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Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, 12.d3

Polgar–Adams, Dos Hermanas 1999 · Radjabov–Ding, FIDE World Cup 2019 · 7:28 · ECO C89

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In this video

Game 1: Judit Polgar (2677) vs Michael Adams (2716)

Dos Hermanas 1999, 13 April 1999 · Black won (0-1) · 45 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. 12...Bd6The first move after the opening line0:52
  2. 31.b4Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:24
  3. 36.Qd1The evaluation moves from −2.08 to −8.492:49
  4. 40...Qe5+The evaluation moves from −6.18 to −9.073:12
  5. 44.Rg6+The evaluation moves from −6.16 to −9.553:29
  6. 45...f2Black wins after 45 moves3:36

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Teimour Radjabov (2758) vs Ding Liren (2811)

FIDE World Cup 2019, 2 October 2019 · 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. 12...Bd6The first move after the opening line4:28
  2. 21...Bxf5The queens come off5:12
  3. 39...Ke6The evaluation moves from +1.02 to +2.64, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:42
  4. 43...Kg8The evaluation moves from +3.81 to +4.977:02
  5. 46.Kg5White wins after 46 moves7:15

Evaluation

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

About these games

Black gives up the e5-pawn with 8...d5 and, after 11.Rxe5 c6, is a pawn down but ahead in development, with the knight on d5 and bishops ready to aim at the white king. With 12.d3, White skips the main-line d4 and opens the c1-bishop's diagonal at once, keeping the d-pawn on a square where it can be won back by ...Bf5 and ...Bxd3. Black's play rests on ...Bd6, ...Qh4 and a kingside attack; White hopes to consolidate and keep the extra pawn.

Polgar–Adams went 13...Qh4 14.g3 Qh3, with the queen fixed on White's weakened light squares. Adams followed with ...f5, ...f4 and ...h5, and 22...hxg4 opened the h-file. Polgar won the d6-bishop with 26.Rxd6, but the black pieces poured in. The score was level until 31.b4, which took it from 0.00 to −2.43, and 36.Qd1 pushed it from −2.08 to −8.49. Black drove the white king up the board, won the a1-rook with 43...Qxa1, and after 45...f2 Black won.

Radjabov–Ding chose 13...Bf5 14.Qf3, and Black took back the pawn with 16...Bxd3. Unlike Game 1, the attack never started: the queens came off with 21.Qxf5 Bxf5, and White gave the exchange with 27.Rxe6 for a pawn and play against the c- and b-pawns. The score stayed near +0.05 to +0.19 until the king march Kf3–e4; 39...Ke6 moved it from +1.02 to +2.64, and after 42.f5+ and 44.Bd6 White won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Polgar vs Adams, Dos Hermanas 1999
  3. 3:45Game 2: Radjabov vs Ding, FIDE World Cup 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 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d3

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