The Monthly Dragon - The Topalov Variation

by Arne Kaehler
12/17/2022 – The Dragon grandmaster is back with an interesting game for all you Sicilian lovers. Two U16 talents battled it out in the last European Youth Chess Championship 2022. But before this game is thoroughly presented by Chris Ward, first, we take a closer look at a recent game between Arjun Erigaisi and Fabiano Caruana. Nonetheless, in the second game, the Topalov Variation is on the board, and the British GM shows us some very interesting lines, plans, and ideas with this system. | 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.e41,185,00854%2421---
1.d4959,51055%2434---
1.Nf3286,50356%2441---
1.c4184,83456%2442---
1.g319,89256%2427---
1.b314,60054%2428---
1.f45,95448%2377---
1.Nc33,91150%2384---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25054%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
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.Bc4 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qc7 15.Nc5 Rd8 16.Bc4 Bf5 17.Bb3 Nb6 18.Qe3 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 Qxh2 20.g4 Nd5 21.Qd4 e5 22.Qd2 Qxd2+ 23.Rxd2 Be6 24.Re2 Kg7?! 24...Nf4 25.Rxe5 Bxb3 26.axb3 Rd8 27.g5 Rd5 25.g5! Bf5 26.Bxd5 cxd5 27.Rxe5 Rd8 28.b4 Kf8 29.Kd2 Rd6 30.f4 f6 31.Re3 Rb6 32.a3 d4 33.Re1 a5 34.c3 dxc3+ 35.Kxc3 axb4+ 36.axb4 fxg5 37.fxg5 Rb8 38.Ra1 Ke7 39.Ra7+ Kd6 40.Rxh7 Ra8 41.Kc4 Ra1 42.Kb5 Rb1 43.Rh2 Ke5 44.Rf2 Kd4 45.Ka5 Kc4 46.Rf4+ Kd5 47.Kb6 Rg1 48.b5 Rxg5 49.Rf2 Rg4 50.Rd2+ Rd4 51.Rf2 Rb4 52.Na6 Rb1 53.Nc7+ Ke4 54.Kc5 Ke3 55.Rg2 Be4 56.Rh2 g5 0-1 (56) Caruana,F (2766) -Erigaisi,A (2718) chess.com INT 2022 9...Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5 13.Nd5 13.h4 a5 14.a4? bxa4 15.Nxa4 Bxa4 16.Bxa4 Rc4 13.Bxa7 b4 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Qa5 16.Bd4 Rxc2+ 17.Qxc2 17.Bxc2 Qxa2 17...Rc8 13.e5 dxe5 14.Bxe5 Bc6 13...Nxd5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.exd5 a5 16.a3 Qb6 The main focus being on the immediate withdrawal of the king from exposure via 16...Kg8 For example 17.Rhe1 Rc5 18.Re3 b4 19.axb4 axb4 20.Qxb4 Qa8 In this game though Black adopts a different approach although activating the queen in this manner now, covering the d4-square and supporting a ...b4 advance isn't unusual. 17.g4 First and foremost this deprives Black's light-squared bishop access to f5 although played here with the rook still on h1, the inference is that White could still have an h-file assault on the black king in mind. I don't think 17.Qd4+ Qxd4 18.Rxd4 offers White anything. When a white pawn transfers to d5, there is always going to be pressure along the e-file but whilst Black will have to negotiate defending the e7-pawn, actually f5 feels like a reasonable response. Sure a hole is created on e6 but the bishop covers that whilst f6 is made available as an active safe-haven for the black king. Instead 17.Rhe1 Rfe8 Also intriguing though is 17...h5 intending 18.Rxe7 Bf5 A serious threat is ...a4 to help get at c2 whilst 19.c3 could be met by the immediate 19...b4 or the activating Rfe8 e.g. 20.Rde1 Rxe7 21.Rxe7 Qg1+ with clear counterplay. 18.g4 sees a black rook tied down to guarding e7 first but there is no h-file threat looming and so even Rb8 seems plausible, not yet committing to ...b4. 17...Rc7 Potentially looking to offer lateral support to the e7-pawn and of course the bishop but most pertinently preparing to gang up against c2. Given White opted not to force Black's king's rook to e8, Black could certainly take advantage of that through 17...f5 whilst 17...e5 18.dxe6 Bxe6 is also playable. Probably 19.Kb1 is then best with perhaps a little niggle. 19.Qxd6?? Qxd6 20.Rxd6 Bxb3 blunders a piece with 19.Bxe6 fxe6 20.Qxd6 Qxd6 21.Rxd6 Rxf3 22.Rxe6 Rf2 23.c3 b4 offering Black adequate action for the pawn. 18.h4 18.Kb1 Rfc8 (threatening ...a4) 19.Rc1 feels a tad passive with Rb8 then preparing ... a4 followed by ...b4. e.g. 20.Rhe1 a4 21.Ba2 b4 22.axb4 Qxb4 23.Qxb4 Rxb4 24.Rxe7 Rcb7 25.b3 Rf4 18...a4 There isn't time for 18...Rfc8 19.h5! a4 now because 20.hxg6 is a crushing h-file attack. 19.Ba2 The same can't of course be said about 19.h5? axb3 20.hxg6 Rxc2+ as White needs the queen! 19...Rfc8 20.Bb1 Black was definitely looking to trade the rooks for the white queen with for example 20.h5? Rxc2+ 21.Qxc2 Qe3+! 22.Kb1 Rxc2 23.Kxc2 Qxf3 massively in his favour. The text of course looks passive but the alternative 20.c3 b4! 21.axb4 Qxb4 would have left Black with a handy queenside initiative and after 22.h5 , crashing through with Rxc3+! 23.bxc3 Rxc3+ 20...h5!? Basically fighting for control of the f5-square so the bishop can park itself there to continue the assault on c2. 20...b4 21.Qxb4 21.axb4? a3? 22.bxa3 Qa6? 23.Qd4+ f6 24.Rd3 was suddenly good for White in the only other outing of this type Weichhold,P (2133)-Wesolowski, E (1866) Chotowa 2009 but 21... Rc4! would have been advantage Black. 21...Qe3+ 22.Qd2 Qxf3 would be double-edged. 21.Rde1 Upon 21.gxh5 then we would see Rxc2+! 22.Bxc2 Bf5 when both 23.Qd4+ and 23.hxg6 Rxc2+ 24.Qxc2 Bxc2 25.Kxc2 Kxg6 23...Qxd4 24.Rxd4 Rxc2+ 25.Kd1 Rxb2 are imbalanced endgames with about equal chances. 21...b4 Not a bad move but missing the beautiful 21...Rc4‼ which prepares the same move but without White having the option to trade queens. Highlighting its strength, here for example 22.Rxe7 b4 23.Rxd7 or 23.axb4 Rxb4 with ...Rxb2 if allowed, crashing through. 23...bxa3! 24.bxa3 Rb8 would see the black queen descend on b2 (or b1!) to devastating effect. 22.Qxb4 Qxb4 Definitely still not bad although 22...Qf2!? might have been a little more in the spirit of things. 23.axb4 hxg4 24.Rxe7?! This doesn't work out well but actually both 24.fxg4 Bxg4 and 24.h5 gxf3 leave Black for preference. 24...gxf3 Right now things are looking good for Black! 25.Rf1?! Kf8? Sadly missing 25...Bh3‼ when 26.Rxc7 Neat is that whilst 26.Ree1 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Re8 is obviously good, 26.. .Re8 is even stronger with the same concept. 26...Bxf1 27.Rxc8 f2 would leave White unable to stop Black's rampant f-pawn. 26.Re3 Bg4 Still Black is very much for preference but the outcome of this game is a travesty! 27.c3 a3 28.Ba2 Upon 28.bxa3 Rxc3+ 29.Rxc3 Rxc3+ 30.Kb2 Re3 31.a4 Bh3 32.Rf2 Re2+ 33.Rxe2 fxe2 the e-pawn will promote. 28...Re7 29.Rxe7 Kxe7 30.bxa3 Rxc3+ 31.Kb2 Re3 32.Bc4 32.a4 Bh3! would be as above. 32...Bh3 33.Rf2 f6 34.a4 Kd8?! Black starts to lose the plot a little. Instead 34...g5! 35.a5 Bc8! would see White's queenside pawns monitored whilst Black's g- and f-pawns could continue their march. 35.a5 Bf5 36.b5 Bd3 37.Bxd3 Rxd3 38.a6 Now we should be heading for a draw. Kc7 Or 38...Rxd5 39.Rxf3 Rxb5+ 40.Kc2 Ra5 41.Rxf6 Rxa6 42.Rxg6 Ke7 39.Rc2+ Kb6 40.Rc6+ Kxb5 41.a7 Rd2+ 42.Kb1 Rd1+ 43.Ka2 Rd2+ 44.Kb3 Rd3+ 45.Rc3 Rxc3+ 46.Kxc3 f2 47.a8Q f1Q 48.Qb7+ Ka5 49.Qb4+ Ka6 50.Qxd6+ Ka7 51.Qc7+ Ka6 52.Qc6+ Ka7 53.Kb4 Kb8 54.Qe8+ Kc7 55.Qe7+ Kc8 56.Qc5+ Kb7 57.Qc6+ Kb8 58.Qd6+ Kb7? Very sad with 58...Kc8 still drawing although it shouldn't have come to this. 59.Qd7+ Kb8 Or 59...Kb6 60.Qc6+ Ka7 61.Kc5! 60.Kc5! Qe1 61.Qd8+ Kb7 62.Qxf6 Qa5+ 63.Kd6 It's a lost queen and pawn ending. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Razafindratsima,T2453Gasanov,V21571–02022B7830th EY Open U16 20225.10

 

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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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