Subscribe

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

Morozevich–Grischuk, Tal Memorial 2006 · Topalov–Vachier-Lagrave, Riga FIDE Grand Prix 2019 · 7:34 · ECO B90

Open on YouTube ↗

In this video

Game 1: Alexander Morozevich (2747) vs Alexander Grischuk (2710)

Tal Memorial 2006, 10 November 2006 · 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.

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
  11. 11.
  12. 12.
  13. 13.
  14. 14.
  15. 15.
  16. 16.
  17. 17.
  18. 18.
  19. 19.
  20. 20.
  21. 21.
  22. 22.
  23. 23.
  24. 24.
  25. 25.
  26. 26.
  27. 27.
  28. 28.
  29. 29.
  30. 30.
  31. 31.
  32. 32.
  33. 33.
  34. 34.
  35. 35.

Key moments

  1. 7...b5The first move after the opening line0:34
  2. 26...Rxb5The evaluation moves from +1.26 to +4.19, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:02
  3. 31...Ne5The evaluation moves from +4.02 to +5.352:26
  4. 35.Qc3White 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: Veselin Topalov (2740) vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2775)

Riga FIDE Grand Prix 2019, 15 July 2019 · Black won (0-1) · 57 moves

Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
  11. 11.
  12. 12.
  13. 13.
  14. 14.
  15. 15.
  16. 16.
  17. 17.
  18. 18.
  19. 19.
  20. 20.
  21. 21.
  22. 22.
  23. 23.
  24. 24.
  25. 25.
  26. 26.
  27. 27.
  28. 28.
  29. 29.
  30. 30.
  31. 31.
  32. 32.
  33. 33.
  34. 34.
  35. 35.
  36. 36.
  37. 37.
  38. 38.
  39. 39.
  40. 40.
  41. 41.
  42. 42.
  43. 43.
  44. 44.
  45. 45.
  46. 46.
  47. 47.
  48. 48.
  49. 49.
  50. 50.
  51. 51.
  52. 52.
  53. 53.
  54. 54.
  55. 55.
  56. 56.
  57. 57.

Key moments

  1. 7...b5The first move after the opening line3:17
  2. 40.Rxd2The queens come off5:52
  3. 41.Rxd6The evaluation moves from −0.63 to −2.775:58
  4. 48.Ne4Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:32
  5. 55.c5The evaluation moves from −3.10 to −5.247:08
  6. 57...Nxe4Black wins after 57 moves7:20

Evaluation

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

About these games

White sets up the English Attack against a Najdorf player who has chosen ...e6, the Scheveningen pawn shape. White's plan is f3, Qd2, often g4 and long castling, followed by a kingside pawn storm. Black answers at once with ...b5 and ...b4 to hit the c3-knight and gain queenside space. Both games reach the position by the move order 6.f3 e6 7.Be3.

Morozevich–Grischuk continued 7...b5 8.Qd2 b4 9.Na4, and 10.c4 challenged the advanced b-pawn. After 10...bxc3 11.Nxc3, Black broke with 12...d5, and the exchanges on d5 left an open centre. 17.Nf5 won the bishop pair with 18.Nxd6, and the score stood at +1.00. The turning point was 26...Rxb5, an exchange sacrifice that moved the evaluation from +1.26 to +4.19 (+4.32 after 27.axb5). White traded rooks with 28.Rc8+, collected the a-pawn with 31.Rxa5 (+4.96 at 32.Qc2+), and White won after 35.Qc3.

Topalov–Vachier-Lagrave went 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.g4 b4. Black let White take a pawn with 12.Qxb4 (+0.36) and hit back in the centre with 13...e5. Both sides castled long, and the score was −0.37 after 17.O-O-O. 21...Nxe4 opened White's king, and 23...Bxh1 won the exchange (−0.53 at 22.fxe4). The queens came off with 40.Rxd2, and 41.Rxd6 moved the score from −0.63 to −2.77. Later 48.Ne4 (−0.95 to −2.48) and 55.c5 (−3.10 to −5.24) were further errors. Black won with 57...Nxe4. In Game 1, White pressed on the queenside; here Black's central counter-attack decided the game.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Morozevich vs Grischuk, Tal Memorial 2006
  3. 2:53Game 2: Topalov vs Vachier-Lagrave, Riga FIDE Grand Prix 2019

The opening line

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

See every video from this position →