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Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Gligoric, 7.Nxd4 c5

Adams–Leko, Karen Asrian Memorial 2008 · Motylev–Maiorov, EICC Men 2010 · 8:34 · ECO C69

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In this video

Game 1: Michael Adams (2729) vs Peter Leko (2741)

Karen Asrian Memorial 2008, 13 June 2008 · Black won (0-1) · 61 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. 8.Nb3The first move after the opening line0:35
  2. 9.Rxd1The queens come off0:38
  3. 29.c4The evaluation moves from −0.67 to −2.172:14
  4. 46...g4The evaluation moves from −5.16 to −0.623:42
  5. 55.Nh2The evaluation moves from −0.55 to −4.18, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here4:24
  6. 61...Bd6Black wins after 61 moves4:56

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Alexander Motylev (2705) vs Nikita Maiorov (2510)

EICC Men 2010, 11 March 2010 · White won (1-0) · 43 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. 8.Ne2The first move after the opening line5:31
  2. 9.Rxd1The queens come off5:34
  3. 34...Ka7The evaluation moves from +0.51 to +3.34, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here7:38
  4. 43.Nf8White wins after 43 moves8:20

Evaluation

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

About these games

White gives up the bishop pair with 4.Bxc6 and opens the centre with 6.d4. After 7.Nxd4 c5 White has four pawns against three on the kingside, while Black's queenside majority is crippled by doubled c-pawns. The 7...c5 push drives the knight away at once and invites the queen trade, betting that the two bishops and quick development will offset the weaker structure. White's long-term aim is to make the healthy kingside majority count in an endgame.

Adams–Leko began with 8.Nb3, and the queens came off at 9.Rxd1. Leko castled long, gave up a bishop with 14...Bxb5, and after 20.Bxd6 Bxd6 the game became bishop against knight. Leko activated the king while the bishop held the long diagonals. The turning point was 29.c4, which moved the score from −0.67 to −2.17, and 30...Bxh2 won a pawn. Black let the advantage slip with 46...g4 (from −5.16 to −0.62), but 55.Nh2 restored it (from −0.55 to −4.18). The g-pawn decided the game, and Black won after 61...Bd6.

Motylev–Maiorov took the 8.Ne2 route, with the queens again exchanged at 9.Rxd1 and Black castling long. Where Adams pushed e5 early, Motylev played f3, Kf2 and g4 and put the knights on d5 and f5. The score stayed near +0.50 until 34...Ka7, which jumped it from +0.51 to +3.34. Then 37.Rxc5 and 38.Rxc7+ won material, and White won after 43.Nf8.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Adams vs Leko, Karen Asrian Memorial 2008
  3. 5:05Game 2: Motylev vs Maiorov, EICC Men 2010

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O f6 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 c5

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