Tactics in The Sicilian Dragon 🐉 IM Valeri Lilov [Noon EST, Sat April 14th]

Want to master the Sicilian Dragon? You’ll need to know the typical tactical patterns that frequently occur! IM Valeri Lilov’s course on the Dragon gives you a complete understanding of essential tactical patterns. Get instant access – 50% off during this webinar! ►https://ichs.co/2qv8ZfZ

One of the most aggressive (if not THE most aggressive) lines of the Sicilian, the Dragon variation is a double-edged weapon – ambitious on the one side, but at the same time sharp and risky. One thing is for sure – the Sicilian Dragon has one of the best names out of all chess openings, called so as some people think Black’s kingside pawn structure looks like the mythological creature.

The Sicilian Dragon has been played by many top Grandmasters, including Carlsen, Radjabov, Nakamura, Ivanchuk, Shirov, and Kasimdzhanov. It’s an opening perfect for the tactical player who likes seizing the initiative and making sacrifices that Tal would have been proud of. Black has rich dynamical resources and numerous options to give decent counter play.

In general, with the Sicilian Dragon, Black tries to develop the initiative on the Queen’s side using a strong fianchettoed Bishop, a semi-open c-file and a pawn minority attack.

There are also common recurring tactical ideas, such as sacrificing a rook on c3! The exchange sacrifice on c3 is not only for the attack against the White King; it may be done even when White castles short side. The purpose of this positional sacrifice is to destroy White’s pawn structure and take control over the central e4 and d5 squares. Sometimes, Black even wins the e4 pawn right after taking the c3 Knight. Clearly, if you’re sacrificing a rook, a lot of material, you need to be sure the compensation will work in your favour.

To play any opening well, you need to understand the key tactical ideas behind it. In this webinar, IM Valeri Lilov will take a look at some key positions from games in the Sicilian Dragon and examine some of the common ideas and resources at Black’s disposal, putting high pressure on the opponent who ultimately cracks!

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