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Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long (B78)
1 e4 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 Bd7 10 O-O-O

Number of games in database: 1950
Years covered: 1956 to 2023
Overall record:
   White wins 43.8%
   Black wins 32.0%
   Draws 24.2%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Erald Dervishi  12 games
Kaido Kulaots  12 games
Joseph G Gallagher  10 games
Miso Cebalo  21 games
Mikhail Golubev  21 games
Sergey Kudrin  17 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Carlsen vs Radjabov, 2008
Karpov vs A Sznapik, 1986
Polgar vs Kaidanov, 2010
Anand vs Kasparov, 1995
T Bakre vs B Zawadzka, 2004
Karjakin vs Radjabov, 2008
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 page 1 of 78; games 1-25 of 1,950  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. S Khodzhibekov vs Korchnoi 0-1361956FrunzeB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
2. N Karaklajic vs V Tomovic  1-0571956Yugoslav ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
3. A Bannik vs Y Sheinberg  1-0301956Ukrainian ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
4. R Bogdanovic vs V Cuderman  1-0581957Yugoslav ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
5. G Tringov vs O Yepez  1-0231957WchT U26 04thB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
6. Gufeld vs A Berenstein  ½-½261960UKR-ch sfB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
7. Jansa vs K Prucha  ½-½361960Czechoslovak ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
8. V Shiyanovsky vs A Novopashin  1-0251960Ukrainian ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
9. M R Vukcevich vs M van Hoorne  1-0271960WchT U26 07thB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
10. J de Souza Mendes vs O Gadia  ½-½161960Brazilian ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
11. V Sokolov vs V Tomovic 1-0321960Belgrade FestivalB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
12. Y Kots vs A Novopashin  1-0481961Ukrainian ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
13. J Rotstein vs A Novopashin  1-0241961Ukrainian ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
14. A I Zakharov vs M Ankerst  1-0271962URS-YUGB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
15. V Macs vs Gufeld  0-1341962URS-ch semifinal NovosibirskB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
16. Savon vs Stein  0-1761962USSR ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
17. B Kurajica vs G D Lee  0-1671963Wch U18B78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
18. E Cobo Arteaga vs V Tomovic  ½-½801963BelgradeB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
19. I Platonov vs Tukmakov 0-1281963Ukrainian ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
20. J de Souza Mendes vs L Tavares da Silva  ½-½371963Brazilian ChampionshipB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
21. N Gaprindashvili vs E Guseva  1-02119639th Soviet Team Championship qual-1B78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
22. Klovans vs V Heuer  1-03019639th Soviet Team Championship Final-BB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
23. H Camara vs L de Campelo Gentil  1-0501963Fortaleza ZonalB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
24. Westerinen vs A Hollis  1-0311964WchT U26 11th qual-BB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
25. O Kinnmark vs P N Lee 0-1271964Zurich - jungmeisterB78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long
 page 1 of 78; games 1-25 of 1,950  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 4 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Feb-01-08  Cactus: Question: After
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 g6
6.Be3 Bg7
7.f3 Nc6
8.Qd2 O-O
9.Bc4 Bd7
10.O-O-O Rc8
11.Bb3 Ne5
12.h4 h5
13.Bh6 Bxh6
14.Qxh6 Rxc3
15.bxc3 Qc8!?
16.Kb1 a5
17.f4


click for larger view

My book now gives 17...Nfg4 as black's best continuation, with 18.Qg5 a4
19.fxe5 axb3
20.cxb3
But why not 17...Neg4 with
18.Qg5 Nf2 ?

Feb-01-08  Eyal: <Cactus> 17...Neg4? 18.Qxg6+
Mar-30-08  Cactus: <Eyal> Thanks! How did I i miss that...
Aug-30-08  DocGonzo: My favorite opening to play from both sides. Very exciting and sharp play. I would not say to abandon the chinese dragon all together, i have scored several wins with it, however the sacrificed pawn is a bit sexier.
Aug-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: <Cactus> After <17.f4> instead of replying with <Nfg4>, <17...Nc4>may be worthy of consideration, e.g.

<18.f5> Be8 (covering <g6>) 19.Rhf1 a4 20.Bxc4 Qxc4 21.Qe3 Bc6;

or,

<19.fxg6> fxg6 20.Rdf1 Bf7 (but not <20...a4> 21.Bxa4 Bxa4 22.Qxg6+ Kh8 23.Qh6+)

Jan-25-09  Whack8888: I play the Dragon but I dont play it very well. I am no good at sacrificing pieces, which is one of the reasons I played the Dragon. I want to get better! Before, I played the Berlin Defence to 1. e4 and I really liked it. I needed a change though. Maybe I should try the Chinese Dragon, but I want to just learn the regular lines first.

I have Edward Dearing's Play the Sicilian Dragon. Any other good books on the Dragon? Dearing's book spends a lot of time with the Soltis variation of the Yugoslav, so books that deal with other things would be helpful.

Jan-25-09  FizzyY: Actually in the Dragon you sac material for attacks or for endgame edges and loads of pawns. like the Sicilian exchange sac Rxc3.
Apr-04-09  refutor: i was going over a correpondence game i recently played and my opponent found an interesting move order in the dragon

1. e4 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 Bd7 10. O-O-O Rc8 11. Bb3 Na5?!


click for larger view

i played 12.Kb1

if 12. ...Nc4 then it goes back to the mainlines, but without the extra tempo for White to push h4 etc. if White plays something like 12.h4 himself is Black better without the target of the rook on c4 in the mainlines? thoughts from the Dragon-folk?

Apr-04-09  Open Defence: <refutor> perhaps this game

I Jankovec vs G Kluger, 1973

can inspire some ideas

Apr-04-09  Open Defence: just a quick line there are bound to be improvements

12.Bh6 Nxb3+ 13.Nxb3 Bxh6 14.Qxh6 b5 15.h4 Qc7 16.Rd2 b4 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 e5 19.dxe6 fxe6 20.h5 Be8

and though the game is quite even I think the Dragon player as Black would be far from happy playing this out

Apr-04-09  refutor: <OD> i prefer Kluger's idea to yours :) 13. ...Bxh6 is not a concession i would be wanting to make (i generally prefer to let White exchange off the dark square bishops in a position like this), but dynamic equality is not a bad thing to aim for as black. i always find the dragon positions difficult to play for both sides...
Apr-04-09  Open Defence: <refutor> I think 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Qd4 gives the White Q a slightly better position that if it was on h6
Apr-04-09  Open Defence: though 15.a3 might be safer
Apr-04-09  Open Defence: White can also delay by 14.Kb1
Apr-04-09  WhiteRook48: how about 10 Bh6? getting rid of the fianchettoed bishop
Apr-04-09  Marmot PFL: The stats in this line are discouraging for black.
Apr-04-09  chessman95: <Marmot PFL: The stats in this line are discouraging for black.>

The stats for black in the Yugoslav in general are very discouraging: Opening Explorer

Considering that most people play it automatically as white, I have stopped playing the Dragon completely as black, and I don't play the Accelerated Dragon much either because of the Maroczy Bind. The fianchetto variations in the Sicilian just aren't forcing enough and allow white plenty of time to build a very strong position.

Apr-04-09  chessman95: Wow, the stats in the Maroczy Bind are even worse than I thought: Opening Explorer

After 5.c4 white wins 37.6%, draws 44.1%, and black wins only 18.2% of the time. Not good for a defense that is considered a counterattacking defense that is played for a win.

Apr-04-09  Marmot PFL: "With 5...g6 black builds up an inferior pawn structure with the hopelessly weakened d5 square. Certainly the Dragon structure is less reliable for black than that of the Scheveningen." Golubev, Experts vs the Sicilian. The author also plays the Dragon more than any other opening - a sign of love.
Apr-05-09  MaxxLange: I stopped playing the Dragon in tournament chess (fish sections) for two reasons: I admitted that I was basically bluffing, and didn't really know or have time to know all the only moves that Black has to play against various White ideas, and I was tired of every game being a do-or-die opposite side castling attack.

So, I started playing the Schevinengen, equally bluffing, but with a little more room for error...I was doing it straight up, daring people to play the Keres attack. When someone finally did play it, I lost, but I drew an 2100 player in the Classical system with it before that.

My worst loss with the Dragon went 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 g4

A move I had neglected to prepare for. I knew that I could try ...Bxg4!? in blitz, but this was supposed to be a serious game.I thought for a while and decided that the sharpest and most principled remedy must be:

9...d5?

and I was crushed in short order. When I got home, I found a game where IM Bela Perenyi tried the same idea and also lost horribly, which made me feel better.

Apr-05-09  ILikeFruits: try tiger...
Apr-05-09  chessman95: <I started playing the Schevinengen, equally bluffing, but with a little more room for error>

I wouldn't put the Scheveningen in the same catagory as the Dragon... I consider it a very solid option for black although some people call it passive, and I can't really disagree with that.

Jun-17-09  MrMrsKnight: My favorite thing to play against e4. I'm a sucker for these kinds of openings, I actually believe that white gets the better of it in the Dragon but my personal favorite game was one as well. I don't know, it just seems like I've been playing it so long that it's kind of like an old drinking buddy or something.
Jul-03-10  rapidcitychess: I really want to take up the Dragon. I want here to play either the Ward (10...Qa5) or 10...Na5. This guy killed me with that and played 11.Bb3 Rb8 and just got destroyed with the old ...b5 and ...Nc4 trick. The only thing that is that I'm addicted to the Najdorf. Maybe I can be addicted to two Sicilians. You Sicilian players know how that is.:)
Jul-03-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: I love the Dragon from both sides and will finish writing the second edition of Secrets of the Sicilian Dragon tomorrow. Should be published in September.
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