Download PGN of August ’23 Dragon Sicilian games
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Hungarian Dragon 6.Be3 Nc6 7.f3 h5 8.Bc4 [B72]
In the game Arpan, D - Avila Pavas, S again after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Nc6 7.f3 h5 we see White avoid the main idea of the Hungarian variation by delaying deploying his queen to d2 in favour of 8.Bc4. I don’t know whether Black was reading but having established in my annotation last month that a trade of knights on c6 followed by an e4-e5 isn’t actually a problem after 8...Bg7, he indeed prioritised that instead over 8...Bd7. Of course a transposition was always possible with 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Na5 following:
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Black’s set-up then has elements of the Soltis and Chinese variations with White here choosing to withdraw his attacked bishop via 11.Be2 keeping an eye over the b5-square.
I couldn’t say that White is worse here but his bishop obstructs central rook action whilst a kingside attack isn’t available until the black king is committed. Consequently Black was able to play relatively slowly and after 11...a6 12.Nb3 b5 13.Nxa5 Qxa5 14.Kb1 Be6 15.Nd5 Qxd2 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 17.Rxd2 0-0 18.f4 Rab8 19.Bd4 Kg7 20.Rf1 Rfc8 21.Bxf6+ Kxf6 had a very comfortable endgame.
Yugoslav Attack 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.exd5 cxd5 12.Bh6 [B76]
Following 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.exd5 cxd5 with White accepting the pawn sacrifice most likely right now, I still find 12.Bh6 difficult to believe:
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I mean we’ve all gotten used to the analogous position with a white pawn on e4 and a black pawn on c6 but that difference means here White doesn’t have available an e4-e5 advance to budge the f6-knight in a standard h-file assault plan. Nevertheless the game Ustiyanovich, N - Olsson, W shows this system isn’t to be under-estimated as 12...Bxh6 13.Qxh6 e5 14.h4 Bb7 15.h5 Qe7 16.hxg6 fxg6 17.Bd3 Rac8 18.Rde1 a6?! 19.Qg5 Rfe8 saw Black fall foul of 20.Bxg6! hxg6 21 Rh6.
Yugoslav Attack 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bh6 Bxh6 12.Qxh6 Rb8 [B76]
In Avila Pavas, S - Fedorovsky, M following 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bh6 Bxh6 12.Qxh6 Rb8 13.e5 Nd7 rather than the Rd4-h4 plan White opted for 14.h4 and after 14...Nxe5 15.h5 Bf5 16.g4 f6! deployed what I suppose is an easy mistake to make in the form of 17.Qf4?:
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This game is potentially a lesson not to just try to remember theory parrot fashion as although I’m not saying that was the case here, the truth is that this a very reasonable move in the case of 12...Qb6 (see the archives) but not here when actually played was 12...Rb8.
The reason for that is 17...Qd6! is available now, threatening ...Nd3+. Hence 18.Qa4 was deemed necessary with 18...Bd7 19.hxg6 hxg6 20.a3 Nxf3 already leaving White in big trouble.
Yugoslav 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qc7 15.Bc4 Rd8 16.Bb3 [B76]
There is nothing especially thrilling about the game Lagarde, M - Edouard, R but to be frank it is indicative of White’s toiling to strive for an edge against this system. So we are of course talking the alternative main line of 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qc7 15.Bc4 Rd8 16.Bb3 where 16...Bf5 17.g3 h5 18.Qc5 Rac8 19.Rhe1 e6 saw Black bolstering things in the centre confident that his bishop wouldn’t get trapped.
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After 20.Rd4 Nb6 21.Red1?! Rxd4 22.Rxd4 Black missed an opportunity to be better in 22...Nd7! whereas 22...Rd8 23.Rxd8+ Qxd8 24.Nc3! h4?! could have seen White on top with accurate play. Nevertheless it was just a normal game of chess with ultimately a fair result of sharing the points.
Yugoslav 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6 14.Ne4 Re8 15.h4 h6 16.h5 g5 17.g4 [B76]
The game Cardoso, J - Lopez Rayo, S occurred in the (sort of) old main line of 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6 14.Ne4 Re8 15.h4 h6 where White dictated the structural formation 16.h5 g5 17.g4:
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With the white steed sitting proud on e4, the Dragon bishop far from its usual self and the queenside isolanis ever present, it’s easy to see why engines prefer White. However whilst Black has a minor piece on d5, it’s never easy for White to make progress and in fact 17...Qc7 18.Bc4 Red8 19.Qf2 Nf4 20.Bxe6 Nxe6 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Rd1?! Rxd1+ 23.Kxd1 Qa5 24.a3 Qb5! showed how premature simplifications can allow Black some very reasonable activity.
Yugoslav Attack Soltis Variation 9 Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 h5 11.Qd2 Rc8 12.0-0-0 Ne5 13.g4 [B78]
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Bc4 Nc6 9.Bb3 Bd7 10.h4 h5 11.Qd2 Rc8 12.0-0-0 Ne5 in this Soltis variation the ultra-direct move 13.g4 doesn’t come with a good reputation. Nevertheless after 13...hxg4 14.h5 Nxh5 15.Bh6 I feel that Black does need to be a little careful. I do quite like 15...Kh7!? looking to force the issue with the bishops but having annotated this Tzidkiya, Y - Mordechai, H encounter I do have my doubts about 15...e6 16.Rdg1!:
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Black’s plan was clear but after 16...Qf6 17.Bxg7 Qxg7 18.fxg4 Nf6 19.g5 Nh5 20.Nce2 Nc4 21.Bxc4 Rxc4 22.b3 Rc5 23.Ng3 Nxg3 24.Rxg3 Rfc8 25.Kb1! though a pawn up, he did have difficulty dealing with both h- and d-file issues.
A fun potentially instructive game to check out but note my potential improvement of 20...a5!?
Best wishes, Chris
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