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Sicilian Defence: Dragon, Classical Variation

Anand–Topalov, Linares 1994 · Smirin–Grandelius, 16th ch-EUR Indiv 2015, Jerusalem · 6:28 · ECO B70

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In this video

Game 1: Viswanathan Anand (2715) vs Veselin Topalov (2640)

Linares 1994 · 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. 8.Bg5The first move after the opening line0:35
  2. 18.Qe2The evaluation moves from −0.51 to −1.701:19
  3. 22...axb5The queens come off1:42
  4. 30...Ba1Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:22
  5. 36.Rb8The evaluation moves from −3.05 to −4.432:49
  6. 38.Rb7The evaluation moves from −5.91 to mate in 12 for Black2:59
  7. 42...Rg4Black 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: Ilia Smirin (2650) vs Nils Grandelius (2609)

16th ch-EUR Indiv 2015, Jerusalem, 27 February 2015 · White won (1-0) · 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.Re1The first move after the opening line3:56
  2. 22...Bxe1The evaluation moves from +0.74 to +1.875:02
  3. 28...Qe7The evaluation moves from +3.65 to +4.665:32
  4. 29...Bd7White stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:38
  5. 35...Rdxa7The evaluation moves from +5.54 to mate in 10 for White6:08
  6. 37.Rxa7White wins after 37 moves6:15

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 6.Be2 White chooses quiet development and short castling instead of the Yugoslav Attack's f3, Be3, Qd2 and O-O-O, so there is no race of pawn storms on opposite wings. Black's fianchettoed bishop on g7 bears down the long diagonal, and Black looks for play on the c-file and the queenside, while White relies on the e4 pawn, a later f4 and the knights in the centre.

Anand–Topalov went 8.Bg5 a6 9.a4, and Black answered with ...Be6, ...Rc8 and 12...Na5 to trade off the b3 knight. After 15...Qb4 the queen went after the queenside, and with 18.Qe2 the evaluation moved from −0.51 to −1.70 as 18...Qxb2 took the pawn. The queens came off with 22...axb5 at −1.67. From 30...Ba1 Black stayed more than two pawns ahead, two black rooks invaded the second rank, and 38.Rb7 left mate in 12 for Black. Black won after 42...Rg4.

Smirin–Grandelius took a slower path with 8.Re1, 9.Nb3 and 10.Bf1, and Black expanded with ...a6 and ...b5-b4. Unlike Game 1, Black gave up the dark-squared bishop: 22.Bxa6 Bxe1 took the exchange but lifted the score from +0.74 to +1.87, as White gained a pawn and dark squares round the black king. White pushed the a-pawn to a7, and the f4 break with 29.fxe5 took the score to +4.35 after 29...Bd7. After 35...Rdxa7 White had mate in 10, and White won after 37.Rxa7.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Anand vs Topalov, Linares 1994
  3. 3:30Game 2: Smirin vs Grandelius, 16th ch-EUR Indiv 2015, Jerusalem

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O

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