11/19/2022 – We have a new show on ChessBase with Grandmaster Chris Ward. The Sicilian Dragon aficionado is back on-screen, and presents us games, news, moves, tactics, ideas, and much more about his "go to" opening each month. In the first episode, Chris is presenting us one of his own, rare dragon games, which he played quite recently. The English Grandmaster had a couple of options to continue with his dragon, but chose the good ol' move 11. .. Qa5, which caused several mate threats a little later. | Photo: John Upham
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In this first part, the emphasis is on themes and ideas whereas Part 2 and 3 focus on theoretical knowledge!
With the new ChessBase series "The Monthly Dragon", the passionate Salsa dancer is showing us the newest tactics, plans, and development of this fascinating opening.
Lucky for us, the dragon is an opening, played by some of the best players in the world. This means, Chris probably won't run out of fuel for new content.
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1.e4
1,165,570
54%
2421
---
1.d4
946,474
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
281,312
56%
2441
---
1.c4
181,937
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,688
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,236
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,886
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,796
51%
2384
---
1.b4
1,753
48%
2380
---
1.a3
1,197
54%
2403
---
1.e3
1,068
48%
2408
---
1.d3
948
50%
2378
---
1.g4
662
46%
2361
---
1.h4
446
53%
2374
---
1.c3
426
51%
2425
---
1.h3
279
56%
2416
---
1.a4
108
60%
2468
---
1.f3
91
47%
2431
---
1.Nh3
89
66%
2508
---
1.Na3
42
62%
2482
---
Please, wait...
1.e4c52.Nf3g6Starting off then with the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon move
order that has the main advantage of side-stepping the 3 Bb5 Anti-Sicilian
lines.3.d4If White wants a Maroczy Bind then he needs to play3.c4
now whilst3.c3is of course a different approach entirely.3...cxd44.Nxd4Eschewing4.Qxd4and effectively making it clear that he is happy
with either a Dragon or Accelerated Dragon Open Sicilian.4...Nf6About
which on this particular evening (as to be fair I generally am!) I was more
interested in the former!5.Nc35.e5?drops that pawn toQa5+and so
instead White defends the pawn with his knight with the Maroczy Bind no longer
an an option.5...d6
Now though we're just in a good old Dragon!5...Bg7?!would ask for6.e5!whilst the
Semi-Accelerated Dragon of5...Nc6is best met by6.Nxc6!bxc67.e56.Be3Bg77.f3Yugoslav Attack
of course!Nc68.Qd20-09.Bc4With White plumping for the sharpest line.Bd710.h4And now deploying the 'Anti-Chinese' variation move order. Having
hosted this site for many years and recently having completed two DVDs for
chessbase on the opening, albeit my memory not being what it once was, it's
fair to say that I feel I have a choice of lines to pick from.Ne511.Bb3Qa5But guess what? Yes after so long away from it I suddenly felt a bit
nostalgic and so on the spur of the moment decided to return my old favourite
variation. Regular subscribers will know that since my 'Winning with the
Dragon' books so long ago I've detailed the problems that this system has
experienced but in recent times some of them have been patched up and I
evidently felt confident that I wouldn't be crushed inside 20 moves!12.0-0-0Rfc813.g4So here my opponent chose the h4 and g4 system that for a long
time did pose serious questions.b5Possible but I don't think Black gets
enough by sacrificing the exchange on c3 here. The main alternative then is13...Nc4whilst13...Rc4might be interesting if it weren't for14.g5!14.h5b4Those interested in this line from either colour would be
aware that14...Nc415.Bxc4bxc416.Bh6Bh817.Nf5!has caused a lot
of trouble and although I can't recall having played the text myself before in
a real game, I do now consider it to be best.Re818.Qg5Qb619.hxg6fxg620.Bg7Bxg721.Nxg7Reb821...Kxg722.Nd5Nxd522...Qf223.Nxf6exf624.Qh6+Kf725.Rxd623.Qh6+Kf724.Qxh7+Ke625.exd5+Ke526.Qg7+Kf427.Qh6+22.Nh5Nxh523.gxh5Be824.b3cxb325.axb3Qc526.Nd5Rb727.Nxe7+Rxe728.Qxe7Rc829.Rh2gxh530.Rg2+Bg631.Rxd6Qe3+32.Rgd2Rf833.Rd8Rxd834.Qxd8+Kg735.Qd4+Qxd436.Rxd4h437.Kd2h338.Ke3Kh639.Kf41-0 (39) Nunn,J (2610)-Ward,C (2480) England 199815.Nd5For most
surely the most natural reaction as White moves his attacked knight to trade
off a key black defender. The problem is that there is a forcing sequence that
follows, throwing a big spanner in White's attacking works.I think we can
rule out dropping a piece by moving the knight to a4 whilst retreating the
steed to b1 just looks silly. By a process of elimination then15.Nce2!?
is the only way for White to try for an advantage with a not unlikely
continuation ofNc4I must admit that15...Be6has piqued my interest
from an amusing standpoint given the draw possibility of16.Nxe6Nxf317.Qd3Ne518.Qd2Nf3etc.16.Bxc4Rxc417.Kb1Rac8You will find quite a bit
on that in the archives but possibly the future will hold even more!? Engines
suggest a small advantage for White but from a black perspective, at least
preserving his knight on f6 means mate any time soon is less likely!15...Nxd516.Bxd516.exd5Nc417.Bxc4Rxc4leaves both a2 and d5 as targets .16...Nc417.Bxc4Rxc418.Kb1White needed to guard his a2-pawn.Qe5!
A key move pressurising the d4-knight and in particular pinning it to the mate
on b2. From here the queen also offers a defensive option whilst scrutinising
the e4-pawn making f3-f4 more tricky.19.Qd3I was pondering which way I
was going to recapture had White taken on g6 immediately and you'll find more
on that in the archives. Either way is possible but anyway White's move here
is the top choice of the engines. The white queen attacks the c4-rook and in
guarding e4, facilitates f3-f4. The downside is that the white queen is now a
fair effective distance from the black king.Rac8The natural response now
bringing into play ... Rxc2. Two rooks for a queen and a pawn would suit Black
whilst a reminder that Nxc2 wouldn't be possible for White so long as the
black queen and bishop are aligned on the diagonal towards b2. I have to say
though that I did give19...d5some serious thought too with the intention
of meeting20.exd5withRac8i.e. rather than20...Qxd5?!21.Nf5!20.f4Qa520...Qf6?21.g5would of course drop serious material.21.hxg6hxg621...fxg6is possible but with the h7-pawn and the b3-g8 diagonal
a bit vulnerable, I decided that with the white queen still a fair journey
away from my king, I would adopt the preferred structure approach.22.Rdg1Of course the text defends the attacked g4-pawn but I appreciated
that it was really all about teeing up Nf5.Upon22.f5I would definitely have returned i.e.Qe5!tying up White's
minor pieces and renewing the threat of ...Rxc2. Then I expected23.g5
enablingRxc2to be met by24.f6!withRxb2+25.Kxb2exf6being nuts.
However Black has no need to go into all that with 23...a5 and 23...Ba4 both
quite good. The point is that White has no way to make any progress himself.22.g5e522...e5In my typical
inefficient manner I looked at this provocative move first, dismissed it to
ponder other approaches and then returned to it!In case you were wondering,
I for example invested time on22...Rc3?!23.bxc3Rxc324.Qd2Be6whenand24...Ra325.Nb3Rxa2when both26.Bd4and 26 e5 would have stopped the
party!25.Nxe6??but sadly25.Nb3Bxb326.cxb3Rxb3+27.axb3Qa1+28.Kc2would have just run me out of pieces!25...Qxa2+!26.Kxa2Ra3+27.Kb1Ra1#would have made good viewing if it had come off!23.Nf5Admittedly I was hoping for23.Nb3?!when a number of queen moves felt
good to me. Nevertheless that was never going to happen!Somehow23.fxe5Bxe524.Nb3Rxc225.Nxa5Rxb2+26.Ka1Rb3+came to me as an amusing
variation but I would have recaptured on e5 with my queen.23...Bxf523...gxf5?24.gxf5would be terrible.24.gxf5exf4Actually upon reflection
then it seems that quite a few best moves were played in this game.25.fxg6!And not25.Bxf4?Rxc225...Qe5!It would be an understatement
to say that25...fxe3?26.gxf7+wasn't appealing and indeed it
transpires that White has forced mate afterKxf727.Qf1+Instead then the
queen returns to her dominant perch offering both offensive and defensive
qualities.26.gxf7+Kxf7Given I thought the best White move after my
selection was to take on g7, there didn't seem any point in26...Kf827.Rxg7although in fact it transpires that both should be a draw!27.Bc1?
I didn't think I was losing after27.Rxg7+Kxg728.Bxf4!Qxe4and indeed
thought I might just be winning. However I hadn't noticed that28...Qxf429.Rg1+Kf830.Rf1Qxf1+31.Qxf1+Ke7should also be a draw.29.Be5+!
should end in a perpetual or drawn endgames e.g.29.Bh6+Kf729...Qxe530.Qh7+Kf831.Rg1Rg4or31...Qe632.Qh8+Ke733.Rg7+Qf734.Rxf7+Kxf735.Qh7+Ke636.Qxa7Rxc232.Qh6+Ke733.Rxg4Qe1+34.Qc1Qxc1+35.Kxc1a527...Rxc2Instead after White's first real mistake he finds himself in
trouble with ... Rxc1+ now threatened to help deliver mate on b2.28.Qb3+
Although my king remains a tad exposed, I couldn't see anything for White and
I was expecting28.Qd5+Qxd529.exd5Be5with a winning endgame for me.28...R2c428...Kf8is also good but the text seems most straightforward
facilitating ...Qxe4 with check.29.Rh4Qxe4+30.Ka1Be5!Guarding f4
and putting a stop to any Rxg7+ funny business.31.Rf1Ke7Unpinning my
rook and highlighting White's back rank issues as well as his problems on b2.32.Bd2Rc2My queen and bishop do a great job both defending and attacking.33.Bxf4Bxf4There still aren't any valid checks for White whilst he can't
recapture on f4 because of mate via ... Rc1+.Not33...Bxb2+34.Qxb2Rxb235.Bg5+Kd736.Rf7+Ke637.Rxe4+Kxf738.Kxb234.Rhh1Qxh1!And a
nice move to be able to finish with.0–1
Arne KaehlerArne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.
Whether it’s a weak pawn, a vulnerable king, or poor piece coordination, this course will teach you how to pinpoint the critical targets, prioritise your attack, and execute a clear, effective plan.
Videos by Nico Zwirs: Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3 b6 and Robert Ris: French Advance Variation with 6.Na3. Alexander Donchenko analyses his winning game against Fabiano Caruana from the Saint Louis Masters 2024. “Lucky bag" with another 43 analyses by Edouard,
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