[Event "Rated Rapid game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/9q90HdeA"] [Date "2023.05.12"] [White "Chessegg"] [Black "dawnrule"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2652"] [WhiteTitle "IM"] [BlackElo "2511"] [TimeControl "600+2"] [Termination "Normal"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B77"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/mbodek"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/vtzse5Aw/2giRTKt1"] [Orientation "white"] { This game was played between Craig Hilby of Capital One and Andrew Lu of DRW } 1. e4 { [%clk 0:10:00] } 1... c5 { [%clk 0:10:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:10:01] } 2... d6 { [%clk 0:10:00] } 3. d4 { [%clk 0:10:02] } 3... cxd4 { [%clk 0:10:01] } 4. Nxd4 { [%clk 0:10:04] } 4... Nf6 { [%clk 0:10:03] } 5. Nc3 { [%clk 0:10:05] } 5... g6 { Black plays the Sicilian Dragon, a sharp and exciting opening in which white launches an attack on the kingside, and black counterattacks on the queenside } { [%clk 0:10:05] } 6. Be3 { [%clk 0:10:06] } 6... Bg7 { [%clk 0:10:06] } 7. f3 { [%clk 0:10:07] } 7... Nc6 { [%clk 0:10:07] } 8. Qd2 { [%clk 0:10:08] } 8... O-O { [%clk 0:10:09] } 9. Bc4 { [%clk 0:10:07] } 9... Bd7 { [%clk 0:10:10] } 10. h4 { This is a position that has been reached hundreds of times in master level play. White wants to play h5 and sacrifice the h-pawn to open up the h-file which puts the black king in serious danger. Black wants to put a rook on c-file and sacrifice the rook for the knight on c3 to both eliminate a dangerous attacker and generate counterplay on the queenside } { [%clk 0:10:08] } 10... Rb8 { This move is uncommon and feels slow. The rook on b8 is not generating active counterplay against white's pieces } { [%clk 0:10:00] } (10... Rc8 11. Bb3 h5 12. O-O-O Ne5 { Is the most common way to play this opening, and the resulting position is incredibly sharp and double edged }) 11. Bb3 { Getting the bishop out of harms way } { [%clk 0:10:03] } 11... Nxd4 { This feels like another mistake, black wants to get rid of white's attackers, though as we shall soon see, the white bishop on b3 is a more dangerous piece than the knight on d4. Instead black could have eliminated the dangerous bishop by playing } { [%clk 0:09:02] } (11... Na5 { and the bishop on b3 can no longer be saved }) 12. Bxd4 { [%clk 0:10:05] } 12... Qa5 { [%clk 0:09:03] } 13. h5 { Because of black's slow play, white is already able to crash through } { [%clk 0:09:53] } 13... Nxh5 { [%clk 0:08:09] } 14. Bxg7 { [%clk 0:09:53] } 14... Kxg7 { [%clk 0:08:08] } 15. g4 { The black knight needs to retreat to f6 so that h7 is defended when white plays Qh6 check, though f6 is not a stable defensive square, and the knight will soon become dislodged } { [%clk 0:09:51] } 15... Nf6 { [%clk 0:08:04] } 16. Qh6+ { [%clk 0:09:36] } 16... Kg8 { [%clk 0:08:03] } 17. g5 { [%clk 0:08:02] } 17... Nh5 { The knight has to block the h-file to prevent while from playing Qxh7. However this is not enough to save the game, as white has enough attackers to completely strip the black king of its cover } { [%clk 0:07:59] } 18. Rxh5 { [%clk 0:08:02] } 18... gxh5 { [%clk 0:07:59] } 19. g6 { [%clk 0:08:04] } 19... hxg6 { [%clk 0:07:55] } 20. Qxg6+ { The bishop on b3 pins the pawn on f7, so it cannot capture the queen on g6. Since black was unable to eliminate the bishop, it can now play a pivotal role in the white attak } { [%clk 0:08:03] } 20... Kh8 { [%clk 0:07:57] } 21. Qh6+ { [%clk 0:08:04] } 21... Kg8 { [%clk 0:07:58] } 22. O-O-O { Now the rook prepares to attack the black king on the open g-file } { [%clk 0:07:43] } 22... Rfc8 { [%clk 0:07:45] } 23. Nd5 { 1-0 Black resigns. } { With checkmate threatened on e7, and the g-file wide open, black resigns. As Bobby Fischer once said, the best way to play white against the Sicilian Dragon is h4-h5, sac, sac, mate. In this game, black played too slowly in the opening, and did not create quick enough counterplay, which allowed white to do exactly that } { [%clk 0:05:54] } 1-0