 instead of opening lines on the queenside. With Black's king still in the centre, 15.Bh6 d4 16.Nxd4 gxh6 17.e6 broke through, and White stayed more than two pawns ahead from 16...gxh6 on. 23...Qxb2 (+2.82 to +4.23) and 25...Rg5 (+4.05 to +6.03) made things worse for Black, and White won after 30.Ne6+.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Ghaem Maghami vs Navara, Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010
  3. 4:15Game 2: Vitiugov vs Harikrishna, Prague Masters 2019

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. dxe5 Nxb5 7. a4

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