SPOT ON CHESS PUZZLES: The Sicilian Dragon Gets Spanked :(

Sometimes Playing the Dragon Sicilian can be a real drag-on morale. Just ask some of the players at the World Senior Championship currently going on in Terrasini Italy. In round four two players, George Mohr and Darcy Lima, trotted out the Sicilian Dragon and both were roundly defeated. Though this is a bit unfair to devotees of the Dragon Sicilian it does, however, conform with the opinion of most of the top level players. This is to say that the Dragon isn’t quite “solid” enough. Yet it is a powerful surprise weapon when wielded by the right player against the right opponent. As perhaps is always the case with our opening selections when seated across from the “other”.

THE GAMES:

Devaki V Prasad versus Georg Mohr
World Senior Championship, Round 4

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Be3 O-O 9. Qd2 Ng4 10. Bxg4 Bxg4 11. Nd5 Rc8 12. c4 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Rxc4 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. Ne3 Rxe4 16. f3 Bxf3 17. Rxf3 Qb6 18. Kh1 e6 19. h3 f5 20. Rd1 d5 21. b3 Qc7 22. Nc2 Rc8 23. Nd4 a6 24. Re3 Qe5 25. Rxe4 fxe4 26. Qf4 Qf6 27. Qd6 Re8 28. Rc1 Re7 29. Rc8 g5 30. Nf5+ exf5 31. Rg8+ Kf7 32. Rf8+ Kxf8 33. Qxf6+ Ke8 34. Kg1 d4 35. Qxd4 Kf7 36. Qd5+ Kf6 37. g4 fxg4 38. hxg4 e3 39. Qf5+ Kg7 40. Qxg5+ Kf7 41. Kf1 e2+ 42. Ke1 Kf8 43. Qf5+ Ke8 44. a4 Kd8 45. Qf8+ Kd7 46. b4 Resigns 1-0

Ivan Morovic-Fernandez versus Darcy Lima
World Senior Championship, Round 4

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-O-O d5 10. Qe1 e5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Bc4 Be6 14. Kb1 a5 15. Ne4 Qb8 16. Bc5 Re8 17. Ba3 h6 18. g4 Nf4 19. Bxe6 Nxe6 20. h4 Qc7 21. g5 h5 22. Bd6 Qb6 23. Nf6+ Bxf6 24. gxf6 Nf4 25. Be7 Qb5 26. a4 Qxa4 27. Qxe5 Nd5 28. Rxd5 cxd5 29. Qg5 Rec8 30. Qh6 Resigns 1-0

Thanks for joining us all for this edition of SPOT ON CHESS PUZZLES. Let’s all hope for better times ahead… for ourselves and the Dragon Sicilian!!! ~ Sean.