The Monthly Dragon - Revisiting the old main line in the Modern Variation!

by Arne Kaehler
4/27/2023 – Grandmaster Chris Ward found an interesting Sicilian Dragon game, in which the recent strategy of castling queenside early on is used. This variation is actually old, but due to recent popularity, it is considered a modern line. How to defeat the white pieces now? Chris shows us how, and gives us plenty of helpful tips!| Photo: John Upham
In this first part, the emphasis is on themes and ideas whereas Part 2 and 3 focus on theoretical knowledge!

The Monthly Dragon

with GM Chris Ward

The British Grandmaster Chris Ward is always delighted if he can play his favourite opening as Black: the Sicilian Dragon.

Ward's knowledge about this strong opening is covered in several of his books, his blog on chesspublishing, and his three, greatly popular FritzTrainers in our ChessBase shop.

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.

Full analysis by Chris Ward

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Qxd5 Qc7 14.Qxa8 Bf5 15.Qxf8+ Kxf8 12...e5 12...Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 13.Bc5 Be6 14.Ne4 14.Bxf8 Qxf8 with great compensation for the exchange. 14...Re8 15.h4 15.c4 Qc7 15...h5 By far the most common continuation is 15...h6 16.g4 Qc7 17.g5 and then 17.h5 g5 17...h5 when we have an interesting comparison with the main game a little further down the line. 16.g4 The obvious aggressive thrust which has scored well in practice but we soon see how this might not work as planned. Instead 16.Bc4 Nf4 17.Bxe6 Nxe6 18.Qxd8?! Instead 18.Qc3 is more challenging when it's unclear as to whether Black should put his queen on c7 or b8. In practice he has tended to choose the former with: Qc7 19.Bd6 Qb7 19...Qc8 20.Kb1 f5 20...Nf4 21.g3 Nd5 22.Qb3 a5 23.Rhe1 f5 24.Nc3?! a4! 25.Nxa4 Qe6 and good compensation for the pawn in Cerqueira Filho,R (2428)-Drake Diez De Rivera,P (2543) ICCF email 2006 21.Nc5 Nxc5 22.Bxc5 Kh7 with equal chances in Craciunescu,V (2511)-Ham,S (2527) ICCF email 2008 20.g4 Nf4 21.Kb1 Rad8 22.gxh5 Nxh5 22...Nd5!? looks like a big improvement. 23.a4 Nf6 24.Nxf6+ Bxf6 25.f4 and initiative White in Mayer,R (2462)-Farkas,Z (2579) ICCF email 2009 18...Rexd8 was an instructive endgame in Goganov,A (2571)-Paravyan,D (2625) Bryansk RUS 2021 which highlights how it's certainly not all about those black queenside isolanis. The white h-pawn can later be a target too. The obvious disadvantage of Black's last move is that it leaves White with access to the g5-square. Nevertheless the whole concept of 16.Ng5 Rb8 Pinning with 16...Bh6!? is very possible too. 17.Nxe6 Rxe6 18.Bc4 is too slow and Black is doing very well after the Or 18.c4 e4! 19.cxd5 Bxb2+ 20.Kc2 cxd5 21.Qxd5 Qa5 22.Qc4 Rc6 23.Rd5 Bd4‼ 24.Qxd4 Qxa2+ 25.Kc3 Rb3+ 26.Kc4 Qa4# 18...e4!? that re-introduces the Dragon bishop to the action on b2 i.e. before White had the chance to offer cover with Bb3.. Now for example 19.c3 e3! 20.Qc2 e2! 21.Bxe2 Qa5 22.Ba3 Nxc3 would be crushing. 16...Nf4 Especially with the queens potentially coming off, ... hxg4 is definitely a threat. 16...hxg4?! 17.h5 is really asking for trouble as with the escape square on f8 covered, a white queen decending on h7 would be delivering mate! 17.g5 With the queens potentially coming off, ... hxg4 was becoming a threat but 17.gxh5 Qxd2+ 18.Rxd2 Nxh5 would only be equal with both sides having their structural issues. There haven't been many games in which White has preserved the queens hoping to press on with an attack but both 17.Qe1 Qc7 18.gxh5 Nxh5 19.Qc3 Rad8 20.Bc4 Nf4 as in Tesic,Z (2147)-Skulason,B (2289) ICCF email 2005 and 17.Qc3 Bd5 18.gxh5 Nxh5 19.Ba6 Qc7 20.Bb4 Qd7 21.Qa3 Qf5 in Schneider,W (2473)-Taylor,W (2493) ICCF email 2004 saw chances for both sides but ended in draws. 17...Bd5 Sure, the black knight was well placed on d5 and typically frustrates White but the bishop looks good on d5 too and now the way is paved for a ...Ne6-d4 manoeuvre. 17...Qxd2+ 18.Rxd2 a5 is an alternative route for Black to take but I rather like Black's ambitious approach of keeping the queens on here. The key point to note is that although tempi in these type of middlegames in general doesn't necessarily mean too much, here Black is attempting to put that extra move to good use. Yes, did you notice that rather than play ...h6 in order to meet g4-g5 with ...h6-h5, Black got that move in in one go! 18.Qe3 Hence White moves the queen off of the d-file and not in the way of his c-pawn so that c2-c4 could become a threat. Or 18.Qc3 Ne6 The immediate 18.c4 simply concedes d4 as an outpost with Bxe4 19.Qxd8 and 19.fxe4 Qc8! which White might really regret. 19...Rexd8 20.fxe4 Rxd1+ 21.Kxd1 Ne6 22.Be3 Rd8+ 23.Kc2 Nd4+ certainly fine. 18...Qa5 But now with the a5-square no longer under White's control, Black takes the opportunity to activate her queen, whilst of course unpinning the bishop. Also possible though was the immediate 18...Ne6 with 19.c4?! Qa5 20.cxd5 cxd5 21.Rxd5 Qxa2 looking rather dangerous. 19.a3 This pawn was of course attacked by the queen now as well as the bishop. Ne6 The plan kicks in with the black steed attacking the white bishop as well as eyeing up the d4-square. 20.Bb4 Qb6 21.Re1?! White could consider 21.Qc3 a5 21...c5 22.Rxd5 cxb4 23.axb4 22.Bd6 when the likes of Rad8 23.Bc4 Nd4 24.Bc5 Qc7 would tender equal chances but as is standard, he definitely doesn't want to trade queens on b6 and iron out out Black's pawns. 21...c5!? This works out quite well but a cute alternative is 21...f5!? somewhat taking advantage of the fact that if you want to utilise en passant, it has to be immediately! The point then is 22.gxf6 So yes 22.Nd6 Red8 or 22.Qxb6 axb6 when e.p. no longer on the table! 22...Qxe3+ 23.Rxe3 Bh6 22.Nxc5 22.Bxc5 Nxc5 23.Qxc5 Qxc5 24.Nxc5 Bxf3 25.Rh3 e4 would favour the Black bishop pair. 22...Nxc5 23.Bxc5?! 23.Qxc5 was definitely more prudent. Then Qxc5 or particularly 23...Bxf3!? 24.Qxb6 axb6 25.Rh2 24.Bxc5 Bxf3 25.Rg1 might be slight preference for Black but it's not disastrous. 23...Qb7! Ganging up on the f3-pawn whilst keeping her majesty on the b-file. 24.Rh2 24.Be2? e4 unleashing that attack against b2 would be devastating. 24...e4 25.Bd4 White could have offered lateral support to b2 via 25.c4 but Be6! would have left his position so open e.g. 26.Qxe4? or 26.fxe4 Bf5 27.Bd3 Qb3! 26...Qc7! (forking the bishop and rook) 27.Bg1 Bd7 with a tasty skewer. 25...Bxd4 In a similar manner to the game, 25...exf3! 26.Qxe8+ Rxe8 27.Rxe8+ Kh7 also looks good with the queen being preferable to the white rooks. 26.Qxd4 exf3 27.Rd1 27.Rxe8+ Rxe8 would leave White vulnerable on the back rank, especially well highlighted in the variation 28.Rd2 Re4! 29.Qxd5 29.Qd3 Re1+ 30.Rd1 f2 29...Re1+ 30.Rd1 Qxd5 27...Rad8 A bit of cat and mouse through 27...Be6!? 28.Qb4 Qc7 29.Qd6 Qa5 30.Qb4 Qe5 shows why Black is eager to keep the queens on now. 28.Rhd2 Be4 29.Qxd8? Probably White should opt for 29.Qf6 Rxd2 30.Rxd2 Bf5 instead but Black has the safer king with white naturally relectant to advance his queenside majority with heavy pieces still on. Meanwhile the passed f-pawn would remain a concern. 29...Rxd8 30.Rxd8+ Kg7 31.Bc4 White is looking for coordination but unfortunately he is neither going to get the time to align his rooks along the 8th rank to mate Black nor be able to gang up on f7. Qc7! Hitting the bishop which is of course pinned to the mate on c2. 32.b3 f2 Still okay but 32...Qh2! 33.R1d2 Qxh4 34.R8d7 Qxg5 35.Rxf7+ Kh6 36.Rfd7 Qe5 would have ensured there was no net and those black kingside pawns ready to roll! 33.R8d6? 33.R8d2 Qf4 34.Rf1 Qxh4 35.Rfxf2 Bf5 would still have been clearly in White's favour. Were it just two rooks against the queen, White might be okay (and even better if there weren't connected passed pawns to defend against), but the more pieces that are added, the more things favour the queen. Anyway that's irrelevant as instead he capitulates. 33...f1Q! A double dose overloading! 33...Bf5 34.Rf6 34.Rxf1 Or 34.Bxf1 Qxc2#! 34...Qxd6 35.Rxf7+ Kh8 36.Rf6 Alas (from White's perspective), there is no perpetual as the black queen covers the f8-square. Qxa3+ 37.Kd2 Qb4+ 38.c3 Qc5 39.Rf4 Qd6+ 40.Ke3 Bf5 41.Rd4 Qg3+ 42.Ke2 Bg4+ 43.Kd2 Qxh4 44.Rd8+ Kg7 The white rook is denied access to d7 and the check on g8 is just that! 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Lobanov,S2545Tan Zhongyi25300–12023B76Airthings Masters Play-In5

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In this first part, the emphasis is on themes and ideas whereas Part 2 and 3 focus on theoretical knowledge!

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Arne 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.
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