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Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Variation — Part 3 of 3

Topalov–Shirov, Linares SuperGM 2004 · Sutovsky–Almasi, ACP Golden Classic 2014 · 6:58 · ECO C96

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In this video

Game 1: Veselin Topalov (2735) vs Alexei Shirov (2736)

Linares SuperGM 2004, 29 February 2004 · White won (1-0) · 45 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. 11...Qc7The first move after the opening line0:46
  2. 20...Ng7White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:32
  3. 42...Rb1The evaluation moves from +6.34 to +7.473:22
  4. 45.Ng6White wins after 45 moves3:34

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Emil Sutovsky (2620) vs Zoltan Almasi (2693)

ACP Golden Classic 2014, 20 July 2014 · Black won (0-1) · 40 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. 11...Qc7The first move after the opening line4:20
  2. 24.Nf5The evaluation moves from −0.09 to −1.665:22
  3. 27.Qg4The evaluation moves from −1.82 to −2.93, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:38
  4. 40...Rg3The evaluation moves from −8.84 to −10.006:45
  5. 40...Rg3Black wins after 40 moves6:45

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 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4, Black has driven the bishop back to c2 and staked out queenside space with ...c5, while White's pawns on c3, d4 and e4 build a broad centre. The main question is the d4 pawn: White can close the centre with d5 and play on the wings, or keep the tension and let Black exchange on d4, which opens the c-file.

Topalov–Shirov, Linares 2004, began 11...Qc7 12.d5, locking the centre. White gained queenside space with 14.a4, 15.a5 and 16.c4, pushing Black's knight back to c8, then turned to the kingside with 20.g4. After 20...Ng7 the score passed +2 and stayed there, reaching +2.35 at 21.Ng3. White followed with 23.h4 and 24.f4, and after 24...exf4 25.Bxf4 the bishop joined the attack; the score was +4.55 at 31.bxc4. The break 38.e5 and 39.Bxg6 hxg6 40.Qxg6 tore open Black's king. After 42...Rb1 the score rose from +6.34 to +7.47, and 45.Ng6 ended it: White won.

Sutovsky–Almasi, 2014, kept the tension with 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6, so the play shifted to the queenside and the open centre instead of a closed kingside attack. Black gained space with ...a5-a4, then opened the position with 19...exd4. The score held near +0.37 until 24.Nf5, which dropped it from −0.09 to −1.66 after 24...Bxf5 25.exf5 Ne4. Black pushed 26...d5, and from 27.Qg4 Black stayed over two pawns ahead. The d-pawn ran to d2 by move 32, and after 38...Qh4 (−7.36) and 40...Rg3 (−10.00) Black won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Topalov vs Shirov, Linares SuperGM 2004
  3. 3:43Game 2: Sutovsky vs Almasi, ACP Golden Classic 2014

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 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4

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