I haven't looked at it all that closely, but in my experience 17...Rfc8! is fine for Black. Basically, White can reasonably challenge for the d-file after 17. Be2, so doubling on the c-file has worked well; if Black doesn't want to exchange rooks then there's not a lot White can do to force it, and the rooks are fairly active on the c-file. If White is careless and plays Qc1 and Rd1 then there are ideas in the air of ...Bxa2+! and ...Rxc2, though in such positions Black has to time it right so that an inconvenient Rd8+ doesn't spoil things.

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. Kb1 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.


and now I might try 10...e5 11.Nc6 bc 12.ed cd 13.Nd5 Be6 14.Nf6+ Qf6 15.Bg5 Qf5 16.g4 Qf3 17.Bg2 Qg4 18.Ba8 Ra8 19.Qd8+ Rd8 20.Rd8+ Bf8 21.Bh6 Qb4 22.Rf8+ Qf8 23.Bf8 Kf8 24.Re1 f6 later 0-1, 06', R. Becerra-V.Mikhalevski. White seems better at first glance after move 24, but perhaps black has some chances.

This is a very interesting discussion!  I've always had confidence in the queen sac line, and I agree that the line given by madhacker is the correct idea.  Generally, material inbalances offer good winning chances for the better player, and I do not think this is an exception.

The line with 12...exf6 has been trendy recently, and I think there was a post by Eric Moskow at some point with a game in the line.  Unfortunately, I wasn't really paying attention to this option at the time, but I mention it in case someone can track it down.

Regarding FightingDragon and others: after 12...exf6 13.Bc5 d4 14.Bxf8 Qxf8 15.Nb5 Ne3 I am curious what is thought about 16.Re1 f5 17.Nxd4 f4 18.Rxe3.  This obviously isn't White's most ambitious move, but since 12...exf6 is offered as a way for Black to spice things up, this seemed like a natural continuation.

If White just plays as in 18...fxe3 19.Qxe3 Bd7 20.Bd3 intending c3, I don't believe that Black can do better than recover his pawn with an eventual Bxd4.  Is there another way?

How about discussing Rb8? About the exf6 line Bd3 seems strong if white returns the exchange.

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. Kb1 Rb8 11. Be2 (11.
Ndb5 a6 12. Na7 e6 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Nxd5 exd5 15. Nxc8 Rxc8 16. Qxd5 Qxd5 17.
Rxd5 Nb4 18. Rc5 Rce8 19. Bd2 Rd8 {is at least equal}) (11. h4 e5 12. Nxc6 bxc6
13. exd5 cxd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Qxd5 Qf6 16. Be2 Bf5 17. g4 Rfd8 18. g5 {
played by Fritz 10 agianst me in a  10+9 blitz game} (18. Qa5 Bxc2+ 19. Kxc2
Rxb2+ 20. Kc1 Rdb8 21. g5 Qc6+ 22. Bc5 R2b5 23. Rd8+ Bf8 24. Rxf8+ Kg7 25. Bxb5
Qxc5+ 26. Kd2 Rxb5 27. Rg8+ Kxg8 28. Qd8+ Kg7 29. Qf6+ Kg8 30. Qd8+ Qf8 31.
Qxf8+ Kxf8 {and black is better}) 18... Qe7 19. Qc5 Qxc5 20. Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.
Bxc5 Rc8 22. b4 Bf8 {and the position is drawish}) (11. Bb5 e5 {
was in a subscriber game and black won}) (11. Qf2 e5 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Bc5 {
and black is better} Be6) (11. Nb3 dxe4 12. Qxd8 Rxd8 13. Rxd8+ Nxd8 14. Bxa7
Ra8 15. Bb6 Bf5 16. Be2 Nc6 17. Rd1 exf3 18. gxf3 Nd7 {is equal}) (11. Qe1 e5
12. Nxc6 bxc6 {is good for black}) 11... e5 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. exd5 cxd5 14.
Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Qxd5 Qf6 16. g4 {critical line} (16. h4 Bf5 {transposes to 11 h4}
) 16... Re8 {Fritz suggested move} (16... Be6 17. g5 Qe7 18. Qd6 Qb7) 17. h4 (
17. g5 Qe7 18. Qc5 Qb7 19. b3 Bf5 {is equal}) 17... Be6 18. g5 Qe7 19. Qd6 Qb7
{black has compensation} 20. b3 Bf5 *

I think I agree with madhacker that white doesn't have anything after 17. ... a6, 18. ... Rfd8! and 19. ... Rd4!, but it is also impossible to win this as black.
@SwissDragon: search the position after 22.g4 in the Chessbase Online database. There were two correspondence games where black sat still with 22. ... e6 and made 1,5/2, perhaps your 22. ... Bh4 was a bit of a panic reaction?

So if the queen sacrifice-line holds up, black can play this if a draw is sufficient and 12. ... ef6: for a win.

Sorry, about the missing move it is Qf2 that Martin annotes with a ! (and the move that Fritz 10 played aginst me in a 4+2 blitz when I set up the position of exf6) when he thinks that after Qc5 then c3 is strong and therefore I proposes Qb4 when the position is equal since after a3 Qc5 whites kings position has been weakened.

About Bd3 I have not looked at his move yet. Maybee the Dragon is finally refuted or Rb8 is only move after all.

Having examined the position which I suggested earlier more carefully, I realised that it is in fact better for white if he pushes his kingside pawns and creates threats with the queen, as swiss_dragon suggests. Therefore something needs to be found in this line for black. Meanwhile I will take a look at exf6!?

Goldaxe's line seems the best black has, but there is some play left on the kingsside where Black has to be very careful, e.g. 25.g4!? (Rd1 looks like a loss of a tempo to me, although this may actually not make a big difference) Ra2 26.Rb1 and let's say 26..e6 27.f4 h6 (allowing g5 creates problems on the back rank) 28.f5!? At one point Black might play Rxb2 Rxb2 Ra3 Kxb4 Bb2 and hope to create some fortress while giving up the bishop for the c-pawn, but I don't see an easy fortress as long as the h-pawns are still on the board. I think, Black has really very limited play and any mistake may be fatal, while I'm not sure whether the position is a draw at all. Who likes to play such a position? 

For 10..Rb8 I was worried about 11.h4 h5 12.Be2, but maybe Black is OK after 12..e5 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.exd5 cxd5 15.Nxd5 Be6 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 or 16.Bc4 Nxd5 17.Bxd5 Bxd5 18.Qxd5 Qc7. Is this what you would suggest, bragesjo?

Ok, 12..exf6 seems worth a try, too.

I agree that it is difficult to win after Bb5, but the Dragon has many forced draws.

If you do not like either Queen sac or Rb8 then there is the little explored 

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Qd2
O-O 9. O-O-O d5 10. Kb1 Nxd4 11. e5 Nf5 12. exf6 exf6

This avoids forced draws but white is probebly better.

Well, I have had problems with the 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Kb1 - line as well. Black's chances after the queen sac look very limited, especially if White plays 17.Bb5, e.g. 17..a6 18.Ba4 b5 19.Bb3 Bxb3 and now 20.axb3! (which Dearing says is "surprisingly bad", but I believe only his analysis is inaccurate, since he doesn't mention 20..a5 21.Qe2 a4 22.Ka2! when black cannot make real progress any more and is facing problems on both sides of the board). I recently tried 18...Rfd8 19.Qe2 Rd4 20.Bb3 Bxb3 21.axb3 Rad8 and after 22.g4!? it was no fun at all to play the dark side. Does anybody have ideas to improve Black's play or can anybody criticize my assessment of the arising positions?

After recently taking up the Dragon I have come across a few small problems trying to reach equality in some of the main lines. 

One line that is giving me some trouble is the following:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Qd2
O-O 9. O-O-O d5 10. Kb1!? 

This line is also mentioned in Andrew Martin's Book "Starting out the Sicilian Dragon". 

"Nxd4 11. e5 Nf5 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. Nxd5 Qxd5 14. Qxd5 Nxe3 15. Qd2 Nxd1 16. Qxd1 Be6 17. h4!"

(He seems to be under the impression that 9...d5?! is not so great for Black. Where as 9...d5 is Dearing's main choice.)

I would be interested to know how more experienced Dragon players handle this line.

Thanks