11. Dragon: Classical Variation (6.Be2) with 9.f4 Qb6
With 6.Be2 and short castling White avoids the battle of the Yugoslav Attack. After 9.f4 Black uses the a7-g1 diagonal with 9...Qb6, and against 10.Qd3 the blow 10...Ng4 11.Bxg4 Bxd4 leads to comfortable simplifications.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.O-O O-O 8.Be3 Nc6 9.f4 Qb6 10.Qd3 Ng4 11.Bxg4 Bxd4
Move by move
- 1.e4 – White occupies the center with the king's pawn, controls d5 and f5 and frees the queen and the f1-bishop. This is the move we answer with the Sicilian.
- 1...c5 – The Sicilian Defense: Black controls d4 with a flank pawn instead of occupying the center. If White plays d4, Black will trade c5 for d4 and have two central pawns against one and the half-open c-file.
- 2.Nf3 – White develops the knight toward the center and prepares d2-d4 to open the game: it is the road to the Open Sicilian, the most ambitious try against us.
- 2...d6 – Black controls e5, opens the diagonal for the c8-bishop and prepares ...Nf6: after 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 the e4-pawn will be attacked right away. It is the basis of the Najdorf and the Dragon.
- 3.d4 – White opens the center: it offers the d4 pawn trade against c5 to develop quickly and use the lead in development in an open position.
- 3...cxd4 – Black trades at once: it removes White's d-pawn, keeps two central pawns (d6 and e7) against one and opens the c-file for rook and queen.
- 4.Nxd4 – White recaptures with the knight, which dominates the center from d4. In exchange for faster development it has conceded the central majority to Black.
- 4...Nf6 – Black develops with tempo by attacking e4. White has to defend it with 5.Nc3 and loses the chance to play c2-c4, which would give the solid Maróczy structure.
- 5.Nc3 – White defends e4 by developing a piece: it is the basic position of the Open Sicilian, from which the Najdorf, Dragon, Scheveningen and Classical arise.
- 5...g6 – The Dragon Variation: Black prepares the ...Bg7 fianchetto, which along the long diagonal will aim at d4, c3 and b2. The d6-g6 structure recalls the constellation of the dragon, hence the name.
- 6.Be2 – White chooses the Classical Variation: it develops the bishop quietly and will castle short. No opposite-side castling, but a positional fight.
- 6...Bg7 – Black completes the fianchetto: against White's short castling the g7-bishop will press on d4 and on the queenside.
- 7.O-O – White castles short: the two kings will be on the same side, so play will be slower than in the Yugoslav Attack.
- 7...O-O – Black castles and puts the king safe behind the g7-bishop. Now it can think about the center with ...Nc6 and about the queenside.
- 8.Be3 – The bishop defends the d4-knight and prepares Qd2 or f4. Without f3, the g4 square is controlled only by the e2-bishop and remains a foothold for ...Ng4.
- 8...Nc6 – The knight presses on d4 together with the g7-bishop: Black already threatens to simplify with ...Nxd4 or to kick the e3-bishop away with ...Ng4.
- 9.f4 – White prepares e4-e5 and the f4-f5 push against the black king, and takes the e5 square away from Black. In exchange it opens the a7-g1 diagonal toward its own king.
- 9...Qb6 – The queen uses the a7-g1 diagonal just opened by f4: it attacks the b2-pawn and ties down the d4-knight, which cannot move without exposing the king.
- 10.Qd3 – The queen defends the d4-knight and the b2-pawn from the third rank. But now Black has a tactical blow against the d4-knight.
- 10...Ng4 – The knight attacks the e3-bishop, one of the defenders of the d4-knight, and frees the g7-bishop's diagonal: now d4 is attacked by bishop, c6-knight and queen.
- 11.Bxg4 – White eliminates the g4-knight. Capturing with Bxg4 is the most natural choice, but it leaves the d4-knight with a single defender.
- 11...Bxd4 – Black recovers the piece by capturing on d4. Now it threatens ...Bxe3+ with check and the c8-bishop attacks the g4-bishop: White must simplify.
How to exploit the position
Black has solved the opening problems. After 12.Bxd4 Qxd4+ 13.Qxd4 Nxd4 a queenless ending arises in which the d4-knight is very strong and the white e4 and f4 pawns are a little exposed.
- After the queen trade, the d4-knight threatens ...Nxc2 and the c8-bishop attacks the g4-bishop: White must defend both things.
- If White tries 12.Bxc8, answer with ...Bxe3+ and then recapture on c8: Black stays a piece up.
- In the ending bring the king toward the center and use the half-open c-file against c2.
- If White avoids the queen trade, aim at b2 and the a7-g1 diagonal with queen and bishop.
Master tips
The a7-g1 diagonal after f4
When White pushes f4 with the king on g1, the queen on b6 ties the d4-knight to the king.