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

Kamsky–Timman, Interpolis Tilburg 1990 · Topalov–Mamedyarov, Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2019 · 6:28 · ECO C92

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In this video

Game 1: Gata Kamsky (2650) vs Jan Timman (2660)

Interpolis Tilburg 1990 · Black won (0-1) · 46 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. 24.Rc1The evaluation moves from −1.65 to −2.98, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:49
  3. 40.g3The evaluation moves from −3.48 to −5.363:09
  4. 42.Kh2The evaluation moves from −5.23 to −6.173:19
  5. 46...Qc2Black wins after 46 moves3:42

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Veselin Topalov (2740) vs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2790)

Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2019, 6 April 2019 · White won (1-0) · 33 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 line4:22
  2. 29...Qc5The evaluation moves from +0.09 to +1.045:58
  3. 30...Rc4White stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:02
  4. 31...Ne4The evaluation moves from +2.09 to +3.706:08
  5. 33.Rxc4White wins after 33 moves6:15

Evaluation

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

About these games

With 9...Bb7 Black puts the bishop on the long diagonal against e4 and prepares ...Re8 and ...Bf8, so that the e5 pawn is held by pieces rather than by a retreating knight. White's main plan is d4 with Nbd2–f1–g3 or a queenside lever. The quieter d3 keeps the centre closed. The usual structure has pawns on e4 and e5 with play on both wings.

Kamsky–Timman began with the slow 10.d3. Black answered with 10...Na5 and 11...c5, rerouted the bishop with 13...Bf8 and then broke with 14...d5 and 18...e4. After 19...Nxe4 the score was already −1.11 as the black pieces flooded forward. The turning point was 24.Rc1, which moved the evaluation from −1.65 to −2.98, and 24...Nxb2 took a pawn. A series of exchanges left a queen ending with Black's passed b-pawn. After 41.Qd1 the score went from −4.06 to −5.38, 44...b3 reached −7.23, and 46...Qc2 (−9.36) ended the game. Black won.

Topalov–Mamedyarov followed the main 10.d4. White declined the repetition 11.Ng5 Rf8 by playing 12.Nf3. Against Black's 14...g6 and 15...Bg7, White used a3, Ba2 and 16.b4, then pushed 19.d5. Unlike the closed d3 play of the first game, the position opened on the queenside. It stayed level, at +0.03 after 24...Ra4, until 29...Qc5 (+1.04). From 30...Rc4 White stayed more than two pawns ahead. 31...Ne4 raised the score from +2.09 to +3.70, and after 33.Rxc4 (+4.12) White won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Kamsky vs Timman, Interpolis Tilburg 1990
  3. 3:50Game 2: Topalov vs Mamedyarov, Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2019

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 Bb7

See every video from this position →