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Sicilian: Dragon Variation

The bishop on g7 breathes fire along the long diagonal. Against the Yugoslav Attack both kings are attacked: White pushes h4-h5, Black uses the c-file. Pure race!

Advanced · Sicilian Defence · 21 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Sicilian: Dragon Variation (B76). You play Black. The bishop on g7 breathes fire along the long diagonal. Against the Yugoslav Attack both kings are attacked: White pushes h4-h5, Black uses the c-file. Pure race!

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...c5

Black plays pawn to c5. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 45% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 78% of 797k games.

Step 5

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 41% of 634k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 76% of 262k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...cxd4

Black plays pawn takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 201k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Nxd4

White plays knight takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 94% of 191k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 180k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 97% of 177k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...g6

Black plays pawn to g6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 16% of 183k games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Be3

White plays bishop to e3. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 68% of 30k games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...Bg7

Black plays bishop to g7. It develops the bishop into the game. Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 20k games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.f3

White plays pawn to f3. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 92% of 20k games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 18k games.

Step 16

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.Qd2

White plays queen to d2. It controls the centre (d4). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 12k games.

Step 17

♜︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 9591 games.

Step 18

♜︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 9.Bc4

White plays bishop to c4. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d5). It pins the pawn on f7. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 41% of 16k games.

Step 19

♜︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 9...Bd7

Black plays bishop to d7. It develops the bishop into the game. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 8182 games.

Step 20

♜︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 10.O-O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 65% of 7505 games.

Step 21

♜︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Sicilian: Dragon Variation. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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