Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation
The Dragon variation is a reproduction of the Sicilian Defense, an opening in chess.
In the opening of the ECO classification codes the Dragon variation is classified under the keys B70 to B79 and arises after the moves:
1 e2- e4 c7 - c5 2 Sg1 -f3 d7 - d6 3 d2 -d4 c5xd4 4 Sf3xd4 Ng8 - f6 5 Nb1 - c3 g7- g6
Fixtures
With his last train Black intends to fianchettieren the King Bishop, the main feature of the Dragon Variation. Linked to this are the game plans of both parties: Since the fianchettierte runner can achieve h8 -a1 large effect on the long diagonal of the fields, tried White frequently to exchange and thus also to weaken the black squares around the king, after castling position by g7 him - g6 was somewhat weakened. These White castled often long and engages the supported from the tower h-pawn, the black king position and opens the h-file. Black is trying to destroy the white king position after the short castling either the d5 pawn to blow up the center or to attack on the queenside over the half-open c-file and by means of exchange sacrifice on c3.
Origin of the name
The name of this system was introduced in Kiev in 1901 by master Fyodor Dus - Chotimirski. He occupied himself with astronomy and found similarities of the Bauer position d6 - e7 - f7 - g6 - h7 for the constellation Draco.
There is also a so-called Accelerated Dragon variation after the moves 1 e2 -e4 c7 - c5 2 Sg1 -f3 c6 3 Sb8 - d2 -d4 c5xd4 4 Sf3xd4 g7- g6. By 5 c2 - c4 but White could build a " Maroczy Wall", which no longer corresponds to the "dragon".
Variants and opening ideas
Possible white continuations are
- 6 Lf1 - e2, the classic version. In his first confrontation with Alekhine Botvinnik chose after 6 Lf1 - e2 Bf8 - g7 7 Lc1 -e3 Sb8 - c6 8 Nd4 -b3 Bc8 - e6 f2 - f4 0-0 9 the mandatory 10 g2 g4. 10 ... Nc6 - a5 11 f4 - f5 - c4 Be6 is the given answer. Anatoly Karpov chose from the mid-70s for the fight against the black center d6 -d5 advance a structure with Lc1 - g5: 6 Lf1 - e2 Bf8 - g7 7 0-0 0-0 8 Lc1 - g5 Sb8 - c6 9. Nd4 -b3, or 7 ... c6 Sb8 - 8 Nd4 -b3 0-0 9 Lc1 - g5. After 9 ... Bc8 - e6 10 K g1 -h1 ( 10 f2 - f4 b7 - b5! ) Was f2 - f4 -f3 Le2 Karpov construction.
- 6 f2 - f4, lion fish variant, with today's main continuation Sb8 - c6 7 Sd4xc6 b7xc6 8 e4 e5 Nf6 - d7 9 e5xd6 e7xd6 10 Lf1 - e2 - e7 Bf8
- 6 f2 -f3, 6 Lc1 -e3 or 6 Lf1 - c4 with the transition into the " Yugoslav Attack "
- In the game Lasker - Napier, Cambridge Springs in 1904, almost 6 h2 h3 Bf8 - g7 7 Lc1 -e3 Sb8 - c6 happened 8 g2 - g4 0-0
- 6 g2 - g3, the positional Gegenfianchetto
Today is 6 Lc1 -e3 Bf8 - g7 7 f2 -f3, the Yugoslav attack, the main continuation. This structure was played by Vsevolod Alfredowitsch Rauser first time.
Does are after another 7 ... 0-0 8 Dd1 -d2 Sb8 - c6 heterogeneous ( opposite ) castlings by 9 0-0-0 or 0-0-0 speedy white after 9 Lf1 - c4. After the latter is more difficult in the Sicilian Defence desirable d6 -d5 and the optimum here for the Bc8 field e6 inaccessible. 9 ... Bc8 - d7 makes room for a rook move by c8.
This results in particularly sharp fight because the mutual desire is a mating attack. White tried doing mostly to checkmate with opening the g- or h- line with the black king moves as h2 - h4 - h5 and g2 - g4. The black counterplay are often regulated by the c- line, often connected with a sacrifice on the field c3. To delay the white attack was by Tony Miles in reply to 10 h2 - h4 Ta8 - c8 11 Bc4 -b3 h7 - h5 introduced. Against this measure resulted in, among other things, a shift of the fight scene in the center with 12 0-0-0 Nc6 - e5 13 Be3 - g5 - c5 Rc8.
In the end predetermining second batch of candidates Final 1974 in Moscow between Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi had White after 11 ... Nc6 - e5 - c4 13 12 0-0-0 Se5 Lb3xc4 Tc8xc4 14 h4 h5 - Sxh5 15 g2 g4 Sh5 - f6 with 16 Nd4 - e2 and after further Qd8 - a5 17 Be3 - h6 Lg7xh6 18 Dd2xh6 Rf8 c8 - 19 -d3 Td1 the typical exchange sacrifice on c3 excluded. 16 Be3 - h6 would Sf6xe4 17 Dd2 -e3 Tc8xc3 as in the match against Kasparov Piket, Tilburg 1989 episode.
10 ... Ta8 - b8 is called Chinese dragon.
9 Lf1 - c4 Bc8 - d7 10 Bc4 -b3 allows the older building 10 ... a5 Qd8 - 11 0-0-0 with 11 ... Rf8 - c8. 12 h2 - h4 Nc6 - e5 - 13 h4 h5 h6 Sf6xh5 14 Lc1 - Ne5 -d3 is equipped with 15 Kc 1 -b1 dodged.
9 Lf1 - c4 Nf6 - d7 10 h2 - h4 Nd7 - b6 11 Bc4 -b3 Nc6 - a5 wants to c4 abtauschen the Le3. 12 Dd2 -d3 prevents das.
At 9 0-0-0 Sc6xd4 ( Sc6xd4 the preparation is intended to Qd8 - a5 to exclude it taking place Nd4 -b3 ) 10 Le3xd4 needs a more aggressive black only 10 ... Bc8 - e6 11 Kc 1 -b1! Qd8 pull - c7 12 g2 - g4 - c8 Rf8 to avoid a disadvantage by the simplistic Nc3 -d5 after Qc7 - a5. Also used after 10 ... a5 Qd8 - the train 11 Kc 1 -b1! to reply to Bc8 - e6 12 Nc3 -d5. The beating of the white lady on d2 would then take place without chess bid, after which White would win with the intermediate check 13 Sd5xe7 a farmer. The forced withdrawal Qa5 -d8 via Sd5xf6 13 Lg7xf6 14 Ld4xf6 e7xf6 to a black doubled pawns and a backward isolated pawn on d6.
By 9 0-0-0 d5 - d6 the advance is playable in contrast to 9 Lf1 - c4. After 10 e4xd5 Sf6xd5 11 Sd4xc6 b7xc6 it is connected to the pawn sacrifice 12 Sc3xd5 c6xd5 13 Dd2xd5 Qd8 - c7 or the exchange sacrifice 12 Be3 -d4 e7 - e5 c5 - 13 Ld4 Bc8 - e6.
For immediate white pawn on the kingside deployment such as 9 g2 - g4 is directly possible 9 ... Sc6xd4 10 Le3xd4 Qd8 - a5.
Opening Traps
A well-known, high-modulus opening trap arises from the so-called " lion fish variant" (named after Grigori lion fish), in which the white man tried by 6 f2 - f4, early enforce the pawn advance e4 - e5. In the usual runner development 6 ... Bf8 - g7 (? ) Immediately follows 7 e4 e5. After about 7 ... Nf6 - g4 d6xe5 8 f4xe5? (slightly better Nf6 - d7 ) 9 Lf1 - b5 Black gets in trouble: Springer - d7 or runner trains to stop the coverage of the knight on g4 ( 10 Dd1xg4 ) and 9 ... Ke8 -f8? leads to the immediate loss due to 10 Nd4 - e6 ( see diagram). The only train is 9 ... Sb8 - c6, after which White, however, by 10 Sd4xc6 Dd8xd1 11 Ke1xd1 Sg4 - f2 12 Kd1 - e2 receives a superior position.
The best reply to the lion fish variant is therefore the immediate coverage of the central field e5 with the Springer development 6 ... Sb8 - c6.