Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation
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| Moves | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | B70–B79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | Louis Paulsen (c. 1880) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Constellation Draco | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Open Sicilian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In chess, the Dragon Variation is one of the main lines of the Sicilian Defence and begins with the moves:
In the Dragon, Black fianchettoes their bishop on the h8–a1 diagonal, building a home for the king on g8 while aiming the bishop at the center and queenside. White frequently seeks to meet Black's setup with Be3, Qd2 and Bh6, exchanging off the dragon bishop, followed by launching a kingside pawn storm with h4–h5 and g4. To involve the a1 rook in the attack, White usually castles queenside, which however places the White king on the semi-open c-file. The result is often some blood-curdling chess where both sides attack the other's king with all available resources: either Black's king bites the dust, or his counterplay arrives just in time that White gets mated instead. The line is one of the sharpest and most aggressive variations of the Sicilian Defence, making it one of the sharpest of all chess openings.
The modern form of the Dragon was originated by German master Louis Paulsen around 1880. It was played frequently by Henry Bird that decade, then received general acceptance around 1900 when played by Harry Nelson Pillsbury and other masters.
The name "Dragon" was first coined by Russian chess master and amateur astronomer Fyodor Dus-Chotimirsky who noted the resemblance of Black's kingside pawn structure to the constellation Draco.
The Yugoslav Attack is considered to be the main line that gives maximum chances for both sides. It continues:
6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3
7... 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6
The Yugoslav Attack exemplifies the spirit of the Dragon with race-to-mate pawn storms on opposite sides of the board. White tries to break open the Black kingside and deliver mate down the h-file, while Black seeks counterplay on the queenside with sacrificial attacks. Typical White strategies are exchanging dark-squared bishops by Be3–h6, sacrificing material to open the h-file, and exploiting pressure on the a2–g8 diagonal and the weakness of the d5 square.
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