Download PGN of November '12 Dragon Sicilian games
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Accelerated Dragon Maroczy Bind [B36]
It was about time we checked out whether there was much going down in the Accelerated Dragon and something that caught my eye was the 10...a5 of Andreikin - Popov:
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Although this pretty much abandons a plan of challenging the bind with ...b5, this is a standard concept as it controls the b4-square thus facilitating a ...Nd7-c5 manoeuvre. However 10...Be6 is by far the most common move whilst the text leaves that bishop at home for now in favour of a swift ...a4 and ...Qa5 idea. That is achieved in the ultra-recent references in the notes, but here White arguably puts himself out to ensure that Black doesn't get that in. Okay let's not get too carried away, it was still only a draw, but all the same it looks like a very satisfactory idea for Black.
Fianchetto System [B70]
I wonder if the talented Danish GM Peter Heine Nielsen regrets wasting his time playing other defences to 1 e4, because since he has taken it up, he has definitely demonstrated a talent for handling the Dragon. Regulars on this site will know all about his Black side of the Yugoslav Attack victories but the game Fluvia Poyatos-Nielsen shows that he is equally adept at dismissing the quieter variations. In this 6 g3 encounter, White employed the relatively rare 10 b3 rather than the better known 10 a4 or 10 h3:
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I can't see it catching on though as Peter showed great technique to combine queenside expansion with timely action in the centre to basically brush his opponent aside. Factor in a bit of tactical play near the end and what more can you ask for to punish White for opting against the aggressive lines!
Yugoslav Attack 9 g4 Be6 10 Nxe6 [B76]
Ever since 9 g4 came back into the spotlight, we have seen quite a lot of the position below in which Black has a half-open f-file and control of the d5-square, but White has possibilities to target the e6-pawn or indeed attack around the flimsy black king shield:
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Maybe someone will one day play 13...Ne8, but up to now we have mainly focused on 13...Nfd7. In Yu Yangyi-Lu Shanglei Black employs the standout alternative 13...Nc4 and after 14 Bxc4 Qxc4, certainly tempting is 15 h5. That is covered in the notes and could easily feature as a main game in the future, but in this encounter White went route one via 15 Bh6 instead. This is an excellent game for studying themes of attack and defence but in the end it is Black who makes the most inaccuracies.
Yugoslav Attack 9 g4 Nxd4 10 Bxd4 Be6 [B76]
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The opening move order in Van Kampen-Afek looks a little bizarre and I'm not sure is to be trusted. However it soon transposes to a 9 g4 system and in particular to the position above in which White has pressed ahead with his kingside attack without committing his own king to the queenside. This position is a running debate on our site and is particularly relevant to those worrying about 9 g4 Be6 10 Nxe6. The question here is just how Black should continue. The whole ...a6 and ...b5 idea could be a little slow and in this game following 12...Rac8, Black soon discovers why he really needed a rook on the b-file. A relative miniature, this game is definitely worth viewing if only to note the tactics.
Yugoslav Attack 9 Bc4 Nxd4 10 Bxd4 Be6 [B77]
Sorry everyone but I feel obliged to apologise about my including the encounter Aroshidze - Nielsen, which quite frankly brings nothing new to the table. It merely reasserts the fact that Black has found a line in which if he endures a miniscule amount of suffering, then he can secure a draw. There is never any realistic hope of more than that and frankly that's not why I for one first adopted the Dragon.
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You guessed it; in the above position White eschewed the more interesting 14 h4 or even the 14 Rhe1 that has featured so much previously on this site. Instead he opted for 14 Bxf6 Bxf6 15 Nd5, which after 15...Qxd2 16 Nxf6+ Kg7 17 Nh5+ gxh5 led to an endgame that we have in fact already seen out to a draw. I think that it is fair to say that for a while now I have tended to focus more on the games of the higher rated players, but I am going to re-think this policy as I would prefer to mix reality with a bit more entertainment!
Yugoslav Attack 9 Bc4 Topalov System [B78]
At least we round off the month with a bit of fun and Gulbas - Zelbel is nice work if you can get it. Following 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5, rather than the topical 13 Nd5, we saw the 13.Bxa7 that leads to the following position:
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In the past it has been questioned just how much play Black gets for the pawn, and if this game is anything to go by, you would have to say 'quite a lot'! Black players take note and White players be warned!
That's it for now.
Back real soon, best wishes Chris
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To get in touch with me subscribers can email me at Chris Ward@ChessPublishing.com.