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Ruy Lopez: Open Variation, Classical

Caruana–Wei, Tata Steel Masters 2016 · Vachier-Lagrave–Anand, Norway Chess 2018 · 5:54 · ECO C83

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In this video

Game 1: Fabiano Caruana (2787) vs Wei Yi (2706)

Tata Steel Masters 2016, 27 January 2016 · White won (1-0) · 32 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. 10.Bc2The first move after the opening line0:41
  2. 21.Nxd1The queens come off1:34
  3. 23.Bc5The evaluation moves from +3.64 to +1.851:44
  4. 25...Ba5White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:56
  5. 26...Be8The evaluation moves from +2.36 to +3.862:02
  6. 28...Bxc6The evaluation moves from +4.49 to +6.012:12
  7. 32.Re6White wins after 32 moves2:29

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2789) vs Viswanathan Anand (2760)

Norway Chess 2018, 5 June 2018 · Black won (0-1) · 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. 10.Nbd2The first move after the opening line3:10
  2. 28...Rxf7The queens come off4:40
  3. 29.Rxb4The evaluation moves from 0.00 to −1.814:42
  4. 32...Rd3Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:00
  5. 40...Ke6Black wins after 40 moves5:40

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 5...Nxe4 Black takes the e4 pawn and keeps the knight there with ...b5 and ...d5, then guards d5 with ...Be6. White regains the pawn with 8.dxe5, gaining a space-taking pawn on e5. White's 9.c3 keeps a retreat square on c2 for the bishop and prepares the d-pawn break. Black's 9...Be7 develops quietly before castling, with the e4 knight as the key piece both sides fight over.

Caruana–Wei Yi went straight for the knight with 10.Bc2 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6, and 14.f4 followed, pushing pawns on the kingside. Black propped up e4 with 15...f5, but White cleared the way with 18.Bxe4 dxe4 19.d5, and by 19...b4 the score was +1.38. The queens came off at 21.Nxd1. 23.Bc5 let the score fall from +3.64 to +1.85, yet the e-pawn ran on with 24.e6 and 25.e7. Black's 26...Be8 raised it to +3.86, and 28...Bxc6 to +6.01. After 31.f6 and 32.Re6, White won.

Vachier-Lagrave–Anand took the slower route 10.Nbd2 O-O 11.Re1 Nc5 12.Nd4. Instead of attacking e4 with pawns, White traded knights, and Black's remaining knight moved through d3 and f4 to e6. Black's 21...f5 attacked e5. After 22.exf6 Bxc2 23.Qxc2 Qxf6 the position stayed level, −0.03 at 24...c5. White's 29.Rxb4 gave a rook for a bishop, moving the score from 0.00 to −1.81. Black's extra material and queenside pawns then decided a long endgame, −2.20 after 34...Rxh3, and Black won at 40...Ke6.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Caruana vs Wei, Tata Steel Masters 2016
  3. 2:38Game 2: Vachier-Lagrave vs Anand, Norway Chess 2018

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Be7

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