Subscribe

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

Karjakin–Aronian, Tata Steel 2012 · Anand–Carlsen, Norway Chess 2015 · 7:18 · ECO C84

Open on YouTube ↗

In this video

Game 1: Sergey Karjakin (2769) vs Levon Aronian (2805)

Tata Steel 2012, 14 January 2012 · Black won (0-1) · 42 moves

Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
  11. 11.
  12. 12.
  13. 13.
  14. 14.
  15. 15.
  16. 16.
  17. 17.
  18. 18.
  19. 19.
  20. 20.
  21. 21.
  22. 22.
  23. 23.
  24. 24.
  25. 25.
  26. 26.
  27. 27.
  28. 28.
  29. 29.
  30. 30.
  31. 31.
  32. 32.
  33. 33.
  34. 34.
  35. 35.
  36. 36.
  37. 37.
  38. 38.
  39. 39.
  40. 40.
  41. 41.
  42. 42.

Key moments

  1. 6...b5The first move after the opening line0:30
  2. 36.Bxf2The queens come off2:49
  3. 39.Ne4The evaluation moves from −1.67 to −2.87, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here3:04
  4. 42.Nc5The evaluation moves from −3.31 to −5.413:19
  5. 42...c2Black wins after 42 moves3:22

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Viswanathan Anand (2804) vs Magnus Carlsen (2876)

Norway Chess 2015, 19 June 2015 · White won (1-0) · 47 moves

Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
  11. 11.
  12. 12.
  13. 13.
  14. 14.
  15. 15.
  16. 16.
  17. 17.
  18. 18.
  19. 19.
  20. 20.
  21. 21.
  22. 22.
  23. 23.
  24. 24.
  25. 25.
  26. 26.
  27. 27.
  28. 28.
  29. 29.
  30. 30.
  31. 31.
  32. 32.
  33. 33.
  34. 34.
  35. 35.
  36. 36.
  37. 37.
  38. 38.
  39. 39.
  40. 40.
  41. 41.
  42. 42.
  43. 43.
  44. 44.
  45. 45.
  46. 46.
  47. 47.

Key moments

  1. 6...d6The first move after the opening line3:52
  2. 26...f6The evaluation moves from +0.51 to +1.775:22
  3. 39.Bg7+The evaluation moves from +3.43 to +4.036:25
  4. 41...Qg6White stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:38
  5. 42...Rxg6The queens come off6:42
  6. 47.Kf2White wins after 47 moves7:05

Evaluation

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

About these games

With 6.d3 White declines the sharp main lines of the Closed Ruy Lopez and protects the e4-pawn with a pawn rather than with Re1. White aims for a slow build-up with c3, Nbd2-f1-g3 and only later d4. Black can choose an active set-up with ...b5 and a bishop on c5, or the classical ...d6 with a solid, closed centre.

Karjakin–Aronian went 6...b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.a4 b4, and Black placed the bishop on c5 before retreating it to a7. When White opened the centre with 16.d4, Black replied 17...c5 and 20...c4, then struck with 22...Bxf2+ 23.Kxf2 Qa7+, regaining the piece on a6. The position stayed balanced until Black took control on the queenside. 32...Bc8 cut the score from −2.50 to −0.57, and 37...Bxe4 dropped it again from −3.77 to −1.10. After the queens came off with 36.Bxf2, Black stayed more than two pawns ahead from 39.Ne4. The passed c-pawn decided the game: 42.Nc5 c2, and Black won.

Anand–Carlsen followed the slow plan 6...d6 7.c3 O-O 8.Nbd2, with Black adding a ...g6 fianchetto. White routed the knight to g3, then played 14.d4 and 16.d5 to close the centre. Unlike Game 1, the play then moved to the kingside. After 21.Nh6+ Bxh6 22.Bxh6, White pushed f4-f5, and 26...f6 raised the score from +0.51 to +1.77. 38.f6 forced 38...Rg8, taking it to +3.43. 41...Qg6 left White more than two pawns ahead, and after the queens came off White won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Karjakin vs Aronian, Tata Steel 2012
  3. 3:30Game 2: Anand vs Carlsen, Norway Chess 2015

The opening line

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

See every video from this position →