Sicilian Dragon tactics
Two attacks on opposite wings, both real, both fast. The Dragon is the clearest illustration in chess that attacking is arithmetic.
- 120 positions in the course
- Difficulty 1056–2363
- Section: Openings
- 5 levels
What the Dragon produces tactically
Black fianchettoes on g7 and castles kingside; White castles queenside and pushes the h-pawn. From there both sides are attacking the enemy king with everything, and the game is decided by which attack arrives first, not by which is prettier.
The characteristic tactics are the exchange sacrifice on c3, which destroys White's pawn cover and activates the g7 bishop; the trade of dark-squared bishops, which is White's main way of blunting it; and sacrifices on h5, h7 and d5 to open the last line.
How to spot it
- Count tempi in both attacks. Whoever arrives first wins, and the count is short enough to actually do.
- The g7 bishop is Black's most important piece. Any tactic that opens the long diagonal is worth material.
- Rxc3 is a standard move here, not a desperate one.
- The h-file is White's route in. Look at every move that opens it, including sacrifices.
Three Dragon positions
Three positions from the 120 in this skill, easiest first. The highlighted squares are the move your opponent has just played. Work it out before you open the answer.
Position 1
White to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
18...Rae8 19.Bxf7+ Rxf7 20.Qxe8+
The line wins a piece. Both sides are attacking and the position is decided by which attack arrives first, which is what the move shown settles.
The position comes from an endgame of a real game, rated 1056 for difficulty. The answer reaches a clear advantage.
Position 2
White to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
19...Ba4 20.Qd4 e5 21.Qxa4
The line wins a piece. Both sides are attacking and the position is decided by which attack arrives first, which is what the move shown settles.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 1703 for difficulty. The answer reaches a clear advantage.
Position 3
Black to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
18.Nd5 18...Nxd5 19.Bxg7 19...Nc3+
The line comes out level on material and ahead on position. Both sides are attacking and the position is decided by which attack arrives first, which is what the move shown settles.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 2019 for difficulty. The answer reaches a clear advantage.
The Yugoslav Attack
The critical test is the Yugoslav Attack -- Be3, Qd2, Bc4, castling long, h4-h5. If you play the Dragon you will meet it constantly, and it is one of the few opening lines where knowing the theory is close to compulsory.
The general defensive principle for Black is speed over solidity: a move spent defending is a move not spent attacking, and in a race that is usually the losing trade.
Questions people ask
Is the Sicilian Dragon good for club players?
It is exciting and it teaches attacking chess extremely well, but it is unforgiving: the Yugoslav Attack is heavily analysed and a defender who does not know it tends to lose quickly.
Why is it called the Dragon?
The traditional explanation is that Black's pawn structure on the kingside -- pawns on d6, e7, f7, g6, h7 -- was thought to resemble the constellation Draco.
Nearby patterns
Dragon sits in Openings. The rest of that section:
- Italian GameTactics against f7 and the centre
- Ruy LopezTactics from the Spanish
- ScotchOpen the centre immediately
- King's GambitSacrifice a pawn on move two
- ViennaAttack without the theory
- SicilianThe sharpest reply to e4
- NajdorfThe most analysed line in chess
- French DefenseLocked centre, wing play
- Caro-KannSolid, but not quiet
- ScandinavianTake on d5 immediately
- Queen's GambitThe classical centre
- King's IndianGive up the centre, attack the king
- EnglishFlank play and transpositions
- London SystemThe same setup every game
- Opening TrapsPunishing early mistakes