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

Sokolov–Grischuk, National I 2003 · Anand–Latasa, 35th Leon GM 2022 · 5:28 · ECO C78

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In this video

Game 1: Andrei Sokolov (2563) vs Alexander Grischuk (2701)

National I 2003, 8 May 2003 · Black won (0-1) · 36 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.Nxe5The first move after the opening line0:32
  2. 28.g4The evaluation moves from −2.00 to −4.632:09
  3. 29...Nh4The evaluation moves from −3.06 to −0.842:16
  4. 32.Kh1The evaluation moves from −1.58 to −6.38, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:29
  5. 36...Kg7Black wins after 36 moves2:52

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Viswanathan Anand (2756) vs Jaime Santos Latasa (2675)

35th Leon GM 2022, 8 July 2022 · White won (1-0) · 31 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 line3:23
  2. 25...Bxa5The evaluation moves from −0.07 to +1.474:48
  3. 27.exf5The evaluation moves from +1.68 to +3.08, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here4:55
  4. 30...Rb8The evaluation moves from +5.15 to +6.495:12
  5. 31.Nd2White wins after 31 moves5:15

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 6...Bc5 Black places the bishop actively on c5, where it eyes f2 and supports the e5-pawn, instead of the usual ...Be7. The cost is that e5 is less well protected, so White can hit it at once with Nxe5 and a d4 fork, or build a centre with c3 and d4 and gain time against the bishop. The sharp route leads to open lines and early piece play; the quiet route leads to a Chigorin-type structure with closed centre and queenside play.

Sokolov–Grischuk took the sharp route: 7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6. Black returned the piece and, after 10.c4 bxc4, used the open b-file with 16...Rfb8, broke with 19...d5, and brought a rook to a2. Black then turned towards the white king with 26...Ng6 and 27...Qf5. The move 29...Nh4 let the score fall from −3.06 to −0.84, but after 31...Nxf3+ White erred with 32.Kh1, and the score went from −1.58 to −6.38. Black took the rook with 32...Nxe1, and 35.Bxh6+ only made things worse (−7.51). Black won.

Anand–Santos Latasa took the quiet route with 7.c3 d6 8.d4 Bb6 9.Be3. Black played ...Na5 and ...c5, White closed the centre with 13.d5, and 15...c4 was met by 16.b4. Rather than kingside play, the fight was on the queenside: 22.b4 and rooks on the a-file. After 25.bxa5 Bxa5 the score jumped from −0.07 to +1.47, and 27.exf5 raised it to +3.08. White then won the b5-pawn with 28.Bxb5. The score reached +6.49 at 30...Rb8, and White won after 31.Nd2.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Sokolov vs Grischuk, National I 2003
  3. 3:00Game 2: Anand vs Santos Latasa, 35th Leon GM 2022

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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