All the 
best 
in chess.
(TM)

    A really hot dragon ...   

  Aleksander Sznapik (2480) - Davor Komljenovic (2512);  
  [B78]  
  ICT, Master's  
    Biel (Bienne), Switzerland; 1987.  

  [A.J. Goldsby I]  

An excellent game with a blistering finish here.   

 1.e4 c5;  2.Nf3 d6;  3.d4 cxd4;  4.Nxd4 Nf6;  5.Nc3 g6;  (Sicilian. Dragon)   
 6.Be3 Bg7;  7.f3 Nc6;  8.Bc4 Bd7;  9.Qd2 Rc8;  10.Bb3 0-0;  11.h4 h5;  ('!?')   
This is GM Andrew Soltis's contribution to the overall theory of this line. 
(One key game would be Soltis's win over L. Barczay from the Reggio Emilia, 1970.)  

  2rq1rk1/pp1bppb1/2np1np1/7p/3NP2P/1BN1BP2/PPPQ2P1/R3K2R w  

The idea is that this might slow down Black on the Kingside just long enough to make something happen on the opposite side of the chess board.  

     [ The other main pathway is:  
       11...Ne5;  12.0-0-0 Nc4;  13.Bxc4 Rxc4;  14.h5 Nxh5;  15.g4,  "+/="  
        when White has a strong attack.  
        [ See MCO-14, page # 271; columns # 07 & # 08. (And all the notes   
          that pertain to these two columns as well.) ]  

       Also reference the two following clashes:   
       (#1.)  G. Kasparov - J. Piket; / Tilburg, NED; 1989.   

       (#2.)  A. Karpov - V. Korchnoi; / Candidates Match (Game # 02) 
                 / Moscow, USSR; 1974. ]   

 12.0-0-0 Ne5;  13.Bg5! Rc5!;   
This is all book. (Any real Dragon player would tell you this.)   

 14.Kb1!?,   
At first, this move used to be considered a waste of time for White. However, today ... 
its one of the top choices of most masters. (See the latest Fritz Power-Book.)  

     [ 14.Rdg1 Nc4; "~"  is unclear. ]   

 14...b5;  (Probably - '!')   
White's K-side attack is getting menacing, so Black must whip up some play on the opposite side of the board. (Or 14...Re8!?) 

Timing is everything in chess, if 14...a5?!; then simply 15.a4!, and Black gets stymied on one side of the board long enough so that his King gets boiled in oil.   

 15.g4! a5!;   
Many different sources, (MCO, The Informant, NIC, Mayer, etc.); give this as Black's best shot.   

     [ Instead after the moves: </= 15...hxg4?!;  and now  16.h5!, "±"  
       White is supposed to get a promising King-side attack. ]   

 16.gxh5,  
This is the most popular move at the master level, according to the statistics of the "Mega" Database.   

     [ Also possible is: 16.Bxf6, "+/="  in this position for White. ]  

 16...a4!?;   
My main database has around fifty games in it with this position, although this game is the first one listed. 

  3q1rk1/3bppb1/3p1np1/1pr1n1BP/p2NP2P/1BN2P2/PPPQ4/1K1R3R w  

All of this is covered in Chapter 28, (pg. # 285); of the book, "The Soltis Variation of The Yugoslav Attack," by NM Steve Mayer.   

     [ After the moves: (>/=) 16...Nxh5;  17.Nd5 Re8;  18.a3, "+/="   
       White is only slightly better. (This represents a possible improvement over the game.)   

       See the master contest:  GM Nigel Short (2610) - GM Kiril Georgiev (2580);   
       FIDE (men's) Olympiad / Novi Sad, YUG; 1990. 
       {This struggle was eventually drawn, it took fifty-one total moves.} ]   

 17.Bd5,   
Is this White's most accurate move?   

     [ NM Steve Mayer gives:   17.h6 Bh8;  18.Bd5?,    
       It seems hard to believe, but this natural-looking move is not White's best play here.   

           * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   

            ( A popular reference work gives: >/= 18.h7+! Nxh7; 19.Bd5 b4;  
               The end of the column.    
               20.Nce2 Nxg5!?;  21.hxg5 e6!?;  22.Nf4! Bg7[];  23.Ndxe6!!,  "--->"  ('±')   
               when White gets a blistering attack here.   

                See the contest: Garcia - Kudrin; / Salamanca, ESP; 1989.   
                [ See MCO-14, page # 269; col. # 01 and note # (f.). ] )   

           * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   

       18...Kh7!;   "~"   (maybe "<=>")  when Black has chances.     

       See the master-level contest:  
       T. Ernst - B. Alterman; Manila, PHI; (OL) / 1992.  (Search for this game.)  
       {Black won this particular go-round ...} ]  

 17...b4;   ('!?')   
The standard way of playing this position for Black, but  17...NxP/h5;  might pose more problems for the first player to solve. 

 18.Nce2 e6?!;  (Possibly just - '?')   
This traps the White Bishop in the center of the board, but gives White a vicious assault on the BK. 

     [ Better was:  >/=  18...Nxd5!;  19.exd5 b3!;  "~"  
        when Black might have good chances to defend. 
        (Also - IM A. Sznapik gave 19...RxP/d5; in Informant # 44.) ]    

 19.h6! Bh8;   
And this position was the CG "Problem of The Day" for Saturday; August 11th, 2007.  

  3q1rkb/3b1p2/3ppnpP/2rBn1B1/pp1NP2P/5P2/PPPQN3/1K1R3R w  

Study this set-up carefully.   

     [ A better defense might have been (instead): 19...Bxh6;  20.Bxh6 exd5;  21.Bxf8,  "+/-"   
        however, it would not have allowed Black to escape the certain loss of the game. ]   

  **************************************************************************************************  

Now it is basically a problem ... "White to move and win."    
 20.h7+! Kxh7;  21.h5! exd5?;    
This is suicide, the Black King should not remain on the open file for any length of time. 
(Maybe just - '??' here.)   

     [ >/= 21...Kg7[];  22.hxg6! Nxg6;  23.Nf4! exd5;  24.Qh2, ("+/-") ]   

White's next move is the dreaded  ... ... ...  "double-check."   
 22.hxg6+ Kg8;   
Fritz 10  'thinks'  that  22...Kg7  was just a little less awful. (Black still loses.)   

 23.Rxh8+! Kxh8;  24.Bxf6+!,  "+/-"    
Black resigns, as he cannot stop White from playing the Queen to the h6-square ... (which would result in a quick mate). [This game is also annotated in Volume # 44 of "The Informant" series, see game # 264.]  

A nice miniature and also a good example of how White should handle the assault on Black's King in this particular sub-system of the Dragon. 

   Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 2007. All rights reserved.  

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