Download PGN of August ’24 Dragon Sicilian games
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Accelerated Dragon 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Bb3 Re8 9.h3 d6 10.0-0 Bd7 [B35]
We kick the month off with the instructive game Svidler, P - Glek, I which after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Bb3 sees us revisit the still popular 8...Re8.
There is quite a bit in the archives on this sort of ‘anti-transposition into a Yugoslav Attack’ system although previously following 9.h3 d6 10.0-0 we have seen (for me) the more dynamic 10...Na5!?. Instead here 10...Bd7 11.f4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc6 occurred which albeit obstructing c-file action, at least brings the bishop to an active diagonal.
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Arguably the big debate then is where Black should move his knight after 13.e5 with 13...Ne4 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.c3 dxe5 16.fxe5 e6 17.Qe2 Bc6 18.Rf4 Qa5 19.Raf1 leaving White with a pleasant kingside initiative that he exploited well.
Maroczy Bind 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 0-0 10.Qd2 a5 [B36]
From a black perspective the game Hardaway, B- Yoo, CW really appealed. In the Maroczy Bind of 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 0-0 10.Qd2 a5 11.0-0 a4 12.f3 Qa5 13.Rab1 Be6 14.Rfc1 Rfc8 15.b4 axb3 16.axb3, the move 16...Qb4 is pretty standard, slide down to this square, preventing White's b-pawn from moving again and clearing the a-file for the rook. Previously we’ve investigated a few ways for White to try to prove an advantage here and although there is nothing conclusive, certainly 17.Nd5 Qxd2 18.Bxd2 is rather unambitious:
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Indeed, surely a draw would be expected after 18...Nxd5 19 cxd5 Bd7 but instead the higher rated young Korean-American GM chose to mix things up through 18...Ra2 19.Nxe7+ Kf8 20.Nxc8 Rxd2 and a fascinating and imbalanced endgame arose from which Black was victorious.
Dragon 6.Be3 Nc6 7.f3 h5 8.Nb3 [B72]
The curious game Adireddy, A - Manik, M looked destined for a fashionable variation through 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Nc6 7.f3 h5 until 8.Nb3 appeared in what we might call an ‘Anti Hungarian System’ move order. However 8...Bg7 9.Qd2 occurred when maybe surprisingly 9...0-0 followed:
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No especially individually odd moves but we have basically transposed to a 9 Nb3 Yugoslav Attack with the unique response 9...h5. From here White logically responded with 10.h3 looking to get in g2-g4 and ultimately prize open the h-file with Black replying with 10...Be6 seeking the break ...d5. I suspect consequently that 11 0-0-0!? is critical as 11.Nd5?! Bxd5 12.exd5 Ne5 was fine for Black and 13.f4 Ne4 14.Qb4 Ng3 15.Rg1 a5 16.Qa4 Nxf1 17.Rxf1 Qd7 18.Qxd7 Nxd7 had led to a very nice endgame which ultimately should really have been converted.
Yugoslav 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Re8 14.Ne4 Qc7 15.h4 f5 16.Nd6 Rd8 17.Nxc8 Raxc8 18.h5 [B76]
Regards the game Schmider, N - Kuegel, T the fact is that I’m never going to be enamoured with the still frequently floating around 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 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Re8 14.Ne4 Qc7 15.h4 f5 16.Nd6 Rd8 17.Nxc8 Raxc8 18.h5 Nb6 19.Bxb6 Rxd2 20.Bc4+ Kf8 21.Bxc7 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1 Rxc7 23.hxg6 Bh6+ 24.Kb1 hxg6 25.Rd6 Kg7 variation:
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To date White has scored 68% from here and Black has never won! Hardly enticing statistics for exponents of our favourite sharp and exciting opening but I guess the question is whether we should look beyond that. It’s going to be a bit grovelly with very limited fun but I suppose if Black can prove that this endgame is just a draw then objectively speaking, that’s a good result.
On this occasion Black at least managed some activity after 26.Re6 through 26...Rd7!? 27.Bd3 c5 28.b3 with the chance for 28...c4!? though eschewed. Anyway I won’t ruin the suspense but just don’t fall off the edge of your seat!
Yugoslav Attack 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6 14.Ne4 Re8 15.g4 Nf4 [B76]
Hopefully compensating for the lack of entertainment in the last game is Shirov, A - Golubev, M Previously I annotated a blitz encounter of these legends of the game and I couldn’t resist this rematch either!
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6 14.Ne4 Re8 15.g4 Nf4 a trade of queens would yield an equal ending but to his credit White opted to preserve them, though unfortunately, through 16.Qc3?!:
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Although his own queen is attacked, Black has the cute tactic 16...Bh6! here but instead 16...Bd5 was the response. Nevertheless despite the odd inaccuracy, after 17.h4 h5 18.g5 Qd7 19.Kb1 Qe6 20.b3 a5 Black was showing his aggressive intent and 21.a4 Reb8 22.Ka2 Rb4!? 23.Bxb4 axb4 24.Qxb4 Bf8 25.Nf6+ Kg7 26.Qb7 Rxa4+ 27.Kb2 Rb4 was riveting stuff!
Yugoslav 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qc7 15.Bc4 Rd8 16.Bb3 Bf5 17.g3 [B76]
The variation 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 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qc7 continues to feature frequently and the GM tussle Beerdsen, T - Lagarde, M merely added further weight to the system’s soundness for Black.
On this occasion 15.Bc4 Rd8 16.Bb3 Bf5 17.g3 h5 18.Rhe1 e6 occurred when Black is rock solid in the centre and White unable to budge the well-placed black steed through 19 c4 because of ...Nb4-d3+:
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The game continued with 19.Qc5 Rac8 20.Rd4 Nb6 21.Red1?! Rxd4 22.Rxd4 Nd7! 23.Qe7 Ne5 24.Qxc7 Rxc7 25.f4 Nf3 26.Rd8+ Kg7 27.h4 when 27...Re7! intending ...e5 to activate the rook could have been a real problem for White.
Best wishes to all, Chris
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