Saturday, December 18, 2021

A Yugoslav Dragon

Few opponents these days play the Yugolav as white against the Dragon, but I got to play one today from a player rated 200 points higher than me.

e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Bc4 Nc6 9. Qd2 Bd7 10. h4 Qa5 11. g4 Rfc8 12. Bb3 Ne5 13. h5 Nc4 14. Bxc4 Rxc4 15. Nb3 Qc7 16. Bh6?

White has blundered. Correct for black now is 16...Rxc3!, the idea being that white cannot take 17 bxc3 because of 17...Nxe4! 18 fxe4 Bxc3+, winning white's queen. But if 17 Qxc3, then black simply trades queens on c3 and takes the Bishop on h6.

16...Bxh6? 17 Qxh6 Rxc3 18. bxc3 Qxc3+ 19. Ke2 Bb5+(?) Stockfish prefers 19...Nxg4.

20. Kf2 Qxc2+ 21 Kg3? (missing 21 Qd2) gxh5? 21 g5?? (Black now has a forced mate) Nxe4+ 23. fxe4 Qd3+ 24. Kf2 Qe2+ 25. Kg3 Qg4+ 26. Kf2 Qe2+ 27. Kg3 Qe3+ 28. Kh2 Qf4+? (Missing 28...Qf2+ 29.Kh3 Bd7+ 30.Qe6 Bxe6#) 29 Kh3 Bd7+? Stockfish says it is no longer forced mate!

30. Kg2 Qxe4+ 31. Kf2 Qf4+ 32. Ke2 (Stckfish prefers 32 Ke1, sayting that after 32 Ke2 black again has forced mate) Bb5+ 33. Kd1 Qf3+ 34. Kc2 Rc8+ 35. Kb2 Qc3+ 36. Ka3 Rc4!37. Rac1 Ra4#

No comments: