Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav attack, 9.Bc4

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

In chess, B77^[1] is the ECO code for the Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav attack, 9.Bc4 chess opening.

Also known as the Rauzer System or the St George Attack, the Yugoslav attack begins 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4.

Statistically, Chessgames.com's database of nearly 500 high level games shows white achieving victory 43.3 percent, black wining 28.8 percent and 28.0 percent ending in a draw. Similarly, Mega Database 2002 indicates that white scores 52 percent while 66 percent of the over 1,200 games were decisive.

One of Great Britain's strongest grandmasters John Emms notes that "I can safely say that the Yugoslav Attack is the ultimate test of the Dragon. White quickly develops his queenside and castles long before turning his attentions to an all-out assault on the black king. To the untrained eye, this attack can look both awesome and unnerving"^[2]

The Yugoslav attack's main line of 9.Bc4 leads to highly tactical double edged positions . The point of 7.f3, the move that defines the Yugoslav, is to safeguard e4 and to stop Black from playing ...Nf6-g4 harassing White's dark squared bishop. Note that Black cannot play 6...Ng4?? immediately because of 7.Bb5+ winning a piece.

The Yugoslav exemplifies the spirit of the Dragon with race-to-mate pawn storms on opposite sides of the board. White tries to break open the black kingside and deliver checkmate down the h-file, while Black seeks counterplay on the queenside with sacrificial attacks. Typical white strategies are exchanging dark squared bishops by Be3-h6, sacrificing a pawn and sometimes an exchange on h5, exploiting pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal, and the weakness of the d5 square.

Black will typically counterattack on the queenside, using his queenside pawns, rooks, and dark squared bishop. He sometimes plays h5 (the Soltis Variation) to defend against White's kingside attack. Other typical themes for Black are exchanging White's light-square bishop by Nc6-e5-c4, pressure on the c-file, sacrificing the exchange on c3, advancing the b-pawn and pressuring the long diagonal. Black will generally omit ...a6, because White will normally win a straight pawn attack, because Black has given White a hook on g6 to attack. Generally, White will avoid moving their pawns on a2/b2/c2, and so Black's pawn storm will nearly always be slower than White's respective one on the kingside. Black can sometimes obtain an acceptable endgame even after sacrificing the exchange because of White's h-pawn sacrifice and doubled pawns.

In the B77, White most often plays 10.h4 or 10.Bb3. In most Yugoslav games, 0-0-0, h4 and Bb3 are all played by white, yet transition from one variation to another result in tactical loses if accurate play isn't observed.

The position from B77 results in extremely tactical and decisive battles. White keeps a firm grip on the center while advancing aggressively towards the enemy king with f2-f4-f5 and even g2-g3-g4. However, danger exists in overextending and allowing Black to gain the initiative with a deadly counter-attack.

Black's strategy is centered around the half-open c file and his ability to push the a and b pawns. Through out the entire course of the battle, Black will be looking to break the center with an advance from d6-d5.

[edit] See also

• Sicilian Defence
• Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation

[edit] References