Download PGN of October '07 Dragon Sicilian games

Huschenbeth - Troyke: Black adopts the sharp 7...Ndb4 in the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon:

and with White accepting the challenge a crazy middlegame arises which it took me some time to get to grips with.

Zugic - Nakamura: This 9...Bd7 variation against the 9 g4 Yugoslav Attack (but interchangeable with 9 0-0-0) brought back plenty of memories for me:

It is great to see such an exciting player championing our favourite opening but it is always frustrating when such superstars are not challenged in the critical lines.

Lin - Mitesh: This is an interesting 9 0-0-0 Nxd4 10 Bxd4 Be6 line where Black finds a way to avoid the critical early h4-h5 variation:

For me it will work if White is timid but if he goes for it, I'm not so sure!

Oberweis - Kulhanek: Moving onto the 9 Bc4 Yugoslav Attack and back under the spotlight is the ...Rc8 with ...Nxd4 and ...b5 line:

White may have been trying to be clever but he ultimately pays the price for conceding his dark-squared bishop prematurely.

Talla - Dauletov: Continuing with last month's investigation of the fascinating and currently trendy 9...Nd7, this game tackles what is arguably the main line:

Gavrjuchenkova - Nozdrachev: I can't ever really see 9...Nxd4 10 Bxd4 Be6 regaining the popularity that it once had:

but this game certainly warns White players off treating it with contempt!

Bye for now!

(An overworked!) Chris

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