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Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Variation — Part 2 of 2

Short–Mamedyarov, Gibraltar Open 2012 · Alekseenko–Oparin, 20th ch-EUR Indiv 2019 Skopje · 5:48 · ECO C95

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In this video

Game 1: Nigel Short (2677) vs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2747)

Gibraltar Open 2012, 26 January 2012 · White won (1-0) · 32 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. 10.d3The first move after the opening line0:41
  2. 30...Qb2White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:22
  3. 31...f5The evaluation moves from +2.41 to +5.132:26
  4. 32.e5White wins after 32 moves2:29

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Kirill Alekseenko (2644) vs Grigoriy Oparin (2613)

20th ch-EUR Indiv 2019 Skopje, 27 March 2019 · 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. 10.d4The first move after the opening line3:10
  2. 33.Nb2The evaluation moves from −0.64 to −2.50, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:02
  3. 35.f4The evaluation moves from −2.65 to −5.035:12
  4. 39...Rxe4Black wins after 39 moves5:35

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 9.h3 Black plays 9...Nb8, the Breyer manoeuvre: the knight leaves c6 so it can be rerouted to d7, freeing the c-pawn and letting the bishop come to b7 to press on e4. White keeps the Ruy Lopez bind with the pawn chain c3–e4, often prepares d4 and brings the queen's knight round via d2 and f1 to g3, and the play usually depends on whether the centre stays fluid or locks after d5.

Short–Mamedyarov, Gibraltar 2012, began with the quiet 10.d3. Short routed the knight with 12.Nf1 and 14.Ng3, gained space with 15.b4 and 16.d4, then closed the centre with 19.d5 and opened the c-file with 20.c4. After 21...bxc4 22.Bxc4 Nxc4 23.Rxc4 White controlled the file, and the score had reached +2.44 by 24...Be7. Following 29.Nc6 Bxc6 30.Rxc6 Qb2, White stayed more than two pawns ahead, and 31...f5 pushed the evaluation from +2.41 to +5.13. White won after 32.e5.

Alekseenko–Oparin, European Championship 2019, took the sharper 10.d4 and 11.c4. Black answered with 11...c6 and 12...b4, and after 14.d5 the centre was locked. Black regrouped with ...Nf8 and ...N6h7, then struck with 20...f5 and 21...e4, a kingside counterattack where Game 1 was decided on the queenside. The position stayed near level, −0.28 at 24...Ng5. White's 33.Nb2 dropped the score from −0.64 to −2.50 after 33...Nxh4+, and 35.f4 took it from −2.65 to −5.03. Black won after 39...Rxe4.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Short vs Mamedyarov, Gibraltar Open 2012
  3. 2:38Game 2: Alekseenko vs Oparin, 20th ch-EUR Indiv 2019 Skopje

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8

See every video from this position →