Dragon’s fire 2 Raymond Keene
Last week I commented favourably on Andrew Greet’s book on the Accelerated Dragon. In passing, I mentioned that the standard dragon itself is full of tactical possibilities for Black, even without the potential extra tempo conferred by the accelerated kingside fianchetto. This week’s game and puzzle are cases in point.
O’Dell–Keene: British Schools, 1966; Sicilian Defence 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 Be3 Bg7 7 f3 0-0 8 Qd2 Nc6 9 00-0 d5 10 Be2 Better alternatives are 10 exd5 and 10 Qe1. The text permits Black to achieve all his objectives in the Dragon. After 10 exd5 a possible line is 10 ... Nxd5 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 Nxd5 (Tisdall–Keene, Aarhus 1983, went 12 Bd4 e5 13 Bc5 Re8 14 Nxd5 cxd5 15 Qxd5 Qxd5 16 Rxd5 Be6 17 Rd6 Bxa2 18 b3 Rec8 19 Rd5 a5 20 Kb2 a4 21 Kxa2 axb3+ 22 Kxb3 Ra5 23 Bc4 draw agreed) 12 ... cxd5 13 Qxd5 Qc7. The game Adams–Fedorov, Wijk aan Zee 2001, now continued 14 Qc5 Qb8 15 Qa3 Be6 16 Ba6 Qe5 17 g3 Rad8 18 Bf4 Qf6 19 Rhe1 Bf5 20 Rxd8 Rxd8 21 c3 Qb6 22 Be3 Bh6 23 f4 Qc6 24 Bd2 Black has very good play for the pawn; at this point he played 24 ... Qd5 and went on to win, but a much more effective method was 24 ... Rd6! 25 Bf1 (or 25 Be2 Qe4) 25 ... Qd5, and now 26 Rd1 Qe4; or 26 Be3 Qe4; or 26 Re2 Qd3. 10 . . . Nxd4 11 Bxd4 dxe4 12 fxe4 Be6 13 h4 Qa5 14 a3 Rfd8 15 Qe3 h5 Blocking White’s attack and preparing a safe haven for the king on h7. 16 Rhf1 Kh7 17 Qf2 Rac8 18 Rg1 b5 19 e5 Nd5 20 Nxd5 Rxd5 21 g4 Qa4 22 Bf3 After a slow start White finally appears to have got his act together. He is well defended along the second rank against Black’s attack, he is menacing Black’s rook on d5 and White’s kingside pawns are at long last making contact with the opposition. However, precisely at this moment Black can inaugurate a tactical firestorm involving the sacrifice of both rooks, which reduces White’s position to a wilderness. 22 . . . Rxd4 23 Rxd4 Rxc2+ 24 Qxc2 Qxd4 25 Rf1 Bxe5 Eliminating the last bastions on the long dark diagonal. 26 Be4 Qe3+ 27 Kb1 Qh3 28 Re1 Qxg4 29 Ka1 Qg3 A double attack which obliterates the final traces of resistance. 30 Qe2 Qxa3+ 31 Kb1 Ba2+ 32 Ka1 Bb3+ 33 Kb1 Qa2+ White resigns Black to play. This position is from McShane– Hansen, Copenhagen 1999. Black has just given up a piece by playing ... Bxh3 (which White then recaptured). The point of this sacrifice was revealed by Black’s next move. What was it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 13 May or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7961 0058. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of £20.
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