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Sicilian Defence: Najdorf, Adams Attack 6...e5

Harikrishna–Wojtaszek, IMSA Basque 2016 · Caruana–Vachier-Lagrave, Tata Steel 2015 · 5:44 · ECO B90

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In this video

Game 1: Pentala Harikrishna (2753) vs Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2727)

IMSA Basque 2016, 3 March 2016 · White won (1-0) · 35 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...b5The first move after the opening line0:34
  2. 22.Bh6The evaluation moves from +0.58 to −0.371:39
  3. 25...Rac8The evaluation moves from −1.87 to +0.331:56
  4. 27.Bxa6The queens come off2:04
  5. 30...Bxb4The evaluation moves from +0.95 to +3.79, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:22
  6. 35.Be2White wins after 35 moves2:44

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Fabiano Caruana (2820) vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2757)

Tata Steel 2015, 25 January 2015 · Black won (0-1) · 35 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...h5The first move after the opening line3:17
  2. 22.Qe3The evaluation moves from −0.94 to −2.254:22
  3. 25...Rxf4The queens come off4:40
  4. 27.Kf2Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here4:48
  5. 29.c5The evaluation moves from −2.73 to −4.014:58
  6. 34.Rfe1The evaluation moves from −4.61 to mate in 3 for Black5:22
  7. 35...Bf6Black wins after 35 moves5:30

Evaluation

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

About these games

White's 6.h3 prepares g4 to drive the f6 knight away from its watch over d5. Black answers 6...e5, gaining central space at the cost of a permanent hole on d5 and a backward d6-pawn, and after 7.Nde2 the knight can head for g3 and then f5 or h5. Black usually chooses between queenside play with ...b5 and stopping g4 with ...h5.

Harikrishna–Wojtaszek: after 7...b5 White played 8.Ng3 and 9.Nh5, exchanging the f6 knight to take control of d5, and 12.Nd5 Bxd5 13.exd5 left a pawn on d5. White then gave up the c-pawn to 13...Qxc2 and later the a-pawn to 15...Qxa4, and used the open lines for 18.Rc7 and 20.Rb7. Black was better, but 18...Nf6 dropped the score from −1.32 to −0.09, and 25...Rac8 swung it from −1.87 to +0.33. The queens came off with 26.Qxa6 Qxa6 27.Bxa6. Then 30...Bxb4 took the score from +0.95 to +3.79, and White won after 35.Be2.

Caruana–Vachier-Lagrave: 7...h5 stopped g4, so White played 8.g3 and 9.Bg2. Instead of Game 1's queenside play, Black struck in the centre with 13...d5, followed by 18...f5 and 21...e4. White's 22.Qe3 moved the score from −0.94 to −2.25. After the queen trade 25.Qxf4 Rxf4, Black stayed more than two pawns ahead from 27.Kf2. Black returned the exchange with 30...Rxe4+, and the bishop pair hunted the white king: 34.Rfe1 allowed mate in 3, and Black won after 35...Bf6.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Harikrishna vs Wojtaszek, IMSA Basque 2016
  3. 2:53Game 2: Caruana vs Vachier-Lagrave, Tata Steel 2015

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e5 7. Nde2

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