Exeter Chess Club

Black's chances in the Dragon

Black's chances in the Dragon: Prokopp - Deuel (corr. 1986)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Qd2 O-O 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. h4 Rc8 11. Bb3 Ne5 12. O-O-O

-+tD-Tj+
Xx+lXxLx
-+-X-Sx+
+-+-S-+-
-+-Np+-P
+bN-Bp+-
pPpQ-+p+
+-Kr+-+r
a typical Dragon line

12... Nc4 picks up a bishop

13. Bxc4 Rxc4 14. g4 b5 15. h5 b4 16. Nd5 e6 17. Nxf6+ [17. Nxb4] 17... Qxf6 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. Qh2 Rfc8 20. Rd2 e5 21. g5 Qd8 22. Nb3 [22. Nf5] 22... Qc7 23. Kb1 a5 24. Qf2 Rc6

-+t+-+j+
+-Dl+xL-
-+tX-+x+
X-+-X-P-
-X-+p+-+
+n+-Bp+-
pPpR-Q-+
+k+-+-+r
you can see the potential of the half-open c-file when White castles Q-side

25. f4 ?

allows opening of long diagonal

25... a4 26. Nd4 b3 27. f5 exd4 28. Qh4 bxc2+ 29. Kc1 Qb6 30. Qh7+ Kf8 31. Rdh2 gxf5 32. exf5

-+t+-J-+
+-+l+xLq
-DtX-+-+
+-+-+pP-
x+-X-+-+
+-+-B-+-
pPx+-+-R
+-K-+-+r
32... Qxb2+ 33. Kxb2 dxe3+ 0-1

Let's look at the finish again:

-+t+-J-+
+-+l+xLq
-+tX-+-+
+-+-+pP-
x+-+-+-+
+-+-X-+-
pKx+-+-R
+-+-+-+r
34. Kc1

[34. Qxg7+ Kxg7 35. Rh7+ Kf8 is lost]

34... Bb2+ 35. Kxb2 Rb8+ 36. Ka1 c1=Q+ 37. Rxc1 Rxc1# 0-1


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This document (sic5.txt.html) was last modified on 25 Jan 1996 by

Dr. Dave