Download PGN of March ’19 Dragon Sicilian games
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Accelerated Dragon, Maroczy Bind 6.Nc3 d6 7.Nc2 Bg7 8.Be2 Nd7 9.Bd2 0-0 10.0-0 Nc5 [B37]
The game Steingrimsson, H - Mista, A was ultimately a very satisfying game from Black’s perspective although of course 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Nc2 Bg7 8.Be2 Nd7 9.Bd2 0-0 10.0-0 Nc5 11.f3 Nd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 Bg7 14.Rc1 a5 15.b3 Be6 16.Re1 Qb6 17.Bf1 Rfc8 18.Rc2 Qd8 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bh4 g5 21.Bf2 Qf8 22.Qd2 Bf6 23.g3 Qg7 despite some intriguing manoeuvres (in fairness not new to the site) should still be in White’s favour had he continued logically with 24 Nd5!. Instead he erred with 24.Bg2? allowing 24...a4! and after 25.b4? (alternatives are better but still leave Black on top) a very visual continuation 25...Nb3!!:
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The point is that after 26.axb3 axb3 27.Rcc1 Rxc4 28.Ne2 Rxc1 29.Qxc1 b2 with the white pieces in a tangle, the passed b-pawn proved decisive.
Accelerated Dragon, Maroczy Bind 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Be2 d6 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Nc2 [B38]
I don’t mean to be mean but I couldn’t really resist including a White loss for the super talented Wesley in this month’s update and So, W - Iturrizaga, E isn’t a game he will be happy with!
Okay, so kicking off with an Accelerated Dragon move order 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Be2 d6 9.0-0 Bd7 is a typical Marozy Bind where side-stepping ...Nxd4 ideas, White deployed 10.Nc2 to logically keep on more pieces in a position with a space advantage.
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The same player who featured with Black the last time was once again happy to ‘sort of’ lose a tempo with 10...Be6 but after 11.Rc1 Nd7 12.Qd2, rather than bring his queen out immediately, plumped for a not unfamiliar 12...a5 13.f3 a4 14.Na3 Qa5 plan.
I think after 15.f4!? Nc5 White would still hold an advantage with 16 Nab5!? but instead 16.Bf3 Nb4 17.Be2? allowed the neat tactic 17...Nxa2!! 18.Nxa2 Qxd2 19.Bxd2 Bd4+! 20.Kh1 Bxb2 when 21.Bb4 Bxc1 22.Nxc1 Nxe4 23.Bf3 Nf6 24.Nd3 Bg4 25.Bxg4 Nxg4 26.Kg1 Rfc8 27.Re1 Kf8 was an endgame that White was ultimately unable to hold.
Classical Dragon 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Ng4 10.Bxg4 Bxg4 11.f3 [B72]
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Ng4 10.Bxg4 Bxg4 11.f3 Be6 12.Nxe6 fxe6 the pros and cons of Black’s position are clear:
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Black has handy control of the d5-square and what could be a useful half-open f-file for his rook. However the e6-pawn could be a target whilst the h7 and g6 king cover looks a tad flimsy in the absence of an f7-pawn.
Following 13.Bh6 Qa5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 Black should be fine, but the game Nasuta, G - Saraci, N should serve as a warning. Indeed, after 15.h4 Kh8 16.Kb1 Rac8 17.f4 Rf7?! 18.g3 Qc5 19.e5! d5 20.Ne2 Na5 21.Nd4 Black was already in serious positional trouble.
Yugoslav 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Qe5 [B76]
Regards 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Qe5, when I first saw the game Edouard, R - Christiansen, JS, I was intrigued.
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Regular subscribers may recall that the talented Frenchman was an experienced Open Sicilian player with White and then seemingly off the back of Gawain's Dragon victory against him was prompted to take up the opening himself. So with years of experience under his belt, once more faced with the Dragon, he turns to this offbeat line that I first discussed on the site when it was played against me in an English weekend congress (a game that wouldn't make general databases).
Unfortunately, in 14...Be6 15.Na4 Qa5 16.b3 Qb4 17.c4 Nf6 18.Bd3 Rfd8 19.Bc2 Nd7 20.Qc3 Qa3+ 21.Qb2 Qb4 22.h4 Nb6 23.Qc3 Qa3+ 24.Qb2 Qb4 25.Qc3 it was nothing like the somewhat more exciting Ciuksyte-Ward and the only real conclusion we can reach is ‘structurally a bit better for White but with adequate play for Black’.
Sorry, not a thriller!
Yugoslav Attack 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qc7 15.Nc5 Rd8 16.Bc4 Bf5 17.Bb3 Nb6 [B76]
Well it’s Fabi, what can you say other than that Caruana, F - Le Tuan Minh was super theoretical and super crazy!
Okay, so after 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qc7 15.Nc5 Rd8 16.Bc4 Bf5 17.Bb3 Nb6 18.Qe3 Nd5 19.Qd4 Nb6 we’ve seen it all before but with the talented American now favouring 20.Qe3 over 20 Qc3.
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Okay, you might want to check out the moves, but as a summary, Caruana was probably a bit better til move 29. Then clearly worse or lost until move 46, nevertheless eschewing a draw by repetition before his opponent horribly blunders and loses.
Just your average rapidplay game!
Chinese Variation 10...Rb8 11.Bb3 Na5 12.Bh6 Bxh6 13.Qxh6 b5 14.Nd5 [B77]
We end this month’s update with an absolute corker that highlights the incredible calculation skills of the talented American Hikaru Nakamura.
Following 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rb8 11.Bb3 Na5 12.Bh6 Bxh6 13.Qxh6 b5 14.Nd5 Nxb3+ 15.Nxb3 e5 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17.h4 he basically goes on to outplay his strong opponent via 17...Rb6 18.h5 Qe7 19.hxg6 fxg6 20.Qe3 Be6 when White is at a loss for what to do. He tries to find some activity through 21.Rhf1?! Rc6 22.f4 but check out 22...Qc7! 23.Rd2 a5 24.Kb1 a4 25.Nc1 b4 26.Rdf2 exf4 27.Rxf4 Rc8! 28.Rf6 Rxc2!! 29.Rxe6 Qc4! 30.Ref6 a3!:
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Quite beautiful and forced into 31.bxa3 bxa3 32.Qxa3 Rxc1+ 33.Rxc1 Qxe4+ 34.Kb2 Qe5+ 35.Rc3 Rb8+ 36.Kc2 Qxf6 Black easily converts the endgame in Robson, R - Nakamura, Hi.
Bye for now! Chris
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To get in touch with me subscribers can email me at Chris Ward@ChessPublishing.com.