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Ruy Lopez: Neo-Arkhangelsk Variation — Part 1 of 2

Perez–Giri, FIDE GP Paris 2013 · Caruana–Carlsen, IoM Masters 2017 · 6:08 · ECO C78

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In this video

Game 1: Leinier Dominguez Perez (2757) vs Anish Giri (2737)

FIDE GP Paris 2013, 25 September 2013 · White won (1-0) · 40 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. 25...R8e7White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:56
  3. 27.Rxg5The queens come off2:04
  4. 40.Rf4White wins after 40 moves3:09

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Fabiano Caruana (2799) vs Magnus Carlsen (2827)

IoM Masters 2017, 30 September 2017 · Black won (0-1) · 35 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.c3The first move after the opening line3:40
  2. 26.Nd2The evaluation moves from −0.46 to −2.10, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:08
  3. 31.Rad1The evaluation moves from −2.51 to −3.955:32
  4. 35.Qe3The evaluation moves from −2.44 to −6.515:52
  5. 35...Bf4Black wins after 35 moves5:55

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 5...b5 6.Bb3, Black develops the bishop to c5, aiming at f2, instead of the usual ...Be7. White's main plan is c3 and d4, hitting e5 and blunting the bishop, often with a4 against b5. Black usually answers with ...Rb8 and a retreat to b6 or a7, keeping the bishop on the a7-g1 diagonal while the central tension holds.

Dominguez Perez–Giri began with the quieter 7.Nc3 and 8.d3, then 9.Nd5, and only later prepared the centre break with 10.c3 and 11.d4. A run of exchanges from 12...Nxd5 to 16...dxe5 left the position level at −0.11. After 17.Nxe5 and 20.Nc6 Bxc6 21.dxc6, the score was +0.81 at 21...Rb6. White's queen invaded with 23.Qd7 and 24.Qxf7+, and from 25...R8e7 White stayed more than two pawns ahead; the score was +2.49 at 26...Rxe6, and 27.Rxg5 took the queens off. In the rook endgame White's king and e-pawn advanced while Black's king raided on the kingside, reaching +4.58 by 36...g6. White won after 40.Rf4.

Caruana–Carlsen followed the main line 7.c3 d6 8.a4 Rb8 9.d4 Bb6, with the bishop dropping to a7 after 10.a5. White expanded with 15.g4 and stood at +1.39 at 16...Nd8. Black countered with 17...c5 and 18...c4, then took a pawn with 25...Nxa5. The turning point was 26.Nd2, which moved the score from −0.46 to −2.10, and Black broke with 26...d5. 29...Rc6 let the score slip from −4.60 to −2.82, but 35.Qe3 dropped it to −6.51, and Black won after 35...Bf4. Unlike Game 1, the central tension stayed and the game turned on ...c5-c4 and ...d5 against g4.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Dominguez Perez vs Giri, FIDE GP Paris 2013
  3. 3:18Game 2: Caruana vs Carlsen, IoM Masters 2017

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5

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