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Sicilian Defence: Najdorf, 6.Be3 Ng4

Kasparov–Polgar, Corus Wijk aan Zee 2000 · Vachier-Lagrave–Mamedyarov, Tbilisi FIDE Grand Prix 2015 · 6:56 · ECO B90

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In this video

Game 1: Garry Kasparov (2851) vs Judit Polgar (2658)

Corus Wijk aan Zee 2000, 30 January 2000 · White won (1-0) · 44 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.h3The first move after the opening line0:41
  2. 21.Qf3The evaluation moves from +1.07 to −0.761:34
  3. 29...fxe5The evaluation moves from +0.16 to +2.222:16
  4. 35.Qb1White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:44
  5. 38...Qe3The evaluation moves from +4.39 to +7.283:02
  6. 44.Qg6White wins after 44 moves3:29

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2775) vs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2759)

Tbilisi FIDE Grand Prix 2015, 15 February 2015 · 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. 10.Be2The first move after the opening line4:10
  2. 33.e5The evaluation moves from −0.18 to −2.986:02
  3. 34.fxe5Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:08
  4. 39.Rxg1The evaluation moves from −5.57 to −8.426:32
  5. 41.Ka3The evaluation moves from −9.25 to −6.996:42
  6. 41.Ka3Black wins after 41 moves6:42

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 6.Be3 Black attacks the bishop at once with 6...Ng4, and after 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 Black has driven the bishop back to g3 at the cost of loosening the kingside. Black gains the long diagonal for the g7-bishop and pressure on d4 and b2. White aims to exploit the holes around f5 and h5 and the weakened squares near the black king.

Kasparov–Polgar went 10.h3 Nf6 11.Bc4, and after both sides castled short Black took the pawn with 13...Qxb2. White answered with 15.f4 and 18.fxg5, opening the f-file, and 19.Nd5 raised the score to +0.82 at 19...Rfe8. Polgar's 21.Qf3 Nbxd5 swing came after White had stood at +1.07, and the score dropped to −0.76. White then sacrificed the exchange with 26.Rxf6, and after 29.Bxe5 fxe5 the evaluation rose from +0.16 to +2.22. From 35.Qb1 White stayed more than two pawns ahead, 38...Qe3 let the score jump from +4.39 to +7.28, and White won after 44.Qg6.

Vachier-Lagrave–Mamedyarov followed 10.Be2 h5 11.h4 gxh4 12.Bxh4, and Black exchanged the dark-squared bishops with 15...Bh6 and kept the king in the centre, unlike Polgar. The game stayed level until 29...Rg3 at −0.68; 30...Rxg2 opened the g-file, and 34.fxe5 moved the score from −1.04 to −2.95. After 39.Rxg1 it reached −8.42, and Black won after 41.Ka3.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Kasparov vs Polgar, Corus Wijk aan Zee 2000
  3. 3:38Game 2: Vachier-Lagrave vs Mamedyarov, Tbilisi FIDE Grand Prix 2015

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Bg7

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