You don't have to play b3. No one forces you to. I have to say that I'm a little bit offended by the hostility of your posts. If I offended you in any way, I apologize, I didn't mean to get you so worked up over a silly line in the Dragon. Anyway, Black's winning chances lie in the fact that he's up an exchange and White has to show something for it. White's king isn't fantastic either, especially after ...a3. What is kind of putting me off is that you post some hasty computer analysis, don't check it or put any thought into it at all, and then claim White's winning. Here's another Black resource:

33. Rg1 Qd4 34. Qg3 Rg8! 35. a3 c4 36. Be7 Qe3! intending ...Qb3 and ...Rd1+, with a perpetual. It's equal again. It's necessary to analyze the positions yourself first. For instance, it didn't take me more than an hour to find the nice 27...e4! and 30...Qd3! idea that draws easily in the 26. Nxc5 line, but my computer will never find this idea. My computer absolutely hates 25...f5! as well, but it's a fine move as well. The last point is that the vast majority of this analysis means nothing, since even against GM's, we'll never make it this far. Thanks for the interesting challengers, looking forward to more.

Tony

I think both of parisestmagique's ideas look very promising for White (unfortunately).

(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 14. Ne4 Re8 15. h4 h6 16. g4 Qc7 17. g5 h5 18. Bc4 Red8 19. Qf2)

A. 19...Qb7 20.Rhe1 Nf4 21.Bxe6 Nxe6 22.Bd6 Rd7 23.Nf6+! isn't totally clear to me but White seems to be the one in charge.  A better try might be 22...Qb6!?.

B. 19...Nf4 20.Bxe6 Nxe6 21.Bd6 Qb6 22.Rd2 Rd7 23. Rhd1 Qxf2 24.Rxf2 Nd4 25.Bc5! seems very good for White although I hope someone can find some resources.  An alternative in this line that has been played a few times is 21...Qa5 and, at least for now (!) appears to be the best try.

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 14. Ne4 Re8 15. h4 h6 16. g4 Qc7 17. g5 h5 18. Bc4 Red8 19.Qf2 Qb7 20. Rhe1 Nf4 21. Bxe6 Nxe6 22. Bd6 Rd7 23. Rd2 Rad8 24. Red1 c5 25. c4 f5 26. gxf6 Bh6 27. Kb1 Bxd2 28. Rxd2 Qa6 29. Qg3 (29. Bxe5 Qxc4 30. Nd6 Qa6
31. Qg1 g5 32. Qg3 Qf1+ 33. Kc2 Rxd6 34. Bxd6 Qc4+ =) 29... Kf7 (29... Nf4 30. Bxe5 Qxc4 (30... Rxd2 31. Nxd2 Rxd2 32. Bxf4 +-) 31. Bxf4 Qf1+ 32. Kc2 Qc4+ 33. Nc3 Rxd2+ 34. Bxd2 Qd3+ 35. Kb3 Rd6 36. a4 Rxf6 37. Bc1 Rb6+ 38. Ka2) 30. Qxe5 Qxc4 31. Rd1 Re8 32. Ka1 Qe2 33. Qd5 (33. Rg1 Nd4 34. Qd5+ (34.Ng5+ Kg8 35. Qd5+ Kh8 36. a3 Nc2+ 37. Ka2 Re3 38. Nf7+ Rxf7 39. Qxf7 Rxa3+ 40.
bxa3 Ne1+ =) 34... Re6 35. a3 Qe3 36. Rd1) 33... Rb8 34. b3 Rb4 35. Kb1 Rxe4 36. fxe4 Qf3 37. e5 Qxd5 38. Rxd5 g5 +/-

Conclusion:
As usual some really nice rescues by black, but white is pressing all the time. Black has to find nearly all the time the only move, white can choose.

Sorry, I can`t share this enthusiasm after 24. ...c5 (teyko) 25.c4 f5?!
White simply plays 26. gxf6 Bh6 27. Kb1 Bxd2 28. Rxd2 and it`s over.


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 14. Ne4 Re8 15. h4 h6 16. g4 Qc7 17. g5 h5 18. Bc4 Red819.Qf2 Qb7 20. Rhe1 Nf4 21. Bxe6 Nxe6 22. Bd6 Rd7 23. Rd2 Rad8 24. Red1 c5 25. c4 f5 26. gxf6 Bh6 27. Kb1 Bxd2 28. Rxd2

After 10 years of suffering with the dragon I accepted the unpleasent truth -  the dragon isn´t sound! I switched to the Taimanov-System due to Semkov`s excellent book "The safest sicilian". My rating is rising, my time for preparation is marginal (restroom  ) and I get a chance to equalize or get the edge in the opening. Even if the dragon were playable, my ROI in timeeffort[  ] would be better with the Taimanov.
Here are my hatelines:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Re1 Be6 10. Bf1

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 g6 6.g3 Nc6 7.Bg2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.a4 0-0 10.a5

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Kb1 Nxd4 11.e5

A Dragon player has to be prepared for any kind of opening play from calm to razor blade positions. Every line above has more than a drop of venom, and more important, white can specialize in one "sideline", so he has a good chance to know the latest games and to know the theory better than the self-appointed dragon expert.

I hope it doesn`t sound too frustrated (I´m not!), I just wanted to tell you the truth. Now you can take either the red pill or the blue pill.

bragesjo wrote on 04/08/08 at 13:14:38:


I think equal is probably a fair assessment as long as the endgame after
(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 14. Ne4 Re8 15. h4 h6 16. g4 Qc7 17. g5 h5 18. Bc4 Red8 19. Qf2 Nf4 20.Bxe6 Nxe6 21.Bd6 Qb6 22.Rd2 Rd7 22.Rd2 Rd7 23. Rhd1)
23...Qxf2 24. Rxf2 Nd4 25. f4 (25. Bc5!?) 25... exf4 26. Bxf4 Rad8 27. Rfd2 Ne2+ 28. Kb1 Rxd2 29. Rxd2 Rxd2 30. Bxd2 Be5 31. Be1!? is OK for Black.  I'm guessing that it is but I'd be interested in others assessments on this. (31. Be3 can be answered by 31…Bd4 or maybe Black can keep the game alive more with 31… Ng3!?)

TonyRo wrote on 03/16/08 at 05:06:00:


I'm rather doubtful that 20.Rd2 is an improvement on 20.Rhe1.  After 20...Nf4 (Dearing quotes a drawn game that continued 20...a5, but I like TonyRo's move better.) 21.Bxe6, Rybka prefers 21...Rxd2! 22.Qxd2 Nxe6 and Black is fully equal.  Rybka also suggests in the 21...Nxe6 variation of the Shabalov-Rotella game that White should try 22.Bd6!?  Black may still be alright after 22...Nd4!? (or something else) but the 21...Rxd2 line seems simpler and looks more logical once one notices that 22.Bxf7+ is really bad.

I've had a look at TonyRo's analysis on 24..c5 25.c4 f5!? Congratulation!

It seems that either White takes one of the drawing lines or there will be a messy position with chances for both sides.

Another tempting line for White to play is: 26.gxf6 Bh6 27.Qg3 Kf7 28.Qxe5 Ra6 29.Kb1 Bxd2 30.Rxd2 Qxc4 31.Rd1 Re8 32.Ka1!? which can be countered by 32...Ng7 33.Qf4 Rxe4 with a draw after 34.Qxe4 Qxe4 35.fxe4 Ne8 or 34.Qh6 Qd4! 35.Qxg7 Ke6 and 34.fxe4 Ne6 leads to a promising position for Black.