Hey guys!
Thanks for all the interest in the book, and sorry it is taking so long to find its way into the shops. Things should speed up in the new year (Gambit are away on holiday until Jan 15th).
I just wanted to chip in and clear up some stuff on the ...Rc8 lines.
-12.Kb1 is definitely a challenging line that has caused Black some problems over the last few years. There is no magic solution in Play the Sicilian Dragon, but I have done quite a lot research into the line and included all the juicy bits.
- The book covers 12.Kb1 Nc4 in brief, discussing the problems that Black faces, but it also includes some sidelines in which Black has thus far held his own, as well as some suggestions as to how existing theory can be improved upon.
- The main recommendation in this line is 12.Kb1 Re8!?. I have always played this and it seems quite durable. With best play I suspect White may be able to secure a slight edge - but nobody with White has managed "best play" over-the-board (Ponomariov seems to have come closest, but even he fell short), and at the end of the day I can live with the risk that, if White does everything perfectly, he may be slightly better.
- However, some players are inevitably apprehensive of the 12.Kb1 lines (well, the line has received much praise in recent years), so I have included an extra chapter (chapter 12) which covers the lines with 10...Rc8 and 11...Nxd4, and the Chinese Dragon. Please note that I am only advocating the latter line where White plays 10.0-0-0 instead of 10.h4 (I am not sure how clear I make that in the book), but given that black has no problems after 10.h4 h5 I don't anticipate too many people will be fussed.
- Chapter 12 also includes a section on Ward's 10...Qa5 variation. Many Dragon-lovers have a soft spot for this line (myself included) so I wanted to include some notes on the problems that Black presently faces here, and to suggest some ways in which this line may be open to resuscitation. I honestly am not sure whether Black can entirely solve his problems in the 10...Qa5 line, but it is certainly not refuted (well, not yet anyway!).
Anyway, must run. Thanks again for your interest in the book and happy new year all!
Eddie.
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