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Sicilian Defence: Najdorf, English Attack 6.Be3 e6 (Scheveningen hybrid) — Part 1 of 2

Anand–Kasparov, Linares 1999 · Caruana–Nakamura, ch-USA 2016 · 6:38 · ECO B90

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In this video

Game 1: Viswanathan Anand (2781) vs Garry Kasparov (2812)

Linares 1999, 5 March 1999 · Black won (0-1) · 50 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. 24.Bxd5+The evaluation moves from 0.00 to −2.071:49
  3. 29...Bxd5The queens come off2:16
  4. 36...Ne4The evaluation moves from −3.49 to −1.442:52
  5. 47.Na7The evaluation moves from −0.09 to −2.14, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here3:44
  6. 50...Bf5Black wins after 50 moves4:02

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Fabiano Caruana (2795) vs Hikaru Nakamura (2787)

ch-USA 2016, 17 April 2016 · White won (1-0) · 31 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 line4:34
  2. 24...Qb4The evaluation moves from +0.23 to +2.10, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:52
  3. 26...Bxa4The evaluation moves from +2.05 to +5.056:02
  4. 31.g3White wins after 31 moves6:25

Evaluation

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

About these games

White develops with Be3 and f3, planning Qd2, long castling and a g4–g5 pawn storm against the black king. Black adds ...e6 to the Najdorf's ...a6, giving the compact Scheveningen centre of pawns on d6 and e6, and looks for counterplay with ...b5 on the queenside or the central break ...d5. Both games reach the position with f3 played before Be3.

Anand–Kasparov, Linares 1999, follows the main race: 7...b5, 8.g4 h6 and 10.O-O-O. Kasparov drives the knight back with 11...b4 12.Nb1 and strikes in the centre with 12...d5. After the h-file opens, Black is better at 17.Bg2 (−0.86), but the position is level by 22.fxe6 (0.00). The tactics then turn: 24.Bxd5+ takes the score from 0.00 to −2.07, and by 27.Nc3 it is −3.19. The queens come off with 29...Bxd5, leaving Black with bishop and knight against a knight. 36...Ne4 lets the score drop from −3.49 to −1.44, and White later reaches −0.09 before 47.Na7 returns it to −2.14. Black won, stopping the c-pawn with 50...Bf5.

Caruana–Nakamura, ch-USA 2016, takes a different route: 7...h5 prevents g4, so Caruana plays 9.Bc4 and 11.O-O and breaks with 13.f4 and 18.f5. Nakamura castles long and answers with 18...e5. After 22.Nxf7 (+0.60), 24...Qb4 lifts the score from +0.23 to +2.10, and 26...Bxa4 takes it to +5.05, with +5.85 at 27.Ra3. White won after 31.g3.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Anand vs Kasparov, Linares 1999
  3. 4:10Game 2: Caruana vs Nakamura, ch-USA 2016

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3

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