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Sicilian Defence: Classical, Sozin 6...Qb6 (Benko Variation)

Kasparov–Anand, Linares 1994 · Dgebuadze–Firouzja, Chartres Noel Match 2023 · 5:54 · ECO B57

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In this video

Game 1: Garry Kasparov (2805) vs Viswanathan Anand (2715)

Linares 1994 · White won (1-0) · 35 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.Bf4The first move after the opening line0:35
  2. 20...Nb4The evaluation moves from +0.62 to +2.781:32
  3. 22...Bf8White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:42
  4. 31...Qxb2The evaluation moves from +4.06 to +5.282:26
  5. 35.Qe4White wins after 35 moves2:44

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Alexandre Dgebuadze (2439) vs Alireza Firouzja (2763)

Chartres Noel Match 2023, 19 December 2023 · Black won (0-1) · 37 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 line3:18
  2. 23.Nab3The evaluation moves from −0.33 to −2.054:28
  3. 25.Qd2Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here4:38
  4. 37...Qe3Black wins after 37 moves5:40

Evaluation

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

About these games

Black's 6...Qb6 attacks the knight on d4 and puts pressure on b2. White answers by retreating with 7.Nb3. With 7...e6 Black closes the long diagonal of the c4-bishop and sets up the small centre with pawns on d6 and e6, aiming for ...Be7, ...O-O and queenside play. White usually castles short and chooses between a kingside pawn storm and slower piece play.

In Kasparov–Anand, 8.Bf4 Ne5 9.Be2 drove the bishop back, and after 10.Be3 Qc7 11.f4 White pushed the kingside pawns with 15.g4 and 16.g5. The rook swung over with 18.Rf3 and 19.Rh3, followed by 20.Qg4. 20...Nb4 was the turning point: the evaluation jumped from +0.62 to +2.78. After 22...Bf8 (+2.57) came the sacrifice 23.Bxh5 gxh5 24.Qxh5. Black hit back with 26...Nxe4 (+3.69 after 27...Kf8), but 31...Qxb2 took the score from +4.06 to +5.28 and it reached +5.67 at 32...Re5. The fork 33.Nd7+ won the rook, and White won after 35.Qe4.

Dgebuadze–Firouzja went the quieter 8.O-O Be7 9.a4. Black struck at once with 11...e5 and 12...Nb4 (+0.09), and 14...Nxd3 15.cxd3 won the bishop pair. By 17...Be6 the score was −0.83. After 20...d5 21.e5 Bg5, the move 23.Nab3 dropped the evaluation from −0.33 to −2.05, and 23...Bxf4 won the exchange. 27...f6 (−2.10) opened the centre further, 28.Qxb7 fell to −4.60 and 29...Rxe6 to −4.45. Black's rooks and queen then took over, and Black won after 37...Qe3 (−5.60). Unlike Game 1, White never attacked, and Black's central breaks decided the game.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Kasparov vs Anand, Linares 1994
  3. 2:53Game 2: Dgebuadze vs Firouzja, Chartres Noel Match 2023

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Qb6 7. Nb3 e6

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