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Teimour Radjabov vs Arkadij Naiditsch
European Championship (2005), Zegrze POL, rd 8, Jun-26
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense. Polerio Defense Suhle Defense (C59)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-07-05  notyetagm: Gee, a Two Knights Defense game from the recent European Championship.
Jul-07-05  Koster: I haven't seen Ng5 in top chess since Fischer played it onc or twice with 9.Nh3. Nice game by Radjabov, but it can't be right for black to just give away the d5 square.
Jul-07-05  supertimchan: 17..Re8 at least better than 17..c5. The d5 is weak after c5.
Oct-14-05  csmath: 20. ... Ne6?

is a decisive error, 20. ... Nxf3, 21. Qxf3 ... Nc6 and black is doing just fine.

24. ... Qb5??

patzer-like blunder.

Is this Naiditsch kid for real. This is an awful game for somebody who won Dortmund 2005.

Dec-02-05  ahmadov: Is 10.Ne5 something new for Two Nights Defence? Opening explorer plays only until move 9.
Dec-02-05  sneaky pete: <ahmadov> Click on the link <find similar games> in the box below the game. This is one of the main lines in the 4.Ng5-complex. 18.Bf3 .. may be a novelty.
Dec-02-05  ahmadov: <sneaky pete:> Thanks a lot for your advice. I find this very useful.
Feb-21-06  Whitehat1963: Ouch! Black is backing up for like the last seven or eight moves to no avail until the final cavalry charge!
Jun-05-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: Here's a nice game with 4.Ng5, and White even wins this one.

Radjabov's approach is somewhat new, Tal tried it once I think, it would be interesting to know at what point White deviated from known, established theory.

Jun-05-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: <Mr Goldsby> I once read in a post that you use the Giuocco Piano often.. however what was your choice against the Two Knights.. 4Ng5 ? 4d4 ?
Jun-05-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: <Open Def>

I actaully no longer play 4.Bc4 in tournaments, since about 1995 I have been re-working my entire opening repertoire.

When I played the Giuoco Piano, I almost always played 4.Ng5.

Jul-29-06  madlydeeply: Radjabov loads up the Reshevsky double octopus formation on move 21 and whattya know game over in 5 moves.
Oct-12-10  sevenseaman: Radjabov calls all the shots here. ..26. QxN 27. Ne7+ followed by 28. Qh6#
Dec-21-13  InspiredByMorphy: Seems to me without too much deep analysis that black just began to play over defensively starting with 18. ...Ng5 . The next four moves are also defensive. Black has given up a pawn for the position at move 18 and throws it away. I get not blindly exchanging everything and entering the endgame with a pawn down, but surely there was something better than what was played for black.
Apr-14-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessmaletaja: OK, I shall comment on it.

The position after <15 ♘c3>:


click for larger view

Naiditsch's move <15...♗f5?> is popular, but it was a mistake. The game was played in 2005.

The correct continuation is

<15...♘xc3 16 ♗xc3 c5=>

K Arakhamia-Grant vs Smyslov, 1996

Black cannot waste time with the attack of the pawn minority c6-c5-c4.

Apr-14-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessmaletaja: That is, Black cannot delay the attack c6-c5-c4.
May-30-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: The line with 13 b3 has scored well for White; it is not clear what Black had in mind. 18 Bg4 had been played in Socko-Klovans Cappelle-la-Grande 2004 where White went on to win; 18 Bf3 was new. Black was in trouble after 18..Ng5; 18..Nxc3 would have been better. 20..Nxf3+ also would have been better. Again, 21..Bxe5 would have been preferable; the 3rd time he has mistakenly avoided a minor piece exchange.

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