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Sicilian Defence: Kan, Maroczy Bind

Carlsen–Anand, WCh 2014 Sochi · Savchenko–Vitiugov, Mark Dvoretsky Mem 2021 · 7:18 · ECO B41

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In this video

Game 1: Magnus Carlsen (2863) vs Viswanathan Anand (2792)

WCh 2014 Sochi, 15 November 2014 · White won (1-0) · 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. 7.Qd3The first move after the opening line0:32
  2. 9...Kxd8The queens come off0:40
  3. 32...Bc6The evaluation moves from +0.85 to +2.32, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:32
  4. 37...Bc2The evaluation moves from +3.55 to +5.272:56
  5. 38.Re7+White wins after 38 moves2:59

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Boris Savchenko (2552) vs Nikita Vitiugov (2715)

Mark Dvoretsky Mem 2021, 10 February 2021 · Black won (0-1) · 51 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. 7.Qd3The first move after the opening line3:30
  2. 21.Qb6The evaluation moves from 0.00 to −2.104:32
  3. 38...Ne3The evaluation moves from −4.43 to −1.866:00
  4. 43.Kc2Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:22
  5. 50.Qe8The evaluation moves from −4.93 to −8.116:58
  6. 51...Ra2Black wins after 51 moves7:05

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 5.c4 White sets up the Maroczy Bind, with pawns on c4 and e4 that clamp down on d5 and make Black's usual ...d5 and ...b5 breaks hard to achieve. With 6...Bb4 Black pins the c3 knight to increase pressure on e4, and is often ready to give up the bishop with ...Bxc3+, leaving White with doubled c-pawns in return for the bishop pair.

Carlsen–Anand went 7.Qd3 Nc6 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8, a queenless middlegame. White pushed 10.e5, kept the bishop pair after 11...Bxc3+ and gained kingside space with h4-h5, castling long and lifting a rook to g3. Black's counterplay was the a-pawn. After 26.Kd2 the engine gave Black −2.39, but 26...a4 let the score return to +0.70. The decisive error was 32...Bc6, which moved the evaluation from +0.85 to +2.32. White then took on g6 with 33.Bxg6 and picked up the e6 pawn. After 37...Bc2 the score was +5.27, and White won after 38.Re7+.

Savchenko–Vitiugov kept the queens on: 7...d6 8.Nc2 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nbd7 gave up the d6 pawn but won the e4 pawn with 10...Nxe4. White stood better at +1.15 after 16...Nc5, but castling long put the king on the open b-file. After 21...O-O the score was −1.57, and Black's queen and rooks attacked the white king. Black missed quicker wins at 31...Rbc8 (−5.73 to −2.26) and 38...Ne3 (−4.43 to −1.86), but from 43.Kc2 the advantage stayed above two pawns. 50.Qe8 dropped the score to −8.11, and Black won after 51...Ra2.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Carlsen vs Anand, WCh 2014 Sochi
  3. 3:08Game 2: Savchenko vs Vitiugov, Mark Dvoretsky Mem 2021

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4

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