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Ruy Lopez: Closed, Martinez Variation — Part 1 of 2

Carlsen–Topalov, Pearl Spring Nanjing 2010 · Grischuk–Svidler, 65th ch-RUS 2012 · 6:44 · ECO C84

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In this video

Game 1: Magnus Carlsen (2826) vs Veselin Topalov (2803)

Pearl Spring Nanjing 2010, 24 October 2010 · 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. 6...b5The first move after the opening line0:30
  2. 21...Bg4The evaluation moves from +0.85 to +1.931:36
  3. 24...c5White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:52
  4. 28...Qa5The evaluation moves from +3.63 to +4.952:12
  5. 32.dxe6White 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: Alexander Grischuk (2763) vs Peter Svidler (2749)

65th ch-RUS 2012, 12 August 2012 · Black won (0-1) · 50 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...d6The first move after the opening line2:59
  2. 25.Ra5Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here4:22
  3. 30.Kxf1The evaluation moves from −2.70 to −4.874:48
  4. 43.f4The evaluation moves from −4.16 to −6.245:52
  5. 49.Kh1The evaluation moves from −6.47 to −10.006:22
  6. 50...Ra1Black wins after 50 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.d3 White keeps the Ruy Lopez bishop on a4 and protects e4 with a pawn instead of playing the usual Re1 and c3. The game becomes a slow manoeuvring fight: White can delay d4 and bring the queen's knight round to g3 or e3, and Black chooses between ...b5 with ...d6 and the more active plan of preparing ...d5.

Carlsen–Topalov, Nanjing 2010, went 6...b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4. The a-file rooks were exchanged on move 13, and White followed the classical route Nbd2-f1-g3 before playing 14.d4. The position stayed close to equal until 21.f4 (+0.85). After 21...Bg4 the score rose to +1.93, and 24...c5 took it from +1.25 to +2.30, with White more than two pawns ahead from then on. Following 28...Qa5 (+4.95) White broke through in the centre with 30.e5 and 31.d5 (+5.66). The game ended at 32.dxe6, winning a piece, and White won.

Grischuk–Svidler, Russian Championship 2012, went 6...d6 7.c3 O-O 8.Re1 b5, and Black answered White's slow set-up with 9...d5. Black then gave up a knight for two queenside pawns with 17...Nxb4 18.cxb4 Bxb4, and the passed c-pawn pushed forward with ...c5, ...c4 and ...c3. From 25.Ra5 Black was more than two pawns ahead, and 29...Bxf1 won the exchange. White tried 43.f4 (−6.24) and 44.e5, but after 49.Kh1 the score reached −10.00. Black won after 50...Ra1. Unlike Game 1, Black took the initiative here with a central break instead of defending against a kingside attack.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Carlsen vs Topalov, Pearl Spring Nanjing 2010
  3. 2:38Game 2: Grischuk vs Svidler, 65th ch-RUS 2012

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3

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