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Sicilian Defence: Taimanov, 6.Be2 a6 7.O-O Nf6

Kasparov–Polgar, Linares 1997 · Naiditsch–Vitiugov, World Teams 2013 · 6:38 · ECO B47

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In this video

Game 1: Garry Kasparov (2795) vs Judit Polgar (2645)

Linares 1997, 14 February 1997 · White won (1-0) · 41 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. 8.Be3The first move after the opening line0:35
  2. 25.Rxc3The queens come off1:54
  3. 30.f4The evaluation moves from +2.78 to +1.342:19
  4. 31...Bc3White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:26
  5. 35...Kh7The evaluation moves from +3.41 to +4.872:46
  6. 38...Be5The evaluation moves from +5.31 to +6.393:02
  7. 41.Bd3+White wins after 41 moves3:14

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Arkadij Naiditsch (2727) vs Nikita Vitiugov (2741)

World Teams 2013, 30 November 2013 · 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. 8.Kh1The first move after the opening line3:48
  2. 32.e6The evaluation moves from −1.51 to −3.27, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here5:42
  3. 34.Raf1The evaluation moves from −3.54 to −6.015:52
  4. 40.g4The evaluation moves from −6.06 to −7.776:22
  5. 40...hxg4Black wins after 40 moves6:25

Evaluation

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

About these games

Black keeps the queen on c7 and the pawn on a6 to watch e5 and b5, and then develops with 7...Nf6 to attack e4, leaving the d-pawn and the dark-squared bishop free to choose their squares later. White has castled quickly behind the bishop on e2 and must decide between a calm set-up with Be3, often followed by c4 to clamp the centre, and the sharper Kh1 and f4 to push on the kingside. The usual structure is a Scheveningen-type centre with Black pawns on e6 and d6.

Kasparov–Polgar went 8.Be3 Bb4 9.Na4, and after 11.c4 and 12.f3 White had a Maroczy-style bind. With 15.Nb6 and the b4–b5 advance White took over the queenside, and the score climbed to +1.78 by 22...Ra8. The queens came off with 25.Rxc3, and White's rook reached the seventh rank with 26.Rc7. 30.f4 let the score fall from +2.78 to +1.34, but after 31...Bc3 White stayed more than two pawns ahead. 34.f6 dropped it from +5.40 to +3.19, and 35...Kh7 pushed it back up from +3.41 to +4.87. White won after the check 41.Bd3+.

Naiditsch–Vitiugov reached the line by transposition and went 8.Kh1 Be7 9.f4. Instead of Game 1's slow squeeze, White exchanged with 10.Nxc6 and gained space with 12.e5, while Black answered with ...d5, ...c5 and 17...d4. The score stayed near equal until 32.e6, which turned −1.51 into −3.27, and Black stayed more than two pawns ahead from then on. 34.Raf1 took it from −3.54 to −6.01, and after 40.g4 (−6.06 to −7.77) Black won with 40...hxg4.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Kasparov vs Polgar, Linares 1997
  3. 3:23Game 2: Naiditsch vs Vitiugov, World Teams 2013

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6

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