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Sicilian Defence: Taimanov, 6.g3 (Fianchetto)

Carlsen–Rapport, Tata Steel Masters 2019 · Tari–Caruana, Norway Chess 2020 · 7:48 · ECO B47

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In this video

Game 1: Magnus Carlsen (2835) vs Richard Rapport (2731)

Tata Steel Masters 2019, 20 January 2019 · White won (1-0) · 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. 6...a6The first move after the opening line0:30
  2. 34...g6White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:42
  3. 37...Rd6The evaluation moves from +3.79 to +6.102:56
  4. 40.Rxh7+White wins after 40 moves3:09

Evaluation

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

Game 2: Aryan Tari (2633) vs Fabiano Caruana (2828)

Norway Chess 2020, 5 October 2020 · Black won (0-1) · 55 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...a6The first move after the opening line3:39
  2. 18.Rxd6The queens come off4:28
  3. 36.Be2The evaluation moves from −0.17 to −1.525:58
  4. 42.Ba6Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:28
  5. 55...Re5Black wins after 55 moves7:35

Evaluation

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

About these games

After 5...Qc7, 6.g3 prepares to put the bishop on g2, where it supports e4 and aims down the long diagonal at Black's queenside, before White castles short. Black usually answers with ...a6 and ...Nf6, then either builds a ...d6 structure or exchanges on d4 and develops the bishop to c5 to reach a simpler position.

Carlsen–Rapport followed the main line 8...d6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Na4. With 11.c4 and 12.b3, then 13.Bb2, White fixed Black's queenside pawns and put the dark-squared bishop on the long diagonal. After shuffling the queen between c3 and d2, Carlsen broke with 20.f4 and 25.e5. The exchange 25...Bxg2 26.Qxg2 left White on +2.09. The decisive turn came at 34...g6, which took the score from +1.63 to +3.43. After 37...Rd6 it rose from +3.79 to +6.10, and 38.fxg6, 39.Bxf6+ and 40.Rxh7+ broke open the king. White won.

Tari–Caruana took the simplifying route 8...Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bc5 with ...e5. After 13...Bxe3 14.fxe3, White had doubled e-pawns, and the queens came off with 18.Rxd6. The score stayed near equal until 31.Bf1 (−0.11). Then the ...f5 and ...e4 advances gave Black a mobile e-pawn and active king, and the score reached −1.52 at 36.Be2. From 42.Ba6 Black stayed more than two pawns ahead, and 47.Rb3 moved it from −2.78 to −3.95. Unlike Game 1's kingside attack, this was an endgame grind, and after 55...Re5 Black won.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Carlsen vs Rapport, Tata Steel Masters 2019
  3. 3:18Game 2: Tari vs Caruana, Norway Chess 2020

The opening line

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. g3

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