I am at work too. I think I have seen this line or something similar (as in maybe not with a3) by transposition in Experts vs the Sicilian. Is this correct?

bragesjo wrote on 01/30/10 at 21:44:49:


bragesjo wrote on 02/01/10 at 20:15:57:

Last few days I have looked at this 9.g4 stuff, but neglected ...e6 so far. I agree that those endgames resulting from Nc3-d5 are dull. Fortunately this move is not necessary; neither is the prophylactic Kc1-b1. White scores amazingly well after 9.g4 Be6 10.O-O-O Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Qa5 12.a3 Rab8 13.h4 Rfc8 14.h5 b5 15.hxg6. A few interesting lines:
a) 15...b4 16.gxh7+ Kh8 17.Nb1, an idea (not mine) borrowed from the Argentinean Attack in the Pirc. White can afford Black invading with the Queen to a1.
b) 15...fxg6 16.g5 b4 17.Nb1 b3 18.c4 might be worth a try too.
c) 15...fxg6 16.g5 Nh5 17.Bxg7 Sax-Relange and perhaps 17.Bh3 Dobrin-Jobe, corr IECC 1999 look promising.
d) 15...hxg6 16.Qg5 d5! equalizes and so does 16.g5 b4 17.gxf6. So this might be the right moment to play the endgame with 16.Nd5.

My impression is that chances are equal indeed, but that Black walks quite a narrow road to maintain that equality. White's play is very simple and easy to learn. There is not much theory to learn - especially compared to some Anti-Sicilians - so 9.g4 suits the aggressive amateur very well.

If 10.Nxe6 is dangerous as well then White has an equally aggressive option with 9.g4, similar in ideas. I'm not so sure if 9...Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Be6 11.h4 is objectively better, mainly because I haven't all the transpositions figured out yet - White always can castle Queenside if it suits, though usually has to play a2-a3 first. For instance, to anticipate line d above, 11...Qa5 12.h5 Rfc8 13.hxg6 hxg6 14.a3 (14.g5 Nh5 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.f4 Skacel-Vacek, CZE 2005, Nxf4 17.Qxf4 Rxc3 -+) Rab8 (b5 at once) and now 15.O-O-O b5 transposes. But is 15.Bd3 really better?

It is also interesting that white has such a high score in this line with Be6. I assume it must be within the reinveted Nxe6 line but still interesting.

Tiviakov's main line after 9...Bxg4 10. fg Nxg4 11. Nxc6 bc 12. Bg5 in his 1990s monograph:  12...Rb8 13. Be2 Ne5 14. b3 Qa5 15. Nd1 Qc7 "with compensation."

This sounds like a interesting sac. Andrew Martins says something like " Probebly unsound but gives white several difficult defence problems". Martins however only looks at 11 .. a5. He also analyses 10 Bg1 and 10 Nxc6 where he thinks black is better. This line looks realy intresting, will look at it later this week.

Paddy wrote on 09/21/11 at 10:53:18:


I think that is an offer (or similar) I remember from when first reading about the Dragon. Don't know where, Basman maybe?

chk wrote on 12/10/10 at 09:21:48:


Fortunately for me, I did but only upto move 13. Trent & Gordon did the first session before Daniel King & Chris Ward took over. Wonderful to hear the background behind move 9... Be6 in the Dragon setups!

A recent game from the olympics between Ponomariov and Radjabov in g4 Nxe6 variation. Radjabov did put hes rook to c8 and according to computer white was much better most of the game except the position where they agreed to a draw when I think black is better and computer agrees.

[Event "39th Olympiad Men"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2010.09.30"]
[Round "9.1"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Radjabov, Teimour"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B75"]
[WhiteElo "2749"]
[BlackElo "2748"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2010.09.21"]
[EventType "team"]
[WhiteTeam "UKR"]
[BlackTeam "AZE"]