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Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line — Part 1 of 2

Anand–Svidler, WCh Mexico City 2007 · Mamedov–Iskandarov, 76th ch-AZE Prelim 2022 · 5:38 · ECO C89

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In this video

Game 1: Viswanathan Anand (2792) vs Peter Svidler (2735)

WCh Mexico City 2007, 18 September 2007 · White won (1-0) · 39 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.Re1The first move after the opening line0:49
  2. 35...Ba7The evaluation moves from +1.79 to +4.12, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:46
  3. 39.Bxg5White wins after 39 moves3:04

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Nidjat Mamedov (2604) vs Misratdin Iskandarov (2548)

76th ch-AZE Prelim 2022, 12 February 2022 · Black won (0-1) · 30 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.Bxd5The first move after the opening line3:52
  2. 22.Be3The evaluation moves from −1.64 to −2.80, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here4:42
  3. 27.Be1The evaluation moves from −3.69 to −4.735:08
  4. 29.Nb3The evaluation moves from −4.83 to −5.745:18
  5. 30...Be4Black wins after 30 moves5:25

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 8...d5 Black gives up the e5-pawn to gain time for development and an attack on White's king, and 11...c6 is the main move: it supports the d5-knight and keeps d6 free for the dark-squared bishop. White keeps the extra pawn and tries to finish development with d4 and the queenside pieces. Black puts the bishop on d6, a rook on e8 and the queen on the kingside, and gets play against White's king.

Anand–Svidler continued 12.Re1 Bd6 13.g3, a quiet setup in which the pawn on g3 blunts Black's pressure on the kingside. White followed with d4, Be3 and the knight route Nd2-f3-h4. Black placed pieces on Qd7, Rae8 and Bg4 and later pushed ...h6, ...g6 and ...g5. The score stayed level, 0.00 after 16...Bg4 and +0.52 after 31...Bb8. White opened the a-file with 27.a4 and 28.axb5, and the rook went to a6 and then a8. After 35...Ba7 the evaluation rose from +1.79 to +4.12. The pawn moves had left Black's king exposed, and 37.Nf5 and 38.Nxh6+ broke through. White won after 39.Bxg5.

Mamedov–Iskandarov took a different path. With 12.Bxd5 cxd5 White exchanged the bishop that usually defends the kingside. After 13.d4 Bd6 14.Re3 Black's queen chased White's rook from h4 to f4, f6 and g6, and the score swung from −0.08 at 16...Qf6 to −1.64 at 21...Re4. After 22.Be3 it fell to −2.80, and Black pushed with ...f5-f4. After 27.Be1 it reached −4.73, and Black won after 28...Re2, 29...Rxb2 and 30...Be4. Unlike Game 1, Black's initiative was never contained.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Anand vs Svidler, WCh Mexico City 2007
  3. 3:13Game 2: Mamedov vs Iskandarov, 76th ch-AZE Prelim 2022

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

See every video from this position →