Monday, July 26, 2010

Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation

VICTOR KORCHNOI vs. BORIS SPASSKY
Leningrad 1948
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Levenfish Variation

1. e4, c5
2. Nf3, d6
3. d4, cxd4
4. Nxd4, Nf6
5. Nc3, g6

The Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defense. In this variation, Black controls the a1-h8 diagonal by placing a Bishop at g7. The Dragon Variation is one of the sharpest variations of the Sicilian Defense, making it one of the sharpest of all chess openings.

6. f4 ....

The Levenfish Variation.  It is named after Russian GM Grigory Levenfish who recommended its use in the 1937 Russian Chess Yearbook. The move 6.f4 prepares 7.e5 attacking Black's f6 Knight. One may continue 6...Nc6 or 6...Nbd7 to prevent 7.e5 before continuing with the normal Dragon moves of Bg7 and 0-0.

According to Wikipedia, 6...Bg7 is not playable, as 7. Bb5+ proves to be horrible for black. The check must be dealt with and there are 3 ways to accomplish this that should be considered. The first is Nc6, which simply loses material.  We will therefore concentrate on a piece moving to d7 to block the check. Now white can play 8. e5 attacking the black knight on f6, it doesn't matter whether the pawns are exchanged first with 8... dxe5 9. fxe5 or the pawn is left alone; the knight is almost forced to move back 9... Ng8 or 9... Nh5 and now the killing blow of 10. e6 after the only move to save material 10... fxe6 11. Nxe6 and the black position is collapsing.

6. .... Bg4
7. Bb5+, Nbd7
8. Bxd7+, Qxd7
9. Qd3, e5
10. Nf3, Bxf3
11. Qxf3, Qg4??
12. Nd5!!, Resigns

Black loses either his Knight or his Queen. A very instructive game by Viktor Korchnoi.  Spassky forgot one of the most basic rules in chess "Don't be a goose and leave a piece loose!"

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