Learn To Play the Sicilian Dragon!

    The Sicilian Dragon is a fierce weapon in the hands of the Black player. If you are not afraid of a fight, love tactics, enjoy decimating your opponents, enjoy taking risks and love to attack, than the Dragon is the opening for you!

     I present five games from the book "How to Think Ahead in Chess" by I. A. Horowitz & Fred Reinfeld, Simon & Schuster 1951, to show you how to play the the Sicilian Dragon

The Basic Dragon Structure [B70]
 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 Black develops with the threat of 5...Nxe4 5.Nc3 d6 Prepares the development of the queen's bishop 6.Be2 g6! Allows the king's bishop, (the Dragon's Flame) to develop to g7 7.0-0 Bg7

This is the basic structure of the Sicilian Dragon *

The Pawns:

• h7-pawn remains on h7
• g7-pawn plays to g6 early in the opening to permit the fianchetto of the "Dragon's Flame" bishop at g6, the characteristic move of the whole variation
• f7-pawn remains on f7
• e7-pawn generally remains at e7, but on occasion it advances to e5
• d7-pawn plays to d6 early in the opening
• c7-pawn disappears very early in the opening through the exchange of c5xd4
• b7-pawn generally remains at b7
• a7-pawn has varied possibilities. Sometimes it remains on a7; in other games it advances to a6; and sometimes a5 is played

The Pieces:

• The king's knight plays to f6
• The queen's knight plays to c6
• The king's bishop (the "Dragon's Flame) is fianchettoed to g6
• The queen's bishop has a more varied role than his colleague. His most favorable spot is doubtless at e6 where latter it may move to c4. The development to d7 is also feasible
• The king's rook comes to f8 via castling
• The queen's rook as a rule plays to c8
• The queen is mostly employed on the queen side. c7, b6, a5 and sometimes c8

Game 1

Giusti,A - Nutrizio,M [B70]
Corr. , 1949
 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 g6 7.0-0 Bg7

8.Nb3 [ 8.-- Black threatens 8...Nxe4 9.Nxe4 ( 9.Nxc6 Nxc3) 9...Nxd4] 8...0-0 9.f4 b5!?

10.Bxb5 [ ‹10.Nxb5? Nxe4; >=10.Bf3 b4 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5 Na5=] 10...Nxe4! 11.Bxc6

[ =11.Nxe4 Qb6+] 11...Qb6+ 12.Kh1 Qxc6=/+

13.Nd5 Threatening 14.Nxe6+ 13...Re8 14.c3 Bb7

Threatens 15...Qxd5 16.Qxd5 Bxd5 winning the knight 15.Ne3 a5! preventing 16.Na5 16.Nd4 Qd7 17.f5 e5 18.Ne2 [ 18.fxe6 fxe6 and Black has two central pawns to White's none] 18...Bh6?!

A wasted move 19.Ng4 Bg7 20.fxg6 hxg6 Rule of thumb: Capture back in opposite direction 21.Nh6+? White falls for a diabolical trap 21...Bxh6 22.Bxh6

22...Qh3!! 23.gxh3 [ 23.Be3 Ng3+ 24.Kg1 Qxg2#] 23...Nf2+ 24.Kg1 Nxh3# 0-1

Game 2

Meszaros,G - Wessel,I [B74]
Budapest, 1933
 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 g6 7.0-0 Bg7 8.Be3 0-0

9.Nb3 a6 10.a4?!

[ 10.Bf3?! Ne5; >=10.f4 b5 11.Bf3 Bb7+/= 12.e5!? dxe5 13.Nc5!+/-] 10...Be6

11.Nd4?! White looses a tempo [ 11.a5? Bxb3 12.cxb3 Nxa5; 11.Nd5? Nxe4; 11.f4 Na5 12.Nxa5 Qxa5] 11...Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Qa5

13.f4 Rac8 14.Bf3 Rc4!

15.Re1 [ 15.Be2 Rxd4 16.Qxd4 Ng4! 17.Qd3 ( 17.e5 dxe5 18.Qe4 ( 18.fxe5 Bxe5 19.Qe4 Bxh2+ 20.Kh1 Qh5 21.Bxg4 Bxg4) 18...Qb6+ 19.Kh1 Qxb2) 17...Qc5+ 18.Kh1 Nf2+ 19.Rxf2 ( 19.Kg1 Nh3+ 20.Kh1 Qg1+ 21.Rxg1 Nf2#) 19...Qxf2] 15...Ng4!

The 'Dragon's Flame' is activated! 16.Ne2? [ 16.Bxg7? Qc5+ 17.Kf1 ( 17.Kh1 Nf2+ 18.Kg1 Nh3+ 19.Kh1 Qg1+ 20.Rxg1 Nf2#; 17.Bd4 Rxd4) 17...Qf2#; >=16.Bxg4 Bxd4+ 17.Kh1 Bxg4 18.Qxg4 Bxc3 19.bxc3 Qxc3] 16...Rxd4!! 17.Nxd4

17...Qxe1+!! 18.Qxe1 Bxd4+

19.Kh1 [ 19.Kf1 Bc4+ 20.Be2 Nxh2#] 19...Nf2+ [ 19...Nf2+ 20.Kg1 Nd3+ 21.Kf1 Nxe1 22.Rxe1 Black is a piece down] 0-1

Game 3

Skold,K - Lundin,E [B74]
Stockholm, 1947
 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 g6 7.0-0 Bg7

8.Nb3 0-0 9.Be3 Be6 10.f4

10...Qc8!

preventing 11.f5 or 11.g4 [ ‹10...Na5 11.f5 Bc4 12.Nxa5 Bxe2 13.Qxe2 Qxa5 14.g4!] 11.h3 Rd8!

A wing thrust can be parried by a center thrust! 12.Bf3 [ 12.g4?! d5 13.exd5 ( 13.e5 Ne4! 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qe1 g5!) 13...Nxd5] 12...Bc4!

13.Rf2 e5!

14.Rd2 [ 14.f5 d5!] 14...exf4 15.Bxf4 Ne5!

16.Kh1 [ 16.Nd5? Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 Nxd5 18.exd5 Bxb2; 16.Be2 Bxe2 17.Rxe2 Nc4 18.Bc1 ( 18.Rb1 Nxb2! 19.Rxb2 Qxc3) ; 16.Bxe5 dxe5 17.Rxd8+ Qxd8 18.Qxd8+ Rxd8 19.Na5 Ba6 20.Rd1 Rxd1+ 21.Nxd1 Bf8=/+; 16.Rxd6? Rxd6 17.Qxd6 Nxf3+ 18.gxf3 Qxh3] 16...Ne8 17.Nd4 Qc5 18.Be3 Qa5 19.Nb3 Qc7

20.Rf2 [ 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Nxf3 22.gxf3 Bxb2] 20...b6 21.Bd4 Rac8 22.Be2 d5!

23.exd5 Bxd5 24.Nxd5 Rxd5

25.Qf1? Nd6!

Threatening 26...Ne4 or 26...Nf5 26.Ba6 [ 26.Bf3 Rxd4! 27.Nxd4 Nxf3 28.Nxf3 Ne4!!; 26.Bxe5 Bxe5 27.Bf3 ( 27.c3 Ne4!) 27...Nf5! 28.Qc1 Rdd8 29.c3 Bg3 30.Rc2 Bf4 31.Qe1 Ng3+ 32.Kg1 Re8 33.Qd1 Be3+ 34.Kh2 Nf1+ 35.Kh1 Qh2#] 26...Ne4! 27.Kg1 Nxf2 28.Bxc8

[ 28.Bxe5 Nxh3+ 29.gxh3 Rxe5 30.Bxc8 Qxc8] 28...Ne4 29.Ba6

[ 29.Bg4 Nxg4; 29.Bxe5 Bxe5 30.Bg4 Bh2+ 31.Kh1 Ng3+] 29...Rxd4! 30.Nxd4 Ng4!

31.Qd3

[ 31.hxg4 Bxd4+ 32.Kh1 Ng3+; 31.Nf3 Bd4+!! 32.Nxd4 ( 32.Kh1 Ng3#) 32...Qh2#] 31...Qh2+ 32.Kf1 Qh1+ 33.Ke2 Qxg2+!

[ 33...Qxg2+ 34.Ke1 Qf2+ 35.Kd1 Ne3+ 36.Kc1 Qe1+ 37.Qd1 Qxd1#; 33...Qxg2+ 34.Kd1 Qg1+ ( 34...Nef2+) 35.Qf1 ( 35.Ke2 Qf2+ 36.Kd1 Ne3+ 37.Kc1 Qe1+ 38.Qd1 Qxd1#) 35...Ne3+] 0-1

Game 4

Clareus,B - Lynn,A [B70]
Corr., 1945
 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Bg5 Bg7

7.Qd2 Nc6 8.0-0-0 0-0 9.Nb3

9...Be6?!

[ >=9...Re8! 10.Bh6 Bh8!] 10.Kb1?! [ >=10.Bh6!] 10...Rc8?!

[ 10...Re8] 11.f3 Re8!

12.g4 [ 12.Bh6 Bh8] 12...Ne5! 13.Be2

13...Nfd7! 14.Bh6

14...Bh8! 15.h4 Nb6 16.h5 Nec4 17.Bxc4 Nxc4 18.Qh2

18...g5!!

19.Bxg5 [ 19.Rd3 Be5! 20.Qg1 f6] 19...Nxb2!

20.Kxb2 Rxc3! 21.Kb1 Qc7! 22.Bc1 a5!

23.Qd2 [ 23.Bb2 Rc8 24.Bxc3 Qxc3 25.Nd4 Rc4] 23...a4 24.Nd4

24...Bxa2+!! 25.Kxa2 Qc4+ 26.Ka1

[ 26.Kb1 a3 27.-- a2+; 26.Kb2 a3+] 26...Rxc2 27.Qg5+ Kf8 28.Bb2 Rxb2! 29.Kxb2 Rc8!

30.Qe3 [ 30.Qd2 Qb3+ 31.Ka1 Rc2!] 30...Qb4+

[ 30...Qb4+ 31.Ka2 Rc2+! 32.Nxc2 Qb2#; 30...Qb4+ 31.Ka1 Rc2 32.Rb1 Bxd4+ 33.Qxd4 Qa3#] 0-1

Game 5

van Scheltinga,T - Landau,S [B73]
Match, 1939
 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Be3

8...0-0 9.f4

9...Bd7

[ 9...Qb6?! 10.e5! ( 10.Qd3 Ng4! 11.Nd5 Bxd4!! 12.Nxb6 Bxe3+ 13.Kh1 Bxb6) 10...dxe5 11.fxe5 Nxe5 12.Nf5! Qxb2 13.Nxe7+ Kh8 14.Bd4 Ng8 15.Nb5 Qb4 16.Nd5+/=] 10.Kh1 Rc8 11.Bf3? [ 11.Nb3 Na5 12.Nxa5 Qxa5 13.Bf3<=>] 11...Na5!

12.Bg1 [ 12.b3? Rxc3] 12...Nc4 13.b3 Na3

14.Nb1 [ 14.Nce2? e5; 14.Nde2 Qa5 15.Qd3 Ng4] 14...Nxb1 15.Rxb1 e5!

16.Ne2 Bc6 17.fxe5 [ 17.Bxa7? b6! 18.-- Qc7; 17.Qd3 d5!] 17...dxe5 18.Qxd8 Rfxd8 19.Ng3

19...h5! 20.Rfe1 [ 20.Bxa7 Ra8 21.Bb6 Rd7=/+] 20...Rd2 21.Bxa7 Rxc2 22.a4 Bf8!

23.Bd1 [ 23.Bg1?!; 23.Be3 h4 24.Bg5? Nh7! 25.Bxh4 g5!] 23...Ra2 24.Rc1 h4! 25.Nf1

25...h3! [ 25...Nxe4? 26.Rxe4] 26.Ng3 [ 26.gxh3 Bxe4+; 26.g3 Bxe4+; 26.Bf3 hxg2+ 27.Bxg2 Rd8] 26...Rxg2! 27.Rc4 [ Black threatens 27.-- Nxe4! 28.Nxe4 Bxe4 29.Rxc8 Re2+ 30.Kg1 Rxe1+ 31.Kf2 Rxd1; and 27.-- Nxe4! 28.Rxe4 Bxe4 29.Rxc8 Rxg3+ 30.Bf3 Bxf3#] 27...Rd8!

unpinning the bishop 28.Be3 Rd3!

29.Bc2 [ 29.Bg1 Bh6; 29.Bg5 Rxd1 30.Rxd1 Ng4 31.Rd2 Nf2+ 32.Rxf2 Rxf2] 29...Rxe3! 30.Rxe3 Ng4

31.Rf3 Bh6

32.Nf1 Nf2+ 33.Rxf2 Rxf2

Black threatens (a)34...Rxf1# (b)34...f5 or (c)34...Bd7 followed by ...Bg4and ...Bf3+ 34.Kg1 [ 34.Ng3 f5 35.Kg1 Rg2+ 36.Kh1 f4] 34...Rg2+ 35.Kh1 Rxc2!

[ 35...Rxc2 36.Rxc2 Bxe4+ 37.Kg1 Bxc2] 0-1