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Sicilian Defence: Najdorf, Opocensky Variation — Part 2 of 2

Short–Kasparov, Novgorod 1994 · Abdusattorov–Ivic, FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 · 7:44 · ECO B92

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In this video

Game 1: Nigel Short (2655) vs Garry Kasparov (2810)

Novgorod 1994 · Black won (0-1) · 40 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. 9.Kh1The first move after the opening line0:38
  2. 33...b4The evaluation moves from −1.44 to −2.352:36
  3. 35.Rd5Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:44
  4. 37.Qc3The evaluation moves from −3.76 to −5.222:54
  5. 39.Rc8The evaluation moves from −5.40 to −7.583:04
  6. 40...Rxd5Black wins after 40 moves3:12

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2748) vs Velimir Ivic (2630)

FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, 4 September 2025 · White won (1-0) · 54 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. 9.Qd3The first move after the opening line3:49
  2. 35...Rxc1The evaluation moves from +0.22 to +2.93, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:58
  3. 40.Bxa4The queens come off6:20
  4. 49...Kg8The evaluation moves from +4.86 to +3.527:08
  5. 51...Rg4The evaluation moves from +5.64 to +9.207:18
  6. 54.Qf7White wins after 54 moves7:30

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Black accepts a backward pawn on d6 and a hole on d5 in return for a firm grip on d4 and quick development. White aims to control d5, often by putting a piece there or by exchanging Black's defenders of it. Black looks for queenside expansion with ...b5 and, when it can be prepared, the freeing ...d5 break.

Short–Kasparov, Novgorod 1994, went 9.Kh1 b5 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.Qxd5 Ra7, and the rook later came to b7 to support the queenside. Black's queen went to a8 and the dark-squared bishops came off with 21...Bg5. The position stayed close to level until 25...d5 opened the centre, and by 28...Qxb4 Black stood at −0.43. Black's b-pawn then ran forward. After 35.Rd5 Black stayed more than two pawns ahead, and after 36.Bb5 the score went from −2.36 to −3.55. After 39.Rc8 it went from −5.40 to −7.58. Black won after 40...Rxd5.

Abdusattorov–Ivic, FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, took a quieter route. After 9.Qd3 and 10.Bd2, the move 11.Nd5 drew 11...Bxd5 12.exd5, which fixed a bind on d5. White then played f4 and pushed the queenside pawns with a4-a5-a6. The game was level at 33...Nxc1 (0.00), but after 35...Rxc1 the score went from +0.22 to +2.93 and the a-pawn decided. The queens came off at 40.Bxa4, and 41.a8=Q gave White a new queen. White won after 54.Qf7. Here White's queenside pawns won the game, whereas in Game 1 Black's queenside pawns did.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Short vs Kasparov, Novgorod 1994
  3. 3:20Game 2: Abdusattorov vs Ivic, FIDE Grand Swiss 2025

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O O-O

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