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Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit

Petrosian–Navara, Ordix Open 2007 · Liang–Aronian, ch-USA 2022 · 6:26 · ECO C44

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In this video

Game 1: Tigran L. Petrosian (2613) vs David Navara (2656)

Ordix Open 2007, 19 August 2007 · Black won (0-1) · 47 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. 4...Nf6The first move after the opening line0:24
  2. 30.Qxh7The evaluation moves from −0.98 to −4.25, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:19
  3. 32.Nxc5The evaluation moves from −3.44 to −5.752:29
  4. 40.Nf8The evaluation moves from −7.13 to −8.823:09
  5. 47.Nc5+Black wins after 47 moves3:44

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Awonder Liang (2608) vs Levon Aronian (2755)

ch-USA 2022, 9 October 2022 · 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. 4...Bc5The first move after the opening line4:08
  2. 16...Bf5White stays more than two pawns ahead from here4:55
  3. 20...Qe5The evaluation moves from +3.13 to +5.185:15
  4. 26...Rxh6The evaluation moves from +4.71 to +7.685:45
  5. 30...Qc1+The evaluation moves from +6.53 to +9.186:05
  6. 32.g5White wins after 32 moves6:12

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 3...exd4 White does not recapture the d4-pawn at once with the knight but plays 4.Bc4, developing and aiming at f7. Black can return to familiar Two Knights positions with 4...Nf6, or keep the extra pawn with 4...Bc5. That second choice allows sharp lines in which both kings are exposed early.

Petrosian–Navara went 4...Nf6 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4. After 8.Bxc6 bxc6 White gained kingside space with f3, f4 and f5. Black hit back with 13...f5 and 16...g5, then castled queenside at move 22. The e4-pawn became a passed pawn, and the score reached −4.06 before 25...Rfg7 brought it back to −1.14. The decisive moment was 30.Qxh7: it took the score from −0.98 to −4.25, and Black stayed more than two pawns ahead from then on. The e-pawn queened with 40...e1=Q, and after 42.Qc8+ the score was −10.00. Black won after 47 moves.

Liang–Aronian took the sharper branch 4...Bc5 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.Nxf7 Nxf7 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxc5. White won back the piece, and the score was +0.03. This game was a direct attack on the uncastled king, unlike the slow pawn advances of Game 1. White kept more than two pawns' advantage from 16...Bf5. After 19.Bxh6 the score was +5.24, and 20...Qe5 raised it from +3.13 to +5.18. Then 26...Rxh6 pushed it from +4.71 to +7.68. White won after 32.g5.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Petrosian vs Navara, Ordix Open 2007
  3. 3:53Game 2: Liang vs Aronian, ch-USA 2022

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4

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