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Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Gligoric

Pons–Navara, 53. Masters Reggio Emilia 2010 · Kamsky–Carlsen, Sinquefield Cup 2013 · 8:38 · ECO C69

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In this video

Game 1: Francisco Vallejo Pons (2698) vs David Navara (2708)

53. Masters Reggio Emilia 2010, 30 December 2010 · White won (1-0) · 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. 6.d4The first move after the opening line0:29
  2. 22...Qe6The evaluation moves from +0.87 to +2.051:42
  3. 26.Qxc6White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:59
  4. 26...Rxb2The evaluation moves from +2.16 to +3.532:02
  5. 40.Kg1The evaluation moves from +4.46 to +5.033:09
  6. 46.Qd6White wins after 46 moves3:39

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Gata Kamsky (2741) vs Magnus Carlsen (2862)

Sinquefield Cup 2013, 13 September 2013 · Black won (0-1) · 59 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.d4The first move after the opening line4:08
  2. 8.Rxd1The queens come off4:14
  3. 55.e6+The evaluation moves from −1.96 to −4.58, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here8:02
  4. 56...Bf4The evaluation moves from −4.72 to −2.138:10
  5. 58.Be5The evaluation moves from −2.33 to −4.638:18
  6. 59...Bf6Black wins after 59 moves8:25

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 4.Bxc6 dxc6 Black has the bishop pair and doubled c-pawns, while White has a 4-against-3 kingside pawn majority that becomes dangerous in an endgame. With 5...f6 Black guards e5 with a pawn and keeps the knight free for e7. The game then turns on whether White trades queens to play on that majority or keeps them on for a sharper middlegame.

Vallejo Pons–Navara went 6.d4 Bg4 7.c3, keeping the queens on and holding the centre. After 10.Qb3+ Kh8 White grabbed a pawn with 12.Qxb7. Black answered with the bishop raid 17...Be2, and White replied 18.Nxe5 and 19.Rxd6, returning the exchange for play against Black's broken pawns. The score was +0.82 at 20...dxe5 and jumped from +0.87 to +2.05 after 22...Qe6. From 26.Qxc6 White stayed more than two pawns ahead. A tactical sequence from 27.Rxg7 to 31.Qxe6 left White's queen against rook and knight. White's passed c-pawn reached c7, and White won after 46.Qd6, at +5.99 one move earlier.

Kamsky–Carlsen chose 7.dxe5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 fxe5 instead, removing the queens and the sharp middlegame of Game 1. Black's pieces became active, and 15...Bxh2+ won back material at 0.00. By 30...Rfd8 Black stood at −1.80. The rooks came off by 46.Bxd2, leaving a same-coloured bishop ending. After 50.Bc3 the score fell from −1.40 to −3.35. Black's h-pawn then ran to h3, 55.e6+ took the score to −4.58, and Black won after 59...Bf6.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Vallejo Pons vs Navara, 53. Masters Reggio Emilia 2010
  3. 3:48Game 2: Kamsky vs Carlsen, Sinquefield Cup 2013

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O f6

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