Sicilian Defense

10. Dragon: Yugoslav Attack 9.O-O-O d5

With 9.O-O-O White gives up controlling d5 with the bishop. Black pushes 9...d5 right away and after 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6 gets center and development, offering the exchange on f8 in return for the initiative.

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.O-O-O d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6

Move by move

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 6.Be3 – White develops the bishop on e3, where it defends the d4-knight and prepares f3, Qd2 and O-O-O: it is the beginning of the Yugoslav Attack.
  12. 6...Bg7 – The bishop completes the fianchetto and becomes Black's most important piece: from the h8-a1 diagonal it presses on d4 and, after White's long castling, on the king on c1.
  13. 7.f3 – White takes the g4 square away from Black, where ...Ng4 would attack the e3-bishop, and supports e4. It also prepares the g4 push or h4-h5 against the black castling.
  14. 7...O-O – Black castles: the king is protected by the g7-bishop. White will attack it with h4-h5 and Bh6, but Black will have time for counterplay on the c-file.
  15. 8.Qd2 – The queen goes onto the c1-h6 diagonal: White prepares Bh6 to trade the g7-bishop, the main defender of the black king, and long castling.
  16. 8...Nc6 – The knight develops and presses on d4 together with the g7-bishop. Later it will be able to go to e5 and c4 to attack the e3-bishop and the d2-queen.
  17. 9.O-O-O – White castles long without playing Bc4: it leaves d5 free and lets Black strike in the center at once.
  18. 9...d5 – Without the bishop on c4 controlling d5, Black pushes ...d5 at once: it opens the center while the white king is on c1 and activates all the pieces.
  19. 10.exd5 – White trades in the center. The d5-pawn is attacked by the f6-knight and the d8-queen, defended only by the c3-knight: Black recaptures at once.
  20. 10...Nxd5 – Black recaptures with the knight, which from d5 attacks the c3-knight and the e3-bishop. The lines toward the white king open up.
  21. 11.Nxc6 – White trades the knights: the d4-knight was attacked by the c6-knight and the g7-bishop, and the d5-knight threatened to trade itself on c3 or e3.
  22. 11...bxc6 – Black recaptures toward the center: the c6-pawn supports the d5-knight and the b-file opens for the rook against the white king.
  23. 12.Bd4 – The bishop goes to d4 to trade the g7-bishop, Black's most dangerous piece, and take strength away from the long diagonal.
  24. 12...e5 – Black kicks the bishop away with tempo and takes the center: now the g7-bishop is shut in by e5, but Black gains space and control of d4.
  25. 13.Bc5 – The bishop attacks the f8-rook along the a3-f8 diagonal. White wants to win the exchange or at least force the rook to move.
  26. 13...Be6 – Black develops and defends the d5-knight, leaving the f8-rook en prise: if Bxf8, it gets the bishop pair, a strong center and the attack on the b-file. It is the main line of theory.

How to exploit the position

A dynamic position: Black has a strong center with c6, d5 and e5 and the open b-file toward the white king; White has the chance to take the exchange on f8.

Master tips

...d5 when the bishop is missing from c4

In the Yugoslav Attack the ...d5 push frees Black's game every time White doesn't control it with Bc4.

Model games