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Scotch Game: Mieses Variation, 8.c4 Ba6

Kasparov–Karpov, Interpolis Tilburg 1991 · Jones–Kramnik, chess.com IoM Masters 2017 · 6:14 · ECO C45

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In this video

Game 1: Garry Kasparov (2770) vs Anatoly Karpov (2730)

Interpolis Tilburg 1991 · White won (1-0) · 44 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. 9.b3The first move after the opening line0:38
  2. 22...Qe8White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:42
  3. 25...Rd5The evaluation moves from +2.24 to +3.961:56
  4. 32...Rd1+The evaluation moves from +3.89 to +4.772:32
  5. 38.Rxg2The queens come off2:59
  6. 42...Rh7The evaluation moves from +5.33 to +6.803:22
  7. 44.Ra3White wins after 44 moves3:29

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Gawain Jones (2668) vs Vladimir Kramnik (2803)

chess.com IoM Masters 2017, 1 October 2017 · Black won (0-1) · 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. 9.Nd2The first move after the opening line4:06
  2. 17...axb6The queens come off4:45
  3. 29.Rf3The evaluation moves from −1.68 to −3.43, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:42
  4. 31.Bxf7The evaluation moves from −4.51 to −5.725:52
  5. 32...Nd6Black wins after 32 moves6:00

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 Black has doubled c-pawns but open lines, and 6.e5 drives the knight to d5, where 8.c4 attacks it again. With 8...Ba6 Black pins the c4-pawn against the queen on e2, which in turn is tied to the f1-bishop. White wants to keep the cramping e5-pawn and develop smoothly; Black aims to undermine e5 with ...d6 or ...f6 and use the open b- and d-files.

Kasparov–Karpov went 9.b3 g6 10.f4, supporting e5, and after 10...f6 11.Ba3 pinned the f8-bishop. The c5 break at move 13 hit the pinned pieces: 13...Bxf1 14.cxb6 axb6 15.e6 dxe6 16.Bxf8 left White a piece up for pawns, already +1.55 at 18...Kxf8. From 22...Qe8 White stayed more than two pawns ahead, and 25...Rd5 pushed the score from +2.24 to +3.96. The queens came off with 37.Qg2 Qxg2+ 38.Rxg2, and White's a-pawn decided; White won after 44.Ra3.

Jones–Kramnik went 9.Nd2 g6 10.Nf3, and 10...Qb4+ 11.Kd1 cost White the right to castle. Instead of defending, as Karpov did, Black played ...c5, ...Bg7 and ...d6 to dissolve e5, and the queens came off at 17...axb6. Black's rooks took the d-file: 26...Rxd2 and 28...Rxf2 reached −1.68, and after 29.Rf3 the score went from −1.68 to −3.43. Black won after 32...Nd6.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Kasparov vs Karpov, Interpolis Tilburg 1991
  3. 3:38Game 2: Jones vs Kramnik, chess.com IoM Masters 2017

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 Ba6

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