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Sicilian Defence: Najdorf, Fianchetto Variation

Alekseev–Perez, Biel GM 2008 · Carlsen–Grischuk, Norway Chess 2015 · 7:24 · ECO B91

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In this video

Game 1: Evgeny Alekseev (2708) vs Leinier Dominguez Perez (2708)

Biel GM 2008, 29 July 2008 · Black won (0-1) · 45 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...Be7The first move after the opening line0:34
  2. 26.b5Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:59
  3. 30.Kf1The evaluation moves from −3.37 to −5.872:19
  4. 33...Kg8The evaluation moves from −4.43 to −2.712:36
  5. 42.Nd7The evaluation moves from −6.39 to −8.823:19
  6. 45...Rg4+Black wins after 45 moves3:36

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Magnus Carlsen (2876) vs Alexander Grischuk (2781)

Norway Chess 2015, 21 June 2015 · White won (1-0) · 45 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...Be7The first move after the opening line4:10
  2. 40...exf4The evaluation moves from +0.29 to +4.30, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:48
  3. 41...Bxe8The queens come off6:52
  4. 44...Bd7The evaluation moves from +3.68 to +6.477:08
  5. 45.Bg6White wins after 45 moves7:10

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 6.g3 White prepares Bg2, so the bishop bears down on d5 and the long diagonal instead of entering a sharp tactical fight. Black answers 6...e5, gaining space and driving the knight back with 7.Nde2. The resulting structure has Black's pawns on d6 and e5 against White's e4, and both sides aim at the d5 square.

Alekseev–Dominguez Perez went 7...Be7 8.Bg2 b5, and White expanded with 9.h3 and 10.g4. Black replied 10...b4, 12...a5 and 13...h5. After 14.gxh5 Rxh5 the rook used the h-file against the castled king, and 20...Bxh3 traded off the g2 bishop. From 26.b5 Black stayed more than two pawns ahead. After 30.Kf1 the score went from −3.37 to −5.87, and 30...Ng3+ forced 31.Rxg3. White's b-pawn queened with 40.b8=Q, but Black recaptured with 40...Rxb8. A queen-and-rook attack, including 43...Qg4+ (−6.25 to −9.42), ended with 45...Rg4+, and Black won.

Carlsen–Grischuk took a positional route: 9.Nd5 and 11.a4. After the exchanges on d5, White had a pawn on d5 and pressure on the queenside. The score stayed near 0.00 for a long time, through 27.Bxc5, and White's d-pawn reached d6 with 28.d6. White then broke with 40.f4, and after 40...exf4 the score jumped from +0.29 to +4.30. The queens came off with 41.Qxe8+, and 42.Bxf7 won a pawn. In the bishop ending White's passed d-pawn decided the game, 44...Bd7 took the score to +6.47, and White won after 45.Bg6. Unlike Game 1, neither king came under attack.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Alekseev vs Dominguez Perez, Biel GM 2008
  3. 3:45Game 2: Carlsen vs Grischuk, Norway Chess 2015

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. g3 e5 7. Nde2

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