Download PGN of January ’26 Dragon Sicilian games
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Hungarian Dragon 7.f3 h5 8.Qd2 Nxd4 9.Bxd4 Bh6 10.Qf2 0-0 11.Bc4 Qa5 12.0-0 Bd7 [B72]
The Hungarian Dragon has definitely been having good results with White struggling to find a system to challenge it. I feel that the game Lamaze, S - Can, E offers some hope as after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Nc6 7.f3 h5 8.Qd2 Nxd4 9.Bxd4 Bh6 10.Qf2 0-0 11.Bc4 Qa5 12.0-0 Bd7 I believe we understand why Black players tend to challenge White’s light-squared bishop with ...Be6 instead.
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I mean it’s not the end of the World but certainly 13.Rad1 b5 14.Bb3 b4 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Qc7 17.Rfe1 is easier for White to play given that e-file pressure with 17...Bb5?! 18.Qh4! Rae8 19.g4! a5 20.c3 bxc3 21.bxc3 Bf4 22.Re4 Be5 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.gxh5 having seen Black drop a pawn where he would be quite appreciative of a more substantial shield.
Accelerated Dragadorf 7.f3 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 9.Be3 Nbd7 10.a4 [B75]
Chronologically out of order (sorry about that but I thought it might be of pressing interest!) I bring you the World Championship Candidates clash Wei, Y - Nakamura, H. Via a rare move order of 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4 a6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 g6 7.f3 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 9.Be3 Nbd7 we essentially reach an Accelerated Dragadorf where White opts to get all positional on the queenside without delay:
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Yes White even deleted Qd2 in favour of the immediate 10.a4 I do believe that Black could have advanced his challenged b-pawn but 10...bxa4 11.Bxa4 Bg7 was pretty solid with White getting no advantage through 12.Nc6 Qc7 13.Na5 0-0 14.Bxd7 Nxd7 15.Bd4 Bh6 16.0-0 e6 17.Qe1 Rab8 18.Qh4 Bg7 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Qf2 Bc8 21.Nd1 Nf6 22.c4 Black correctly calculated that the break 22...d5 was correct and after 23.cxd5 exd5 24.e5 Ng8 25.Nc3 Ne7 26.Rfc1 Qd8 27.Rd1 Be6 28.Nc4 Nf5 29.Nd6 Nxd6 30.exd6 Qxd6 31.Qd4+ Kg8 32.Nxd5 Bxd5 33.Qxd5 Qb6+ 34.Qd4 Qxd4+ 35.Rxd4 Rxb2 36.Rxa6 Rc8 actually it was the endgame that this encounter has become more famous for.
Dragadorf 7.f3 h5 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 a6 10.h3 b5 11.Kb1 Bb7 12.Be2 h4 [B75]
Regards 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 h5 and the highly instructive game Manvelyan, M - Andreikin, D regulars will know that since the end of lockdown times, I've preferred not to include blitz games of which I have to say there are so many! However, I do make exceptions when I come across ones that feature elite players or are especially instructive. For me, this is both, with the Russian Super GM deploying supreme moves, almost using judgement alone to win a very nice game. The Dragadorf system with the early ...h5 has become quite fashionable and this game is a good example of why. Prioritising the h-pawn advance inhibits White's own g2-g4 thrust. Following 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 a6 10.h3 b5 11.Kb1 Bb7 12.Be2 h4!? Black had again prevented g2-g4 after which White struggled to find a constructive plan.
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Play continued 13.Bg5 Rc8 14.a3 Ne5 15.Nb3 Qb6 16.Be3 Qc7 17.Rc1 Nfd7 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.exd5 Nc4 20.Bxc4 bxc4 21.Nd4 c3 22.Qxc3 Qxc3 23.bxc3 Rxc3 when through very simple play and the deployment of standard Dragadorf ideas, Black had reached a winning endgame.
Yugoslav Attack 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bh6 Bxh6 12.Qxh6 Qa5 [B76]
This system continues to be very popular and as the same was true this month, I thought I’d show just why Black needs to treat it with respect. I do think I’ve previously covered reasonable ways to meet it but now let’s see what can happen if there is a more casual approach!
In Alexakis, D - Stratigos, S after 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 rather than 12..e5 or 12...Rb8, Black chose not 12...Qb6 but 12...Qa5?:
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I would say that to the uninformed, this is an easy mistake as it does after all activate her majesty on an active post with the likes of ...Rb8 and ...Qb4 or ...Rxb2 ideas in mind. The notes go into more detail, but a key issue is that the white queen now has available the square e3 to retreat to, leaving d2 as a handy escape square for his king. Moreover time is of the essence and 13.e5 Ne8 14.h4 f6 15.h5 Bf5 16.hxg6 Bxg6 17.Bd3 Bxd3 18.Rxd3 Rf7 19.Rd4! already left White destined to use the g- and h-files to deliver mate.
Yugoslav Attack 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bh6 Qc7 [B76]
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 I certainly don’t think that as seen in Ruzhansky, - Manukyan, S the move 11...Qc7 is bad at all:
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Her majesty vacates the d8-square for a rook and prevents the advance e4-e5 that in dislodging Black’s king’s knight, is often key to a successful h-file assault. Of course it is pertinent to note that the d-pawn is being offered as a sacrifice that would ultimately see Black with handy half-open b- and c-files by way of compensation. I think that’s very reasonable but after 12.exd5 one would likely expect acceptance coming after Black’s pawn taking on d5. Instead though we saw 12...Nxd5 when following 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 White instead decided to ignore the offering and crack on with his h-file assault instead. Play then continued 14.h4!? Rd8 15.Bc4 when 15...Bf5?! wasn’t quite cutting it because of 16.Bxd5 cxd5 17.g4! when a retreat of the attacked bishop would have allowed White to successfully crash through the h-file whilst 17...d4 complications worked out in White’s favour.
Yugoslav Attack 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6 14.Bxf8 Qxf8 [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.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6 we’ve previously featured the main move 14 Ne4 well over 50 times but the materialistic 14.Bxf8?! only once! I have previously explained why Black gets excellent compensation for the exchange after 14...Qxf8 but with 15.Nxd5 cxd5 occurring in Kucuksari, K- Carlsson, L, seemingly there is at least one Swedish IM who doesn’t agree!
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Black’s centre pawns look great here and all his remaining pieces are set to launch a serious offensive. White has no chance for an attack of his own and right now has to deal with the threat of ...Bh6. Put simply engines prefer Black here and 16.Qa5 Rb8 17.c3 Qe7 18.Kb1 Qb7 19.Rd2 Bh6 20.Rf2 Be3 21.Ba6 Qc6 22.Re2 Bb6 23.Qb5 Qc7 24.Ka1 Ba5 25.Qd3 Qd6 26.Bc4 Qc6 27.Bb3 Rxb3! 28.axb3 Bf5 29.Qd1 Qa6! was all pretty visual stuff.
Back soon! Chris
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