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Sicilian Defence: Kan, 5.Bd3

Jakovenko–Artemiev, 68th ch-RUS 2015 · Praggnanandhaa–Carlsen, Norway Chess 2024 · 6:04 · ECO B42

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In this video

Game 1: Dmitry Jakovenko (2759) vs Vladislav Artemiev (2671)

68th ch-RUS 2015, 18 August 2015 · 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. 5...Ne7The first move after the opening line0:28
  2. 32.Qxa6The evaluation moves from −0.63 to −3.13, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:29
  3. 34.Qc8+The evaluation moves from −3.47 to −5.802:39
  4. 37.Bb8The evaluation moves from −7.27 to −8.592:54
  5. 37...Qf2Black wins after 37 moves2:56

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Praggnanandhaa R (2747) vs Magnus Carlsen (2830)

Norway Chess 2024, 29 May 2024 · 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. 5...Qc7The first move after the opening line3:24
  2. 29...Rb4White stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:12
  3. 33...Qc5The evaluation moves from +3.52 to +6.185:32
  4. 35...Rg8The evaluation moves from +7.73 to +8.795:42
  5. 37.Rxh7The evaluation moves from +10.00 to +7.605:50
  6. 37.Rxh7White wins after 37 moves5:50

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 4...a6 Black keeps every option open and waits to see White's set-up, and 5.Bd3 answers with a quiet, solid deployment. The bishop guards e4 and supports a later c4, giving White a Maroczy-style bind on d5, while Black chooses between developing behind a small-centre Hedgehog with ...d6, ...b6 and ...Bb7, or putting the knights and bishop on dark squares.

Jakovenko–Artemiev began 5...Ne7 and 6...Nbc6, followed by a kingside fianchetto with 7...g6 and 8...Bg7 against White's c4. Black's knights took over the dark squares, and 18...Nxc4 removed the c4 pawn; after 19...b5 and 20...bxa4 Black won the pawn back on b2 with 23...Bxb2. In the heavy-piece ending the score stayed near −0.60 until 32.Qxa6 took a pawn and left Black's queen and rook free to attack, sending it from −0.63 to −3.13. 34.Qc8+ (−5.80) and 37.Bb8 (−8.59) made things worse, and Black won after 37...Qf2.

Praggnanandhaa–Carlsen followed the main-line Hedgehog with 5...Qc7, 6...Nf6 and 7...d6 against c4. Instead of Black seizing dark squares as in Game 1, White pushed 11.f4 and 13.f5, then fought for d5 with 17.Bxf6 and 23.Nd5, the score rising to +1.61 by 20.Kh1. From 29...Rb4 White stayed more than two pawns ahead; 33...Qc5 let Rb7 invade (+6.18), and White won after 37.Rxh7.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Jakovenko vs Artemiev, 68th ch-RUS 2015
  3. 3:05Game 2: Praggnanandhaa vs Carlsen, Norway Chess 2024

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3

See every video from this position →