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Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation Doubly Deferred

Grischuk–Aronian, Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee 2011 · Giri–Ding, FIDE Candidates 2020 2021 · 6:24 · ECO C85

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In this video

Game 1: Alexander Grischuk (2773) vs Levon Aronian (2805)

Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee 2011, 22 January 2011 · Black won (0-1) · 49 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. 7.Nc3The first move after the opening line0:32
  2. 38.g3Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:59
  3. 42...Bxe5The queens come off3:22
  4. 49...Bxa3Black wins after 49 moves3:56

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Anish Giri (2763) vs Ding Liren (2805)

FIDE Candidates 2020 2021, 23 April 2021 · White won (1-0) · 29 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. 7.d3The first move after the opening line4:28
  2. 20...g4The evaluation moves from −0.52 to +0.555:28
  3. 23...bxc5The evaluation moves from +1.03 to +2.375:42
  4. 24...Nf6White stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:48
  5. 28...Re8The evaluation moves from +4.82 to +7.356:08
  6. 29.Qc4White wins after 29 moves6:10

Evaluation

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

About these games

White waits until both 5.O-O and 5...Be7 have been played before giving up the bishop with 6.Bxc6, so Black's king's bishop is already on e7. After 6...dxc6 Black has the bishop pair and open lines, while White relies on the healthier structure: the doubled c-pawns stop Black from making a passed pawn on the queenside, and White's central and kingside pawns are the long-term asset.

Grischuk–Aronian, Wijk aan Zee 2011, went 7.Nc3 and 8.d4 exd4 9.Nxd4, opening the centre. Black met 12.f4 with 12...Ng4 and 13...Nxe3, keeping two bishops against two knights. After 21.e5 fxe5 22.fxe5 the score was +0.19 at 21...fxe5, but the bishops gradually took over: −0.78 after 31...Be6 and −1.54 after 36...Be7. From 38.g3 Black stayed more than two pawns ahead, 41...Qxe5 won the e-pawn and the queens came off with 42...Bxe5. 47.Nd5 Bxd5+ 48.cxd5 left bishop against knight and moved the score from −3.59 to −5.44. Black won after 49...Bxa3.

Giri–Ding, Candidates 2021, took a quieter course with 7.d3, 8.Nbd2, 9.Nb3 and 10.Na5. Black castled queenside with 10...O-O-O, and White advanced with 12.c3, 13.a3 and 14.b4, then took on c5 with 18.Bxc5. Black's counterattack with ...f5 and ...g5 misfired: 20...g4 moved the score from −0.52 to +0.55. After 23.Ne4 bxc5 24.bxc5 the b-file opened against Black's king, and from 24...Nf6 White stayed more than two pawns ahead. After 25.Nd6+ and 28.Nxc5 the score jumped from +4.82 to +7.35 at 28...Re8, and White won after 29.Qc4. Here White's pawns attacked the king, whereas Game 1 was decided by the bishops in an endgame.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Grischuk vs Aronian, Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee 2011
  3. 4:05Game 2: Giri vs Ding, FIDE Candidates 2020 2021

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Bxc6 dxc6

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