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Scotch Game: Mieses Variation, 8.c4 — Part 1 of 2

Kasparov–Adams, Sarajevo SuperGM 1999 · Ivanchuk–Almasi, Capablanca Memorial Elite 2014 · 5:18 · ECO C45

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In this video

Game 1: Garry Kasparov (2812) vs Michael Adams (2716)

Sarajevo SuperGM 1999, 26 May 1999 · 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. 8...Nb6The first move after the opening line0:36
  2. 16...c5The evaluation moves from 0.00 to +1.521:12
  3. 18.Bxc4The evaluation moves from +1.72 to +0.251:19
  4. 29...Qd3The evaluation moves from +1.45 to +6.70, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:16
  5. 31.Rd1White wins after 31 moves2:24

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Vasyl Ivanchuk (2753) vs Zoltan Almasi (2693)

Capablanca Memorial Elite 2014, 10 May 2014 · Black won (0-1) · 34 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. 8...Nb6The first move after the opening line3:00
  2. 20.Rhe1The evaluation moves from −0.69 to −2.13, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here3:52
  3. 33.Kb1The evaluation moves from −3.01 to −4.554:58
  4. 34...Qxg2+Black wins after 34 moves5:05

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 White's pawn on e5 drives the knight away from f6. 6...Qe7 attacks that pawn, and 7.Qe2 defends it while leaving Black's queen in front of the f8 bishop. With 8.c4 White chases the knight from d5 and claims space, aiming to keep the e5 wedge and use the queenside pawn majority. Black has doubled c-pawns but quick development, and plays against e5 with ...d5, ...d6 or pressure from the queen.

Kasparov–Adams followed the main line 8...Nb6 9.Nc3 Qe6 10.Qe4. Adams traded with 12...Bxc3 and struck with 13...d5, then won the e5 pawn with 18...Qxe5+. The move before it, 18.Bxc4, brought the score down from +1.72 to +0.25, and the position stayed near equal through 23.f3 at +0.20. Kasparov kept the dark-squared bishop and a mobile c-pawn, pushing 25.c5 and pressing with the rooks and queen. After 29...Qd3 the score jumped from +1.45 to +6.70; 30.Rxe8+ Rxe8 31.Rd1 followed, and White won.

Ivanchuk–Almasi went 9.b3 Qe6 10.Bb2 with 12.O-O-O, castling on the opposite side to Black. Ivanchuk sacrificed with 14.Nf6+ gxf6 to attack the black king, but Almasi held with 15...Kh8 and 16...Qf8. After 19...Bxc5 came 20.Rhe1, which moved the score from −0.69 to −2.13. Black's bishops then turned on the white king, and after 33.Kb1 (−4.55) came 34...Qxg2+. Black won. Unlike Game 1, White gave up material for a king attack instead of nursing a structural edge.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Kasparov vs Adams, Sarajevo SuperGM 1999
  3. 2:33Game 2: Ivanchuk vs Almasi, Capablanca Memorial Elite 2014

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4

See every video from this position →