Sicilian Dragon

Hi all,

Recently, I picked the sicilian dragon back up. I have played all the variations of the sicilian (I still use some of them as surprise weapons and sometimes don't even play the sicilian at all). I was wondering what your opinions on the dragon are. The concepts are simple, but is black really, with best play, able to hold off whites attack? Or is white able to overcome the dragon? What do you think and why? 

The dragon will never die!

Glad to hear that you still like it Streetfighter :)

It's solid but razor sharp and extremely tactical.  You better know your lines or you will be absolutely destroyed.  No one knows what happens with best play... we haven't gotten there yet.  Very strong players have used it with success though.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1491386

I used to play the dragon as my normal reponse to e4; however, I was advised to try the accelerated dragon instead as it suited my more positional style of play.

I dont know if I think it w ill ever be refuted. It seems pretty hard to crack if black plays right :)

I dont like the accelerated dragon becauseof the maroczy bind

What is the Yugoslav Attack? I have heard about it as a white counterplay to the Dragon.

What is the move order though?

Yugoslav is probably easier to play against. You can atill try d5 in it

Really hate playing against it,and usually i castle kingside and avoid complications but maintain control the centre,oh and try to shut up the bishop with pawn on e5.

It is a strong response to the accelerated dragon; however, it can result in white ending up with a bad bishop against black's good knight.  I'd recommend Andrew Gret's book on the opening.

I would be very annoyed as Black if I had to meet a squeeze like that:

I'm not sure what you mean really, the Maroczy bind is normally played against the accelerated dragon, the Yugoslav attack against the normal dragon - they are different weapons against different (albt related) opennings....

Fischer liked the Yugoslav Attack:

I do think that the critical point hessmaster is making is that the maroczy bind is much harder to play against compared to the yugoslav attack (even though they are different openings [even though they are extremely related]). Of course, each opening has its pros and cons, so it is just Hessmaster's preference. 

I must confess, I find the Maroczy bind easier to play against than the Yugoslav attack - but I guess its down to personal styles :)

I'm sure if the Dragon had been refuted Carlsen wouldn't keep playing it!!

It's not serious to call this "a drawing line". By the way, white is much better in the final position.

10.Kb1 isn't popular anymore because of 10...Rb8.

That's what there is to like about Caruana (& Carlsen!)

Think you know something then all the rules get flung in the bin...

This is why still like chess.