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Sicilian Defence: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Variation, 7...Qa5

Kamsky–Anand, FIDE Candidates 1994 · Gharamian–Vachier-Lagrave, Grand Prix Pyramides FFE 2012 · 6:48 · ECO B35

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In this video

Game 1: Gata Kamsky (2695) vs Viswanathan Anand (2720)

FIDE Candidates 1994 · White won (1-0) · 45 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.O-OThe first move after the opening line0:35
  2. 26.Rxf4The queens come off1:59
  3. 34...Re6The evaluation moves from +1.04 to +3.14, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:42
  4. 40...Be4+The evaluation moves from +3.12 to +4.313:12
  5. 44...Re6The evaluation moves from +4.54 to +5.553:32
  6. 45.Rxh7White wins after 45 moves3:34

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Tigran Gharamian (2676) vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2699)

Grand Prix Pyramides FFE 2012, 8 January 2012 · Black won (0-1) · 38 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.O-OThe first move after the opening line4:08
  2. 26.Qxb7The evaluation moves from 0.00 to −1.475:32
  3. 28.Qd7The evaluation moves from −1.72 to −4.46, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:42
  4. 38...Qb2Black wins after 38 moves6:35

Evaluation

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

About these games

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 brings the black queen out early. From a5 it presses on c3 and along the fifth rank, which supports tactics with ...Nxe4 before Black commits the d-pawn. White usually castles and then decides how to meet the queen: retreat the bishop with Bb3 or hit the queen with Nb3.

Kamsky–Anand went 8.O-O O-O 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7, and White began a kingside advance with 11.f4, 14.g4, 16.g5 and 17.f5. Black answered on the queenside with ...Rac8 and 15...b5, and gave up the dark-squared bishop with 17...Bxc3 to break up White's pawns. The engine kept White only slightly better, +0.61 after 17...Bxc3. The queens came off with 26.Rxf4, and White's active rooks and passed a-pawn took over. After 34...Re6 the score rose from +1.04 to +3.14. White won after 45.Rxh7.

Gharamian–Vachier-Lagrave took the other route, 9.Nb3 Qc7 10.Bg5. White's 12.Bxf6 exf6 gave Black the bishop pair and dark squares, and Black then pushed with 14...f5 to open the position. Instead of a queenside pawn attack, Black struck at the white king with 24...Bxg3. After 26.Qxb7 the score dropped from 0.00 to −1.47, and Black continued 26...Bxf2+ and 27...Qxc4. Following 28.Qd7 it fell from −1.72 to −4.46, and Black won after 38...Qb2.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Kamsky vs Anand, FIDE Candidates 1994
  3. 3:43Game 2: Gharamian vs Vachier-Lagrave, Grand Prix Pyramides FFE 2012

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 Qa5

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