Download PGN of July '11 Dragon Sicilian games
>> Previous Update >>
Yugoslav Attack 9 Bc4 Chinese Variation [B78]
However we kick off the proceedings with a 9 Bc4 encounter and specifically Hamiti - Sedlak is a Chinese Dragon where the new attempt to defeat this popular line 13 Nd5?! probably shouldn't be repeated:
             |
This was a very smooth game from Black's point of view and shows why this line is so appealing for Black.
Yugoslav Attack 9 0-0-0 [B76]
Now on to 9 0-0-0 and in Smith - Milenkovic the seemingly forgotten 9...Nxd4 10 Bxd4 Be6:
|
|
Well White here may have forgotten why it has gone out of fashion for Black or are we about to discover some new Black ideas in the critical h4-h5 variation. Either way here White employed 12 Nb5 instead and although this is a visual game, I don't feel that this is where Black's problem lies.
9 0-0-0 d5 10 exd5 [B76]
Well if it wasn't for www.chesspublishing then it is highly unlikely that you would have ever got to see the game McDonald - Harwood. This was an old fashioned 9 0-0-0 d5 main line but look out for the bit where the Grandmaster makes a giant oversight. In this English club game though, sadly, (from his point of view!) Black misses his chances against his much higher rated opponent and normality is restored.
I'm seriously starting to question now though whether all that 12...e5 13 Bc5 Be6 stuff should really be the main line any more as we rarely seem to see it. Far more common in recent times are 12...Nxc3 and 12...Bxd4, the latter being a case in point in Sjugirov - Timofeev. In this encounter Gawain revisits the favourite of correspondence players, 15...Be6!?:
|
|
9 0-0-0 Bd7 [B76]
The games of English GM Simon Williams are always entertaining and Vaibhav - Williams is no exception. Here we see Simon repeat the favourite 9...Bd7 variation of his good friend Richard Pert:
|
|
As you'll see this is reminiscent of a Chinese Dragon and features some neat tactics.
9 g4 Be6 [B76]
We finish on the 9 g4 Be6 10 Nxe6 fxe6 of Cornette - Delgado Ramos:
|
|
and in Gawain's annotation it is worth paying attention to the notes and in particular to his thoughts on the difference between 11...Ne5 and 11...Qc8.
Best wishes to you all, Chris and Gawain
>> Previous Update >>
To get in touch with me subscribers can email me at Chris Ward@ChessPublishing.com.