I will have a look on my old computer next week to see if I have keept any pgn file where I analysed the line.

Papageno wrote on 03/21/09 at 13:57:26:


I read that blogs review of Khalifman and about 10 .. Bxd4 11 Bxd4 b5 system with white playing h4, the blogger still fails to show blacks best move (18 .. Qb6! instead of a3, early h6 changes nothing, still tranposes to a similar position only that white has moved the h6 pawn a squere futher down and black Bishop is at h8 so Qb6 comes one move later.).
However, I did not like to be black becouse of Khalifmans 12 a4 lines.

ArKheiN wrote on 04/25/10 at 21:37:22:


[Event "Blitz:1'+3""]
[Site "Eskilstuna"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "New game"]
[Black "Rybka 3 32-bit"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[TimeControl "60+3"]

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. Bc4 Bd7 10. Bb3 Rc8 11.
O-O-O Ne5 12. Kb1 Re8 13. h4 h5 14. Bh6 (14. g4 {
is more dangerous especielly after a recent Polgar game}) 14... Nc4 15. Bxc4
Rxc4 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. g4 {is Khalifmans recommendation but} (17. Nd5 {
was recommended by de la Villa in Dismatling the sicilian} e5 18. Nxf6 Qxf6 19.
Nb3 Rec8 {is best move, played in for exampel Leko-Carlsen} 20. Qxd6 Be6 21. c3
b5 {Khaflifman stops here called it unclear} 22. Rd2 {is commenly given as an improvment and is given as best by de la Villa}
R4c6 23. Qd3 Qf4 $13 {see http://openingtheory.wordpress.com/ and go to
annotated games and select Ruggeri-Lilleoren}) 17... hxg4 18. h5 Rh8 19. hxg6
fxg6 20. f4 Rxh1 21. Rxh1 Kf7 {
white ahs nothing in this position. Khalifman recommended} 22. Qd3 Rc5 23. e5
dxe5 24. Nb3 {and here I propose the unmention move} Rxc3 (24... Rc8 {
is Rybkas suggestion and Khalifman gives} 25. fxe5 Bc6 26. Rf1 Qxd3 27. cxd3
Rd8 (27... Rh8 {and Rybka thinks black is better}) 28. exf6 exf6 29. d4 {
Khalifman think white is better bacouse of the extra piece while Rykba think
is completly equal.}) 25. Qxc3 Bc6 26. Rf1 exf4 27. Rxf4 Qd1+ 28. Nc1 g5 {
in this positon only black can win} *

Dear Tomas

You may consider using a new engine for your dragon analysis. It seems to me that Firebird 1.2 is better than Rybka 3 for heavily tactical dragon positions (especially if you do a quick analysis). It is free (use google to find it). There is a rumour that Firebird is a Rybka-clone, but so far this is just an unbased claim of the Rybka team.

Running through your lines quickly with Firebird, I found immediately that after 17.Nd5 gxf3 18.Nxf6+ exf6 19.Rdg1 Bg4 20.Nf5 d5 White wins at once with 21.Bg7. It's not easy to improve over 20...d5, as White seems to be clearly better at this stage. So Black should consider either 18...Nxf6 or 19...Ng4.