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ANNOTATED GAME
Amateur Dragon Series #8
jacamabe (1785) vs. scottyad (1984)
Annotated by: scottyad (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B77), dragon, Yugoslav attack, 9...Bd7
jacamabe (1785) vs. scottyad (1984)
Annotated by: scottyad (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B77), dragon, Yugoslav attack, 9...Bd7
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1. e4 |
An adventure in the main line of the 9.Bc4 Yugoslav, the Soltis Variation. It is a typical Dragon encounter, which is to say pawn storms rage on both flanks and Black sacs the Exchange for attacking chances (but not on c3!). | ||||
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1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 |
The 9.Bc4 Yugoslav, signaling a double-edged game. This move is far from refuted, but White players are lately flocking to the 9.0-0-0 plan, keeping the bishop at home (intending to save time on the Bc4-b3 maneuver by simply avoiding it) and virtually forcing Black to play 9... d5 with liquidation and a very small edge for White. After 9.Bc4, plenty of tactical possibilities arise. | ||||
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9... Bd7 10. Bb3 |
The most flexible move, as the bishop retreat is inevitable. Another perk of this line is to de-claw one of Black's more interesting options (and a personal favorite), the Chinese Dragon with 10. .. Rb8. | ||||
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10... Rc8 |
Thus, Black somewhat grudgingly enters the main lines with ... Rc8. Other alternatives are possible (but just barely, according to modern theory!). | ||||
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11. O-O-O |
({The point is that after} 10... Rb8? {White can soundly grab material. As much analysis has shown,} 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bxa7 {leaves Black with very few options. The bishop on b3 effectively covers the queenside pawn trio and White's 11.Nxc6 has taken the ...Ne5-c4 maneuver off the menu for Black (which is the only reasonable way to harass the b3 bishop.}) ({It is worth noting that} 10... Nxd4!? 11. Bxd4 b5 {is a direct attempt to exploit White's move order, intending to frustrate the b3 bishop with a speedy pawn storm before White has castled, as} 12. h4 ({ The seemingly harmless} 12. O-O {is a real threat to this variation, as White has not committed to the kingside and can still contest the rest of the board via a4 and Nd5 ideas.} a5 13. a4 b4 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 e5 16. dxe6 Bxe6 17. Rad1 {is very much unclear}) 12... a5 13. a4 bxa4 14. Nxa4 e5 $5 {gives Black a very interesting, albeit highly unusual, game; Black fights for the initiative at all costs and White's king is left in the center. I'm hoping to explore this line over the board sometime.}) | ||||
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11... Ne5 12. h4 h5 |
The main idea of the Soltis variation. It seems odd that Black spends time shuffling kingside pawns, but it turns out that the h-pawn advance usefully hinders White's attack, buying Black valuable time on the queenside. | ||||
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13. Bg5 |
This funny move is actually a main line. White decides not to jump in with Bh6 immediately, opting instead to pester Black along the dark squares and threaten a defender of crucial g4 and d5 squares. There is no immediate threat of Bxf6, but it looms as White 'slows down' and improves his position. | ||||
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13... Rc5 |
The main move. Black's rook enters the game on an active square (which is difficult to attack) and prepares ...b5 while leaving open the threat of further c-file pressure via ...Qc7 or a future ...Rfc8. And, of course, the thematic ...Rxc3 is still a future possibility. | ||||
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14. Kb1 |
the White king is safer on the light-square b1. This move is a key idea for White; much as ...h5 frustrates White's kingside efforts, Kb1 can cost Black crucial tempi on the queenside (in particular, the queen can no longer reach a3 with check. This looks far fetched now, but in many ... Rxc3 lines it is a main thrust for Black). | ||||
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14... b5 |
The most direct. Kasparov famously tried ...Re8 against Anand in the 95 World Championship match, but ... b5 remains Black's most popular plan. | ||||
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15. g4 |
Again, the main move. Attacks are raging on both sides of the board. | ||||
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15... hxg4 |
! - an excellent idea (and still very much in theory); Black voluntarily opens up his kingside because...it works. Concrete analysis shows that Blacks capture is most challenging for White, so long as Black continues accurately. Of course, one small slip from Black and his open kingside will surely doomhim. | ||||
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16. f4 |
? - This move is a well-known (and once-popular) inaccuracy. The f-pawn advance is simply too slow. Alternative variation: [Much more testing is] 16. h5 [when Black should probably respond ...Nxh5! with a strange looking, but solid enough, kingside and plenty of chances against the White king. It is worth noting that ...Rxc3 has long been a main move here, but it looks dubious after the simple Qxc3] Nxh5 17. fxg4 Bxg4 | ||||
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16... Nc4 |
Black seizes the initiative. | ||||
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17. Bxc4 Rxc4 18. e5 |
The best move for White, who is fighting for the initiative in a slightly worse position. | ||||
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18... Nh5 |
A reasonable response, but possibly not the best one. Black reasons that a knight on h5 is useful in stopping White on the kingside and activating the g7 bishop. Alternative variation: [Worth a look is] 18... b4 [ again fighting for the initiative. Given ...bxc3's attack on the d2 queen, the mutual exchanges favor Black and force White to find something else, e.g.] 19. Qd3 Rxd4 $1 20. Qxd4 bxc3 21. exf6 exf6 [and Black is much better. Such is the power of ...b4 and fighting for the initiative in general. In this case, White's g5 bishop is entombed and thus helpless to save himself from ... fxg5.] | ||||
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19. Ndxb5 |
Alternative variation: [Far more spirited is] 19. exd6 f6 20. Ndxb5 e6 [with a wild game, as ...Rxc3 and ...fxg5 loom while the White queen can easily swing to h2 after ...fxg5 hxg5 and the whole position is a mess! (though Black retains better chances)] | ||||
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19... Qa5 |
This move creates a number of threats for White to consider. There are other, more direct, possibilities. Alternative variation: [ The computer favors the most direct] 19... Bxb5 20. Nxb5 Qb6 [ when White has only] 21. Na3 [ and Black gets a fierce initiative on the queenside.] | ||||
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20. Bxe7 |
I find it diff icult to believe in this move. Even as the e7 pawn is such a crutch in the Black position (e.g. now d6 is weak and White's pressure on the d-file threatens), Black has a dangerous attack and this move does nothing to help things on either flank. In any case, the computer favors this move and it seems to work out practical equality if White walks a precipice of tactics. | ||||
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20... Bxb5 |
! - Black ignores the threat to his f8 rook in pursuit of his queenside chances. The game now becomes very sharp, as White can decide to take the material and rely on defensive resources or simply recapture on b5. | ||||
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