The Monthly Dragon - The Modern Line 9.0-0-0 d5

by Arne Kaehler
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
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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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,165,57054%2421---
1.d4946,47455%2434---
1.Nf3281,31256%2441---
1.c4181,93756%2442---
1.g319,68856%2427---
1.b314,23654%2427---
1.f45,88648%2377---
1.Nc33,79651%2384---
1.b41,75348%2380---
1.a31,19754%2403---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d394850%2378---
1.g466246%2361---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c342651%2425---
1.h327956%2416---
1.a410860%2468---
1.f39147%2431---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
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 9...Bd7 10.Nxc6 Bxc6 10...bxc6! 11.Bh6 Rc8 12.h4 Qa5 13.g4?! 13.h5 Nxh5?! 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.g4 Nf6 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.Bd3! e5 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.g5 Nh5 20.Rxh5 gxh5 21.exd5 Rfd8 22.Bxh7+ Kh8 23.Bg6+ 13...Ba4 14.h5 b5? 14...Rxc3! 15.bxc3 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 Qxc3 15.hxg6 fxg6 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Qh6+ Kg8 18.g5 Nh5 19.Rd2? 19.Rxh5! gxh5 20.g6 hxg6 21.Bc4+ bxc4 22.Qxg6+ Kh8 23.Qh6+ Kg8 24.Rg1+ Kf7 25.Qg6# 19...Rxc3 20.bxc3 Qxc3 was massively in Black's favour although... 21.Rdh2 Qa1+ 22.Kd2 Rxf3?? 23.Bd3 Overlooking 23.Bc4+! 23...Qe5 24.Rxh5 Qf4+ 25.Ke1 Qc1+ 26.Ke2 Qe3+ was soon 0-1 in the theoretically UNimportant Roxolana (1881) -ThinRoseLeapFrog (1851) online blitz game. 10.Nxc6 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 still really the main line but the text is fashionable right now. 10...bxc6 11.Bh6 Bxh6 12.Qxh6 e5 Upon 12...Rb8 13.e5 Nd7 14.h4 14.Rd4 Re8 15.e6 fxe6 16.Bd3 Nf8 16...Nf6? 17.Bxg6 hxg6 18.Qxg6+ Kf8 19.Rh4 17.Rh4 Qd6 seemingly sees Black defending adequately with 18.Bxg6 hxg6 19.Qh8+ Kf7 not forcing mate as the f4-square is covered. 14...Nxe5 15.h5 Bf5 16.g4 a vital theme is f6! with 17.Qe3 The point being 17.gxf5 g5 trapping the white queen. 17...Bd7 18.hxg6 Qb6 19.Qxb6 19.Qh6? Qxb2+ 20.Kd2 Nxf3+ 21.Kd3 sees Ng5! defending perfectly. 19...axb6 20.gxh7+ Kh8 13.g4 13.h4 d4 14.h5 Qe7 or 14...Be6 is where the focus has previously been. 13...d4 14.Na4 The only other game I could find with 13 g4 continued 14.Ne2 Be6 15.Kb1 Qa5 16.b3 c5 with 17.Qg5 Nd7 18.h4 c4 19.Qd2 c3 20.Qc1 Rab8 21.h5 Nc5 22.hxg6 fxg6 23.Qh6 Rf7 24.Qg5 Nxb3 25.Qxe5 25.cxb3 Bxb3 26.axb3 Rxb3+ 27.Kc2 Rb2+ 28.Kd3 Qb5# 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.b3 Be6 16.Qg5 Regards 16.h4 we have Qa3+ 17.Kb1 Rfb8! (handily vacating the f8-square) 18.h5 or 18.Nb2 a5! 19.h5 a4 20.hxg6 axb3 21.gxh7+ Nxh7 22.Qxh7+ Kf8 Highlighting the above comment, the black king can run but the white king can't! 18...Qxa4 19.hxg6 fxg6 20.g5 with the beautiful Bxb3 21.axb3 or 21.gxf6 Qxa2+ 22.Kc1 Qxc2# 21...Rxb3+ 22.cxb3 After 22.Kc1 Qa1+ 23.Kd2 Qc3+ 24.Kc1 very clever is Rb1+! 25.Kxb1 Rb8+ 26.Kc1 Qa3+ 27.Kd2 Qe3# 22...Qxb3+ 23.Kc1 Qc3+ 24.Kb1 Rb8+ 25.Ka2 Qb2# 16...Qa3+! With the '!' being because of the move Black follows it up with. 17.Kb1 Nd7 18.Qc1 Of course Black dropped his knight back to d7 because it was attacked but as 18.h4 Nb6 demonstrates, 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 hence 19.Nb2 The fun then begins with a5 20.h5 and now f6! is just what the Dr ordered. This facilitates a ...g5 if required to thwart White's h-file aspirations and so 21.Qc1 Yes 21.Qh6 g5! 21...a4 or 21...g5 but Black is going to land first. 22.hxg6 axb3 and a devastating attack e. g. 23.Qh6 bxc2+ 24.Kxc2 Qc3+ 25.Kb1 Bxa2+ 26.Ka1 Bb3+ 18...Qe7! 18...Qxc1+? 19.Rxc1 would 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.h4 Nb6! Definitely best. Although 19...c5 planning ...c4 holds appeal, then the pinning 20.Qa3! would be mildly annoying. 20.Nxb6 20.Nb2 a5 21.a4 c5 wouldn't constitute an improvement but the opening of the a-file is a nice outcome for Black. 20...axb6 21.Rh2 21.h5 could see Black play as in the main game or with Qb4!? first. 21...Ra3 Very logical although again 21...Qb4!? is tempting, preventing 22.c4? (that allows the h2-rook to defend laterally) because of course of dxc3 i.e. 23.Rc2 Bxb3! 22.c4 Rfa8 Very logical although 22...b5!? 23.cxb5 cxb5 opening up the bishop looks nice too. 23.Rb2 23.h5 Qa7 24.Qb2 b5 25.cxb5 Bxb3 26.axb3 Ra1+ 27.Kc2 Qc5+ and Black will win the white queen. 23...b5 Nope, there's nothing wrong with 23...Qxh4!? (probably just a free pawn) but Black doesn't want to be side-tracked from the main event! 24.g5 Qb4 25.f4 Qa5 All of Black's pieces are attacking the white king with the focus right now on the a2-pawn. 26.Qd2 26.Rdd2 exf4 26...Qa6 Black is starting to take liberties. 26...Qxd2 27.Rdxd2 bxc4 28.Bxc4 Bxc4 29.bxc4 exf4 30.Rxd4 Rh3 would be a good rook and pawn ending but Black opts to go with the flow and keep the queens on. 27.h5 bxc4 28.hxg6 fxg6 29.f5! White is making a fight of it. Bf7 Staying away from 29...gxf5 30.g6 although Qa7 unpinning the c-pawn and offering lateral defence should still be fine. 30.Qh2 d3 31.Bxd3! cxd3 32.Rh1 h5 33.gxh6 White is a piece down but Qxe5 is a massive threat before or after h7+. Qa5 34.fxg6 Bxg6 35.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! Qa7 36.h7+ Kh8 37.Qg3 Now hitting the bishop as well as the e5-pawn. Qg7? Instead 37...Bxh7 38.Qxe5+ Qg7 should end up in a draw e.g. via 39.Rxh7+ Kxh7 40.Rh2+ Kg8 41.Qe6+ Qf7 42.Rh8+ Kxh8 43.Qxf7 Rxa2 38.Rg1?? 38.Rg2! d2 39.Qxg6 Qxg6 40.Rxg6 and 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.Ka1 39.Rxd2 Bxe4+ 39...Rd8 Simple chess looking for that promotion. 40.Rd1 Bxe4 And it's all gone horribly wrong for White who looked as though he had got out of jail and more! 41.Qc3 Bd5 42.Rbxd2 Rda8 43.Kb1 e4 44.Qe3 Rxb3+! But all the same a cute finish! Yes, 44...Rxb3+ 45.axb3 Ra1+ 46.Kc2 Ra2+ 47.Kc1 Qa1# and all's well that ends well! 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Peng,L2511Weishaeutel,M24170–12022B76Basel Christmas Open 20228.1

We have a bundle for you below, including Powerbook & Powerbase of the Sicilian Dragon, with over 5000 games.

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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