1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. O-O O-O 9. Qd2
In this position Rogozenkos (Sicilian Dragon 1 B70-B74) and Martins (Starting out - The Sicilian Dragon) first choice is d5, Ward (Winning With the Sicilian Dragon) advocates Bd7 and engine wants to play Rogozenkos second choice Ng4. So who is right?
And examples from modern practice:
[Event "Amber-rapid 18th"]
[Site "Nice"]
[Date "2009.03.14"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kamsky, Gata"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B73"]
[WhiteElo "2725"]
[BlackElo "2776"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2009.03.14"]
[EventType "tourn (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.05.05"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O Nc6 8.
Be3 O-O 9. Qd2 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Bd7 11. a4 Bc6 12. Bf3 a5 13. Nd5 Nd7 14. Bxg7
Kxg7 15. Rfe1 Rc8 16. Be2 Nc5 17. Bb5 e5 18. Nc3 f5 19. Bxc6 bxc6 20. Rad1 Nb7
21. f4 exf4 22. Qxf4 fxe4 23. Qxe4 Qb6+ 24. Kh1 Rf7 25. b3 Rcf8 26. Ne2 Nc5 27.
Qd4+ Kg8 28. Kg1 d5 29. Rf1 Qa7 30. Rxf7 Rxf7 31. Rf1 Rxf1+ 32. Kxf1 Qe7 33.
Qf4 Ne4 34. Nd4 Qe8 35. Nf3 c5 36. Qc7 g5 37. h3 h5 38. Qe5 Qf7 39. c4 g4 40.
hxg4 hxg4 41. cxd5 Nd2+ 42. Kg1 Nxf3+ 43. gxf3 Qxf3 44. d6 Kf7 45. Qe7+ Kg6 46.
Qe6+ Kg7 47. d7 g3 48. Qe1 Qf6 49. Qxg3+ Kf7 1-0
[Event "Bazna Kings 3rd"]
[Site "Bazna"]
[Date "2009.06.15"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Kamsky, Gata"]
[Black "Radjabov, Teimour"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B73"]
[WhiteElo "2720"]
[BlackElo "2756"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2009.06.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "ROM"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O Nc6 8.
Be3 O-O 9. Qd2 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxd5 Nxd4 12. c4 e5 13. Rad1 Be6 14. Bxd4
exd4 15. Nf4 Bf5 16. Bf3 Rc8 17. b3 Qd7 18. a4 Rfe8 19. h3 b6 20. Bd5 Qe7 21.
Nd3 Qa3 22. g4 Bxd3 23. Qxd3 Qb4 24. Qf3 Re7 25. h4 Rce8 26. Rd3 Qd6 27. Kg2 h6
28. Rh1 a5 29. Rdd1 Be5 30. h5 g5 31. Rhe1 Qf6 32. Re4 Qxf3+ 33. Kxf3 Kg7 34.
Rb1 Bd6 1/2-1/2
[Event "Prague Cez Trophy m"]
[Site "Prague"]
[Date "2009.05.27"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Navara, David"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B73"]
[WhiteElo "2654"]
[BlackElo "2746"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2009.05.27"]
[EventType "match (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "8"]
[EventCountry "CZE"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.02"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. Be3 Nc6 8.
O-O O-O 9. Qd2 Bd7 10. Rfd1 Ng4 11. Bxg4 Bxg4 12. f3 Be6 13. Nce2 Bc4 14. Ng3
Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Bxd4+ 16. Qxd4 b5 17. a4 Qc7 18. Rd2 bxa4 19. Rxa4 Rfc8 20. b3
Bb5 21. Ra3 a5 22. c4 a4 23. Nf1 Bd7 24. bxa4 Qxc4 25. e5 Bxa4 26. exd6 exd6
27. Qxc4 Rxc4 28. Ne3 Rc1+ 29. Kf2 Bc6 30. Rxa8+ Bxa8 31. Rxd6 1/2-1/2