OTB Sicilian Dragon game

I have just started playing 1. e4, and this is one of my first Sicilian games. It was very sharp, with lots of hits and misses, but it was the kind of game that drew a crowd.

At move 24 I thought Kd2?? was a finesse, not realizing it was a mistake. White has a huge light-square bind on the black kingside position, and the correct move would have been 24. Rh7 with the idea of 25. Qxg7+!! Rxh7 26. Rh8+ Rg8 27. Rg8 mate.

I had focused on the idea that the rook on f7 could not move anywhere vertically along the file, but I missed that the same theme applied horizontally.

I got lucky anyway- fortune favors the bold.

Nice 🙂

I liked the stubborn refusal to castle, I think if I had been playing there would have been at least 4 opportunities during the game where I would have castled instead of the moves you played, but it clearly was beneficial in the end for you.

Specifically 8. O-O, 10. O-O, 17. O-O-O.
I think I would have been too nervous to launch such a kingside assault without shoring up first, but then some initiative is lost...

Thumbs Up ... I enjoyed that one!

Originally posted by morgski
Specifically 8. O-O, 10. O-O, 17. O-O-O.
I think I would have been too nervous to launch such a kingside assault without shoring up first, but then some initiative is lost...

The hardest part was deciding to offer the Be3 as a passive sacrifice, with the subsequent fork on c2 in the air. I am trying to re-ignite the fire in my game after having gotten rather sedentary over the years.

🙂

"I'm a fun loving boy, and I really enjoy, just messing about with positions.
Me and the Duck, we play in the muck, just messing about with positions.

We sac a Rook and we sac a Queen,
We sac everything and do as we please.....

Look what we found, it's completely unsound, just messing about with positions."

Originally posted by Paul Leggett
I have just started playing 1. e4, and this is one of my first Sicilian games. It was very sharp, with lots of hits and misses, but it was the kind of game that drew a crowd.

At move 24 I thought Kd2?? was a finesse, not realizing it was a mistake. White has a huge light-square bind on the black kingside position, and the correct move would have bee ...[text shortened]... 6 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Qxg6 Qe8 24. Kd2 Nc4+ 25. Ke2 Rxf4 26. Rh8+ Bxh8 27. Qg8# 1-0[/pgn]

This is a different order of moves to get to the Sicilian Dragon than I learned from the book by I.A. Horowitz when I was preparing for the 1982 World Open. But anyway, I would not be comfortable with your 8.f4 move because 8...Qb6 prevents your 9.Be3 developing move temprarily. I think you should have played 8.Be3 and 9.O-O to get to the Horowitz version first. Black appears to be concerned about the possible attack on his knight at f6 by 9.e5 and an attack on his queen and decides to play it safe with 8...d6 allowing you to play 9.Be3 anyway.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
🙂

"I'm a fun loving boy, and I really enjoy, just messing about with positions.
Me and the Duck, we play in the muck, just messing about with positions.

We sac a Rook and we sac a Queen,
We sac everything and do as we please.....

Look what we found, it's completely unsound, just messing about with positions."

[pgn]
[FEN "2rq2k1/1b2prbp/p2 ...[text shortened]... =N+ {For sheer amusment.} 25... Qxf8 26. f5+ Qxf5 27. exf5 {A nice mate. Thank You.}[/pgn]

I actually did look at parting with my queen in this position, but I just did not see far enough ahead, nor creatively enough.

I think my risk threshold kept me from delving deeper, which is what I am trying to expand.

Just having a couple of games now where I can go over them at home is a huge plus. It's one thing to play over GM games, but there is a lot to be gained when you can compare what you were thinking OTB to what you can find at home later.

It's cool to have a game where there are at least two positions where white could have given up the queen in exchange for black's king.

Originally posted by RJHinds
This is a different order of moves to get to the Sicilian Dragon than I learned from the book by I.A. Horowitz when I was preparing for the 1982 World Open. But anyway, I would not be comfortable with your 8.f4 move because 8...Qb6 prevents your 9.Be3 developing move temprarily. I think you should have played 8.Be3 and 9.O-O to get to the Horowitz version fi 6 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Qxg6 Qe8 24. Kd2 Nc4+ 25. Ke2 Rxf4 26. Rh8+ Bxh8 27. Qg8# 1-0[/pgn]

Thanks for your feedback.

Theory has advanced a bit since Horowitz (I still cherish my old 1964 copy of his Chess Openings: Theory and Practice), and there are certainly many different ways one can play to defang the Dragon.

In this particular case with the Accelerated Dragon move order, my intent is to get in f4 earlier, so that (if needed) I can play a subsequent Bf3 later to discourage ...d7-d5 in one move by black, without having the Bishop block the advance of my f-pawn.

My essential plan was "Force him to play ...d6, shut down the idea of ...d5 entirely, and storm the black king." I'm sure I'll get better at this with more practice!

The move ...Qb6 is usually answered by Qd3 and then Be3, followed sometimes by Bd4 to offer an exchange of dark-squared bishops after g4-g5, kicking the f6 knight. Many Dragon players would avoid blocking the b-pawn with the queen, but it is certainly a reasonable alternative.

It is as much a question of style and taste as it is of theory when we're still in the early moves of the opening.

EDIT: I just did a quick check with your notes, and the computer exactly agrees with the turning points you selected with commentary. Apparently you both think alike!

EDIT: I just did a quick check with your notes, and the computer exactly agrees with the turning points you selected with commentary. Apparently you both think alike![/b]

Shoot! RJ does some genius math with a calculator too! He can also spell check really well.

Originally posted by Paul Leggett
Thanks for your feedback.

Theory has advanced a bit since Horowitz (I still cherish my old 1964 copy of his Chess Openings: Theory and Practice), and there are certainly many different ways one can play to defang the Dragon.

In this particular case with the Accelerated Dragon move order, my intent is to get in f4 earlier, so that (if n ...[text shortened]... ees with the turning points you selected with commentary. Apparently you both think alike!

I can't say that advancing the f4 pawn before developing the QB is bad. That was the first thing that I noticed that I would not do, because I do not like the look of that long diagonal open for black to seize control of. You are right that Qd3 followed by Be3 will regain control of it. And if the Queen on d3 is a good spot for your queen for your plan then that may be a good alternate plan from that of Horowitz. Horowitz castled on the kingside and advanced the kingside pawns in his attack. Castling on the queenside may work as well. I usually run into trouble in most of my games if I am not able to castle early. But you won without castling, so I should not argue with success.

This game reminded me of some interesting games I studied a few years ago.
If you substitute a6 for Be6, I think you will have some games that were very important to theory at the time they were played.

Alekhine-Botvinnik Nottingham 1936
(see chessgames.com for the game with annotations by Alekhine)



In the game, white tried to make a monstrous kingside attack, but black was game and counterattacked quite well. The line made it look like black could force a draw in this variation. Check it out, it's a real slugfest.

Fast Forward to 1961

Fischer-Reshevsky 2nd Match Game
(Game 26 in My 60 Memorable Games)




Fischer improves the line and gets a nice win out of it.

I'm not sure how the line is evaluated today, but I always find studying the history of variations very interesting.

Fischer was extremely well versed on all the classics.

Another example of his improvements, is the game

Maroczy-Capablanca 1926



Black traded off his bad bishop and later ground out a win.

Fast Forward to 1970

Fischer-Petrosian (chessgames.com even has a photo!)



Fischer has just played 11.a4 (instead of 0-0). The light squared bishop remained bad for a long time, and white eventually won a nice game. The Na5 line fell off the map.

I know this is a little off subject, but I always find history of openings and why the moves played became the moves played very interesting.

Originally posted by paulbuchmanfromfics
This game reminded me of some interesting games I studied a few years ago.
If you substitute a6 for Be6, I think you will have some games that were very important to theory at the time they were played.

Alekhine-Botvinnik Nottingham 1936
(see chessgames.com for the game with annotations by Alekhine)

[pgn]
[Event "Nottingham (05)"]
...[text shortened]... why the moves played became the moves played very interesting.

I think this is right on subject- thank for posting it!

excellent game, well played!