You can avoid the Dragon with one of the anti-Sicilians (Grand Prix Attack, Closed Sicilian, Morra Gambit).
What against the Dragon?
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do you have experience with these? How solid are there? If I learn something new I want a solid anti sicilian I can play in future tournements
If you're sure your opponent is more "booked up" on a line than you are it's a good idea to avoid such lines, providing you can play something else you at least have a clue about. If you're OK with a draw look into the Closed SD which is safe, sound and relatively unpopular compared to all the SD Open Variations because it leads to closed or semi-closed positions that aren't flashy or exciting compared to the Dragon or Najdorf Variations.
I would be happy with a draw personally, but it is a team match and we could use a win on my board. But i will look into the closed SD since a draw is much better than a loss. so my choices are Closed SD or an anti SD such as Grand Prix Atttack or Morra Gambit.
The Smith-Morra Gambit is dubious, if not flat out unsound. You don't see too many GMs playing it in serious games. The Grand Prix Attack is probably OK and you could also look into the Rossolimo/Moscow Variations (3.Bb5 vs 2...d6 or 2...Nc6). The Rossolimo Var is a straightforward attempt to maintain an edge in development, it's safe and sound but not as ambitious as the SD Main Lines (Najdorf, Dragon, etc)
The Grand Prix Attack has been played by several English GMs like Gawain Jones, Mark Hebden, Nigel Short, James Plaskett, etc... It might be usefull to find out what your opponent plays against these Anti-Siclians so you can narrow your opening preperation.
Thank you very much both for your imput, I will post again when I do more research
1random wrote:
can you explain this more please 1random?
Both the morra and the alapin can be very tricky for black,
Suele wrote:
Michael, do you generally like playing open sicilians as white, and are comfortable with them but just find the dragon particularly difficult or is it a case of open sicilians generally being difficult to play against?
If it's the first then I'd try to study up on the Yugoslav Attack, if it's second then I think the Smith-Morra Gambit is a solid way to play against 1...c5 but requires a lot less theory. Like NimzoRoy says, it's not played much at GM level, but at club level I think it's a good option against an opponent who "out-sicilians" you.
I enjoy playing against the SD, in this case I know that he prefers this line and I feel like I go in with a disadvantage if I play his game
perhaps I should look into to both attacks
bronsteinitz wrote:
Both the morra and the alapin can be very tricky for black,
what is the alapin?
1random wrote:
This is the main line of this variation.
you suggest I let him play the dragon and aim to play against it a certain way?
The dragon loses by force to the Yugoslav attack so why avoid it?
Ok so several people have suggested the Yugoslav attck so that is where I will start. I have a month so I will also check out the other suggestions during that time
Scottrf wrote:
The dragon loses by force to the Yugoslav attack so why avoid it?
Maybe, if white learns all the million lines(black has to learn them too).
Maybe you can try some earlier deviations like h3 and g4. Or maybe a Nde2 and g3 strategy? I'm sure there are lots of rare sidelines that will do well for you.
Scottrf wrote:
The dragon loses by force to the Yugoslav attack so why avoid it?
Yeah right. I doubt that it is. Show me a line.
Yugoslav attack is really a good attack towards the dragon. The main point of it, is that your kingside pawns are going to attack his/her king. while hes trying for counterattack on the queenside, white already has the attack and is ready to open up the position by h4,h5 etc.
I am playing a match next month in person and I am white. I usually play e4, but I know that my opponent will play the dragon. How should I play against that or should I play something new? He is about 150 points higher than I am