1/17/2025 – It's still the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac, but on the 29th of January, it will turn into the Year of the Snake. But for Chris Ward, every year is the Year of the Dragon, and new games continue to show up month by month. In this episode, Chris examines the variation without f3 for White. What are the plans? How should they be countered? The English GM knows it all. | 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.
Full analysis by Chris Ward
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1.e4
1,179,682
54%
2421
---
1.d4
956,075
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
285,144
56%
2441
---
1.c4
184,108
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,839
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,560
54%
2428
---
1.f4
5,938
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,888
50%
2384
---
1.b4
1,779
48%
2379
---
1.a3
1,246
54%
2406
---
1.e3
1,079
49%
2409
---
1.d3
965
50%
2378
---
1.g4
670
46%
2361
---
1.h4
465
54%
2381
---
1.c3
438
51%
2425
---
1.h3
289
56%
2420
---
1.a4
117
59%
2462
---
1.f3
100
47%
2427
---
1.Nh3
92
67%
2511
---
1.Na3
47
62%
2476
---
Please, wait...
1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3g66.Be3Nc6The move order
that retains the Hungarian Dragon as an option and could possibly be why White
chose a Classical set-up.Note comparing our main game to a delayed castles
system in the Yugoslav Attack e.g.6...Bg77.f3Nc68.Qd2Bd79.0-0-0Rc810.g4, the white g-pawn won't have such an impact.7.Be2Bg77...h5
doesn't sit right with me here because of8.0-0and a swift razzing of the
f-pawn.8.Qd2A sign that if Black now castles kingside, then White's king
will go the other way in the still vaguely fashionable line that I refer to as
the 'long castles Classical'.Bd7Non commital in so far as keeping the
king in the middle but given after8...0-09.0-0-0Ng4i.e.9...Nxd410.Bxd4Be6the other popular response.10.Bxg4Bxg411.f3the fact that this bishop won't want to move again any time
soon is arguably commital too!9.h4h5Black stops White's h-pawn in its
tracks whilst eliminating a future Bh6 for White.10.f3Regaining control
of the g4-square with now a clear Yugoslav Attack feel about the position.Rc8Either way Black is insistent on delaying castling.11.Nd5An assessment
of '?!' might be a little harsh but I like Black's follow up. In hindsight
though11.0-0-0feels right but Black can still be content. Basically we
would have a Yugoslav Attack delayed castles variation where White deploying
h2-h4 before g2-g4 (and thus Black able to comfortably respond with ...h5)
means that he won't be troubling Black with his g-pawn.11...Nxd512.exd5Nxd413.Bxd4Rxc2!?To be fair13...Bxd414.Qxd4(hitting the rook on
h8)0-015.c3Qa5tenders equal chances but the text is a nice
little imbalancer.14.Qxc2Bxd4Leaving Black with a pawn for the exchange
but with the bishop pair including of course the dominant Dragon bishop.15.0-0-0Necessary now with short castles not even a legal option and ...Qa5+
about to be awkward.Qb6Guarding the attacked bishop and eyeing up the
b2-pawn. Next up would be ...0-0 facilitating ...Rc8 and a handy initiative.16.Qb3White then decides to bale out with a queen swap but the best
defence was actually16.Bb5!Qxb5Note both16...Be3+?!17.Kb1Qxb518.Qc3!Bf5+19.Ka1and16...Bxb5?17.Qc8+Qd818.Qxd8+Kxd819.Rxd4are both comfortably in
White's favour.17.Rxd4when0-0leaves an imbalanced position with
equal chances. Black only has the one pawn for the exchange but major pieces
remain and both the c-file and f5-b1 diagonal are issues for White to deal
with.16...Qxb317.axb3Bf6Remaining on the
traditional Dragon bishop diagonal whilst scrutinising White's h-pawn. However
for me17...Bc5!? made a little more sense.
Black should want to preserve her remaining rook and sealing off the c-file
prevents a swap from taking place there and of course deny White's rooks the
activity they crave,18.Bd30-0Natural but arguably not best given the
c-file challenge ahead.Instead18...Rg8!?brought the break ...g5 to
the table and given this over-protects the g6-pawn, the less likely concept of
advancing the e-pawn with the option of an f-pawn recapture should White trade.
19.Kb1g520.hxg5Rxg519.Kb1Rc819...Rb820.Rc1Kf821.Rc7Ke8looks odd given Black had only
just castled but at least all is under control and Black could claim to have a
miniscule edge.20.b4Presumably Black's idea was to meet20.Rc1withRc5 although21.Rxc5dxc522.Rc1b623.b4is certainly not
worse for White. I reiterate Black needs the rooks on for real winning chances.
Of course we mustn't forget that White was the significantly higher rated
player though and probably wasn't content with the concept of a draw.20...Kf821.Rc1Rb8 Preserving the rooks with the
c5-square no longer available.22.Ka2Ke823.Be2 Presumably
angling for g2-g4.Bf524.b3Now though24.g4?would have walked intohxg425.fxg4Be424...b5
Handing Black's rook some options.25.Rc7Kd8Slightly
surprising but not bad. I guess expected would have been25...a6guarding
the pawn when actually after26.Rc6Black would haveBc8!
e.g.27.g3Bb7!as if28.Rb6?
thenBd426.Rc6?!Regards26.Rxa7no doubt White didn't
want a black rook getting to use the a-file althoughRc827.Bxb5Rc2+28.Ka3 would certainly have
been fun!26...Bd727.Rcc1Presumably then White didn't fancy27.Ra6Rc8but now the a-file comes into play.27...Rb6!Probably explaining
Black's earlier reluctance to play ...a6, suddenly Black threatens to give
mate via ...Ra6+.28.g4Originally an idea to try and create a passed
h-pawn but now necessary to deprive Black's light squared bishop of the
f5-square.Ra6+29.Kb1Ra1+30.Kc2Ra2+31.Kd3 The initiative
is with Black but it shouldn't be terminal.Or31.Kd1?Bb2!32.Rb1Bc3 with big problems!31...hxg432.fxg4Rb233.Bd1?33.Rb1!was really necessary. I don't know if White didn't want to
allowRxb133...Ra2 preserving the rooks keeps
things in the balance.34.Rxb1Bxh4but White should be happy with that
and indeed35.Ra1Bf2?!36.Rf133...Rg2!
Simply threatening to take White's g-pawn before or after checking on g3.34.g5? Things were bad for White but this
accelerates the outcome.Bb2!And given the light-squared bishop check on
f5, the white rook is in trouble.35.Bf3Bf5+36.Ke3Bxc1+37.Rxc1Rb2
White is currently a pawn down with others as targets.38.Bd1Rh239.Ra1Rh1!Totally professional!40.Kd4 And with
this White resigns before ...Bc2 or ...Bg4 hit the board to exploit the pin.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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