Black fianchettoes the bishop on g7, where it bears down the long diagonal toward d4, c3 and b2. This course covers the razor-sharp Yugoslav Attack (9.Bc4 and 9.O-O-O), the quieter Classical 6.Be2 and the Levenfish 6.f4, plus the classic traps on both sides. This is a advanced opening course for Black (ECO B70) with 4 variations and 3 traps, written for players rated around 1900. Each move is explained and then drilled on a board; it is free.
Key ideas of Sicilian Dragon
The Dragon bishop on g7 is Black's best piece: keep it, and trade White's dark-squared bishop for something else only if you must.
Use the half-open c-file: ...Rc8, ...Ne5-c4 and the exchange sacrifice ...Rxc3 to break up White's queenside king.
Against the Yugoslav Attack, speed decides: White wants h4-h5 and Bh6, so Black must attack on the queenside at once.
The central break ...d5 is Black's strongest freeing move when White's pieces are not yet coordinated (9.O-O-O d5!).
Against slow systems (6.Be2), Black has time for ...Be6, ...Na5-c4 and pressure on the c-file and long diagonal.
Watch for White's bishop on c4: it is loose on the c-file, and Black can often win it with ...Nxd4 and ...Rxc4 or ...Be6xc4.
Variations you learn
Yugoslav Attack 9.Bc4 – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 …. White plays Be3, f3, Qd2, Bc4 and O-O-O, aiming at h4-h5 and Bh6. Black answers with ...Bd7, ...Rc8 and ...Ne5, and in the modern Chinese/Topalov line meets Kb1 with ...Re8 and h4 with ...h5.
Yugoslav Attack 9.O-O-O d5 – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 …. If White castles long before playing Bc4, Black strikes in the centre with 9...d5!, opening the long diagonal. After the exchanges on d5 and c6, Black gets active pieces and good play against White's king.
Classical 6.Be2 – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 …. White develops quietly with Be2, O-O, Be3 and Nb3, then plays f4-f5. Black plays ...Be6, ...Na5 and ...Bc4 to trade off White's good bishop and gets comfortable play on the c-file.
Levenfish 6.f4 – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 …. White plays f4 to push e5 at once. The safest answer is 6...Nc6, trading knights and meeting e5 with ...Nd7. Black gets a sound structure and active pieces after ...d5.
Traps
Magnus Smith trap – A warning for Black. With White's bishop on c4, playing ...g6 together with ...Nc6 lets White trade on c6 and push e5. Capturing with ...dxe5?? allows Bxf7+, which uncovers the d-file and wins the queen.
Yugoslav: the loose bishop on c4 – A trap for Black to spring. In the 9.Bc4 Yugoslav, once Black's rook is on c8, the bishop on c4 is only screened by the c6 knight. If White plays an attacking move like h4 instead of Bb3, Black takes on d4 and the rook captures the bishop.
Yugoslav: castling into ...Bxc4 – A trap for Black to spring. After 9.Bc4 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Be6, Black's bishop attacks the c4 bishop, which no white piece defends. White must play 11.Bb3; the natural 11.O-O-O?? just loses a piece.
The line trainer
The line trainer for Sicilian Dragon has 50 lines that grow out of 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6, learned a few new ones a day with spaced-repetition review.
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