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Sicilian Defence: Dragon, Yugoslav Attack 9.O-O-O d5 (Topalov Line)

Kasparov–Topalov, Euwe Memorial 1995 · Nisipeanu–Carlsen, Kings Tournament 2010 · 5:56 · ECO B76

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In this video

Game 1: Garry Kasparov (2805) vs Veselin Topalov (2630)

Euwe Memorial 1995, 17 May 1995 · White won (1-0) · 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. 10.exd5The first move after the opening line0:41
  2. 22...c3The evaluation moves from +0.45 to +1.991:42
  3. 24.bxc3The queens come off1:49
  4. 29.c4White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:14
  5. 29...Bd7The evaluation moves from +2.05 to +3.372:16
  6. 38...Rxh2The evaluation moves from +3.84 to +5.083:02
  7. 42.Rxa4White wins after 42 moves3:19

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (2672) vs Magnus Carlsen (2813)

Kings Tournament 2010, 19 June 2010 · Black won (0-1) · 31 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. 10.Kb1The first move after the opening line4:00
  2. 18.Qb3The evaluation moves from −1.00 to −2.48, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here4:38
  3. 31.Bb6The evaluation moves from −2.91 to −7.965:42
  4. 31.Bb6Black wins after 31 moves5:42

Evaluation

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

About these games

Black does not wait with ...Bd7 and ...Rc8 but strikes at the centre at once with 9...d5, offering a pawn to open lines towards White's king on c1. After the critical exd5 Nxd5 and Nxc6 bxc6, Black gets the half-open b-file and the long diagonal for the bishop on g7. White tries to win material in the centre and reach an endgame in which Black's split queenside pawns are weak.

Kasparov–Topalov follows the main line, 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4. After 13...Bh6+ and the exchange of dark-squared bishops, 16.Qxe7 wins a pawn, and Black seeks play with ...c5 and ...c4. The position stays close, +0.19 after 19...c4, until 22...c3 moves the score from +0.45 to +1.99. Queens come off after 24.bxc3, and White's queenside majority advances. From 29.c4 White stays more than two pawns ahead, with +3.37 after 29...Bd7. White pushes the c-pawn to c6, 41...Kd8 takes the score from +3.33 to +4.74, and White won after 42.Rxa4.

Nisipeanu–Carlsen turns away with 10.Kb1, and Black builds play with 10...Rb8 and 12...e6 while White advances g4–g5 (0.00 after 14...Nh5). Instead of steering towards an endgame, Black gives up the d-pawn with 16...exd5 17.Qxd5 Ne5. After 18.Qb3 the score swings from −1.00 to −2.48 as 18...Qxg5 activates the queen, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from there. White gives up a rook for a minor piece with 25.Rxc4, the black queen invades on d2 and e2, and 31.Bb6 drops the score from −2.91 to −7.96. Black won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Kasparov vs Topalov, Euwe Memorial 1995
  3. 3:28Game 2: Nisipeanu vs Carlsen, Kings Tournament 2010

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5

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