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Sicilian Defence: Rossolimo, 3...g6, 5.Re1 e5

Gelfand–Van Wely, EuTCh Plovdiv 2003 · Martirosyan–Erigaisi, Aeroflot Open 2020 · 8:18 · ECO B31

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In this video

Game 1: Boris Gelfand (2703) vs Loek Van Wely (2654)

EuTCh Plovdiv 2003, 17 October 2003 · White won (1-0) · 56 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. 6.Bxc6The first move after the opening line0:29
  2. 48...gxh5The evaluation moves from +1.60 to +3.81, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here3:52
  3. 53.Qh3The evaluation moves from +4.64 to +6.064:14
  4. 56.Qf3White wins after 56 moves4:29

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Haik Martirosyan (2630) vs Arjun Erigaisi (2563)

Aeroflot Open 2020, 24 February 2020 · 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. 6.c3The first move after the opening line4:58
  2. 23.h3The evaluation moves from −0.10 to −1.826:12
  3. 24...Rxf7The queens come off6:20
  4. 31...Nc4The evaluation moves from −1.88 to −0.656:55
  5. 43...Ke7The evaluation moves from −0.77 to −4.49, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here7:55
  6. 45...Rexe4+Black wins after 45 moves8:05

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 5...e5 Black builds a broad pawn chain on c5 and e5 and lets the bishop on g7 bite into a fixed centre, accepting a hole on d5 and a backward d-pawn. White decides between giving up the b5-bishop with Bxc6 to leave Black with doubled c-pawns, or keeping it with c3 and d3 and playing for a later d4 or queenside expansion.

Gelfand–Van Wely followed the main line 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.d3 Qe7 8.Nbd2. White manoeuvred slowly with Nc4, Bc3 and a rook lift via a3 while the position stayed level, around +0.26 to +0.52. Black traded the light-squared bishop with 15...Bxc4, and the score hovered near zero until White opened the kingside with h4, g4 and f4. After 48...gxh5 the evaluation jumped from +1.60 to +3.81. After 50...Kh6, played once White had taken the c5-pawn, it reached +4.99. White won after 56.Qf3.

Martirosyan–Erigaisi went 6.c3 and 7.d3. Unlike Game 1, White kept the bishop and expanded on the queenside with a3, b4 and b5. Black answered with 17...f5 and 19...d5 to take over the centre. White's 23.h3 was the turning point: the score dropped from −0.10 to −1.82, and the queens came off with 24...Rxf7. Black's 31...Nc4 let the score slip from −1.88 to −0.65. Then 43...Ke7 sent it from −0.77 to −4.49, with the passed b-pawn decisive. Black won after 45...Rexe4+.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Gelfand vs Van Wely, EuTCh Plovdiv 2003
  3. 4:38Game 2: Martirosyan vs Erigaisi, Aeroflot Open 2020

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. Re1 e5

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