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Sicilian Defence: Accelerated Dragon, Maroczy Bind

Amonatov–Malakhov, ch-RUS 1. League Tomsk 2006 · Firouzja–Mamedov, FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 · 7:26 · ECO B36

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In this video

Game 1: Farrukh Amonatov (2542) vs Vladimir Malakhov (2690)

ch-RUS 1. League Tomsk 2006, 5 September 2006 · Black won (0-1) · 42 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.Bg5The first move after the opening line0:38
  2. 34.Bh6The evaluation moves from −0.37 to −1.562:39
  3. 36.c5The evaluation moves from −0.27 to −2.79, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:49
  4. 41.Bf8The evaluation moves from −4.93 to −7.223:14
  5. 42...Rxg3Black wins after 42 moves3:22

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Alireza Firouzja (2777) vs Rauf Mamedov (2640)

FIDE Grand Swiss 2023, 26 October 2023 · White won (1-0) · 48 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.O-OThe first move after the opening line3:59
  2. 21.Rxc3The queens come off4:55
  3. 40...Nc5The evaluation moves from −0.05 to +2.78, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:32
  4. 48...Re4The evaluation moves from +4.89 to +6.737:12
  5. 48...Re4White wins after 48 moves7:12

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 5.c4 White sets up the Maroczy Bind: pawns on c4 and e4 clamp the d5 square and take away Black's usual ...d5 break. Black exchanges knights on d4 and develops the bishop to g7 on the long diagonal, then seeks counterplay on the c-file and queenside or with breaks such as ...b5 and ...f5, while White tries to use the extra space.

Amonatov–Malakhov continued 9.Bg5, with the queen going to d2. Black answered with the standard set-up of ...Be6, ...Qa5, ...Rfc8 and ...Rc5, pressing on c4 and down the c-file. White pushed f4 and f5 against the king, but the attack did not get through, and the score had turned to −0.37 by 33...h5. After 36.c5 it dropped from −0.27 to −2.79, and Black stayed more than two pawns ahead from then on. The dark-squared bishop and queenside pressure decided matters; 41.Bf8 took the score from −4.93 to −7.22, and Black won after 42...Rxg3.

Firouzja–Mamedov began 1.c4 but reached the same position after 8...Bg7. White chose the quieter 9.O-O and Qd3, and the queens came off with 21.Rxc3. Unlike Game 1, White did not attack the king but relied on the bishop pair, queenside space and the pawn on f4. The score was +1.79 at 18...Bxd5 and 0.00 at 33...Nc5. After 40...Nc5 it jumped from −0.05 to +2.78, and White won after 48...Re4, with the score at +6.73.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Amonatov vs Malakhov, ch-RUS 1. League Tomsk 2006
  3. 3:30Game 2: Firouzja vs Mamedov, FIDE Grand Swiss 2023

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Be2 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7

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