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Sicilian Defence: Moscow Variation, 3...Nd7 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4

Movsesian–Topalov, Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 · Naiditsch–Wojtaszek, 53rd Biel GMT 2020 · 6:24 · ECO B51

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In this video

Game 1: Sergei Movsesian (2723) vs Veselin Topalov (2803)

Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010, 1 October 2010 · 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...a6The first move after the opening line0:28
  2. 30...a5The evaluation moves from −0.16 to +1.082:22
  3. 34...Ba7The evaluation moves from +1.26 to +4.01, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:42
  4. 37.Kxg3White wins after 37 moves2:54

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Arkadij Naiditsch (2626) vs Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2719)

53rd Biel GMT 2020, 24 July 2020 · Black won (0-1) · 41 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...a6The first move after the opening line3:21
  2. 37.g5Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:48
  3. 38.Qxe5The evaluation moves from −2.35 to mate in 11 for Black5:52
  4. 41...Qf2+Black wins after 41 moves6:10

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 3.Bb5+ Nd7 White opens the centre at once with 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4. The queen is safe on d4 because Black's knight already stands on d7 and cannot gain time with ...Nc6. Black usually answers ...a6, forcing Bxd7+, which gives Black the bishop pair in exchange for White's lead in development and freer central play.

Movsesian–Topalov: after 6.Bxd7+ Bxd7 White developed quickly with 7.Bg5 and 8.Nc3. Topalov expanded with ...h6, ...e5 and ...g5, and White met it with 12.h4. Black seized the c-file, and the engine gave −0.76 at 20.Re1 and −0.79 at 25.Qd2. Before that, Topalov had given up the exchange with 23...Rxc3. White answered with c4 and a knight raid to b7, and by 30.Rb1 the score was back to −0.16. After 34...Ba7 the evaluation jumped from +1.26 to +4.01, and it stood at +4.54 by 35.Red1. The white queen reached d5, and after 37.Kxg3 White won.

Naiditsch–Wojtaszek followed a different plan: 7.c4 set up a Maroczy-style bind. Black struck back with ...e5 and ...b5, and the score was level, 0.00 at 10.Qxc4. Black used the bishop pair and the c-file to reach −1.10 at 25.Re1, though the score drifted back to −0.28 at 30.Rd2. The break 30...d5 then opened the centre. From 37.g5 Black stayed more than two pawns ahead, and 38.Qxe5 turned −2.35 into mate in 11 for Black. Black's rook and queen invaded via f2 and g2, and after 41...Qf2+ Black won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Movsesian vs Topalov, Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010
  3. 3:03Game 2: Naiditsch vs Wojtaszek, 53rd Biel GMT 2020

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4

See every video from this position →