1/24/2023 – The first Monthly Dragon in 2023 is ready, and our Dragon aficionado GM Chris Ward found some interesting games in the Yugoslav attack for us. This month we take a look at 9. 0-0-0 d5 where White ignores the central pawn tension and instead immediately swaps knights on c6 and then seeks to trade off the Dragon bishop via Bh6.
This ultra-direct approach with a swift h-file assault in mind has been around for decades but has recently come back into fashion. Needless to say it’s far from one-way traffic though as Black certainly has his own attacking aspirations in another no-holds-barred encounter of thrills and spills! | Photo: John Upham
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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.
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
1,185,960
54%
2421
---
1.d4
960,101
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
286,728
56%
2440
---
1.c4
184,987
56%
2443
---
1.g3
19,897
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,604
54%
2428
---
1.f4
5,958
48%
2376
---
1.Nc3
3,917
50%
2383
---
1.b4
1,791
48%
2379
---
1.a3
1,250
54%
2406
---
1.e3
1,081
49%
2409
---
1.d3
969
50%
2378
---
1.g4
670
46%
2361
---
1.h4
466
54%
2382
---
1.c3
439
51%
2425
---
1.h3
289
56%
2420
---
1.a4
118
60%
2461
---
1.f3
100
47%
2427
---
1.Nh3
93
66%
2506
---
1.Na3
47
62%
2476
---
Please, wait...
1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3g66.Be3Bg77.f30-08.Qd2Nc69.0-0-0d59...Bd710.Nxc6Bxc610...bxc6!11.Bh6Rc812.h4Qa513.g4?!13.h5Nxh5?!14.Bxg7Kxg715.g4Nf616.Qh6+Kg817.Bd3!e518.Nd5Bxd519.g5Nh520.Rxh5gxh521.exd5Rfd822.Bxh7+Kh823.Bg6+13...Ba414.h5b5?14...Rxc3!15.bxc3Bxh616.Qxh6Qxc315.hxg6fxg616.Bxg7Kxg717.Qh6+Kg818.g5Nh519.Rd2?19.Rxh5!gxh520.g6hxg621.Bc4+bxc422.Qxg6+Kh823.Qh6+Kg824.Rg1+Kf725.Qg6#19...Rxc320.bxc3Qxc3 was massively in
Black's favour although...21.Rdh2Qa1+22.Kd2Rxf3??23.Bd3Overlooking
23.Bc4+!23...Qe524.Rxh5Qf4+25.Ke1Qc1+26.Ke2Qe3+was soon 0-1 in the theoretically UNimportant Roxolana (1881)
-ThinRoseLeapFrog (1851) online blitz game.10.Nxc610.exd5Nxd511.Nxc6bxc612.Bd4 still really the main line but the text
is fashionable right now.10...bxc611.Bh6Bxh612.Qxh6e5Upon12...Rb813.e5Nd714.h414.Rd4Re815.e6fxe616.Bd3Nf816...Nf6?17.Bxg6hxg618.Qxg6+Kf819.Rh417.Rh4Qd6seemingly sees Black defending adequately with18.Bxg6hxg619.Qh8+Kf7 not forcing mate as the f4-square is
covered.14...Nxe515.h5Bf516.g4a vital theme isf6!with17.Qe3The point being17.gxf5g5 trapping the
white queen.17...Bd718.hxg6Qb619.Qxb619.Qh6?Qxb2+20.Kd2Nxf3+21.Kd3seesNg5!defending perfectly.19...axb620.gxh7+Kh813.g413.h4d414.h5Qe7or 14...Be6 is
where the focus has previously been.13...d414.Na4The only other game
I could find with 13 g4 continued14.Ne2Be615.Kb1Qa516.b3c5 with17.Qg5Nd718.h4c419.Qd2c320.Qc1Rab821.h5Nc522.hxg6fxg623.Qh6Rf724.Qg5Nxb325.Qxe525.cxb3Bxb326.axb3Rxb3+27.Kc2Rb2+28.Kd3Qb5#is neat!25...Nd2+0-1 (25) Tasoko,T
(1753)-Guimaraes,L (1843) Sao Paulo 2015 not exactly being a great advert for
it. Indeed no doubt a very enjoyable game for Black!14...Qe7!A nice
move, unpinning the d4-pawn, guarding the c5-square and offering an influence
on the kingside. From here ... Rb8-b4 looks like a simple plan.15.b3Be616.Qg5Regards16.h4we haveQa3+17.Kb1Rfb8!(handily vacating the
f8-square)18.h5or18.Nb2a5!19.h5a420.hxg6axb321.gxh7+Nxh722.Qxh7+Kf8 Highlighting the above comment, the black king
can run but the white king can't!18...Qxa419.hxg6fxg620.g5with the
beautifulBxb321.axb3or21.gxf6Qxa2+22.Kc1Qxc2#21...Rxb3+22.cxb3After22.Kc1Qa1+23.Kd2Qc3+24.Kc1very clever isRb1+!25.Kxb1Rb8+26.Kc1Qa3+27.Kd2Qe3#22...Qxb3+23.Kc1Qc3+24.Kb1Rb8+25.Ka2Qb2#16...Qa3+!With the '!' being
because of the move Black follows it up with.17.Kb1Nd718.Qc1Of course Black dropped his knight back to d7 because it was attacked
but as18.h4Nb6demonstrates, it is also well placed to challenge that
defensive white knight. White can't afford to trade steeds on b6 and allow the
opening of the a-file and hence19.Nb2The fun then begins witha520.h5
and nowf6!is just what the Dr ordered. This facilitates a ...g5 if
required to thwart White's h-file aspirations and so21.Qc1Yes21.Qh6g5!21...a4or21...g5but Black is going to land first.22.hxg6axb3and a devastating attack e. g.23.Qh6bxc2+24.Kxc2Qc3+25.Kb1Bxa2+26.Ka1Bb3+18...Qe7!18...Qxc1+?19.Rxc1would throw away Black's
advantage and with the d6-square sensible too, it makes much more sense to
preserve the queen. With the c5-square under Black's control, ...Nb6 is
threatened.19.h4Nb6!Definitely best.
Although19...c5planning ...c4 holds appeal, then the pinning20.Qa3!
would be mildly annoying.20.Nxb620.Nb2a521.a4c5wouldn't
constitute an improvement but the opening of the a-file is a nice outcome for
Black.20...axb621.Rh221.h5could see
Black play as in the main game or withQb4!?first.21...Ra3Very
logical although again21...Qb4!?is tempting, preventing22.c4?
(that allows the h2-rook to defend laterally) because of course ofdxc3i.e.23.Rc2Bxb3!22.c4Rfa8Very logical although22...b5!?23.cxb5cxb5opening up the bishop looks nice too.23.Rb223.h5Qa724.Qb2b525.cxb5Bxb326.axb3Ra1+27.Kc2Qc5+ and Black will
win the white queen.23...b5Nope, there's nothing wrong with23...Qxh4!?(probably just a free pawn) but Black doesn't want to be side-tracked from
the main event!24.g5Qb425.f4Qa5All of Black's pieces are attacking
the white king with the focus right now on the a2-pawn.26.Qd226.Rdd2exf426...Qa6Black is starting to take liberties.26...Qxd227.Rdxd2bxc428.Bxc4Bxc429.bxc4exf430.Rxd4Rh3 would be a good rook
and pawn ending but Black opts to go with the flow and keep the queens on.27.h5bxc428.hxg6fxg629.f5!White is making a fight of it.Bf7
Staying away from29...gxf530.g6althoughQa7unpinning the c-pawn and
offering lateral defence should still be fine.30.Qh2d331.Bxd3!cxd332.Rh1h533.gxh6 White is a piece down
but Qxe5 is a massive threat before or after h7+.Qa534.fxg6Bxg635.Qh3
Now looking to invade on e6 which would help deliver mate. A little
while back it seemed like it was one-way traffic but that's not the case any
more!Qa736.h7+Kh837.Qg3Now hitting the bishop as well as the e5-pawn.Qg7?Instead37...Bxh738.Qxe5+Qg7should end up in a draw e.g. via39.Rxh7+Kxh740.Rh2+Kg841.Qe6+Qf742.Rh8+Kxh843.Qxf7Rxa238.Rg1??38.Rg2!d239.Qxg6Qxg640.Rxg6and in a
complete turnaround, it would be Black fighting for the draw.38...d2!
When it's very clear that White selected the wrong rook to
go to the g-file. The point is that Black is threatening to take on e4 with
check whilst White's g1-rook needs to remain on the back rank to deal with the
d2-pawn.39.Ka139.Rxd2Bxe4+39...Rd8Simple chess looking for that
promotion.40.Rd1Bxe4And it's all gone horribly wrong for White who
looked as though he had got out of jail and more!41.Qc3Bd542.Rbxd2Rda843.Kb1e444.Qe3Rxb3+!But all the same a cute finish!Yes,44...Rxb3+45.axb3Ra1+46.Kc2Ra2+47.Kc1Qa1#and all's well that ends well!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.
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