How to Slay the Sicilian Dragon!

The final round of the INSOFAR team event last Sunday saw an interesting game between Rizal Ahmad Kamal  from Nusa Mahkota Chess Club against Abdullah Che Hassan from Passion and Glory. Below is the game annotated by Rizal. My annotation is in italic.

In this game, Rizal show how to deal with the dreaded Sicilian Dragon!

Rizal Ahmad Kamal - Abdullah Che Hassan
201 INSOFAR Team Event, Round 6, 16.1.2011

Analyzed by Rizal Ahmad kamal and Hairulov+Fritz  in italic


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 Bd7 Rizal: 9... Nd7 A week before this game, Fairin opted for this specific sideline and managed to defeat me
10. O-O-O Ne5 11. Bb3 Qa5 12. h4 12. Bh6 I had also considered this during the game, just like my latest
encounter against Hanif Arkurni (see my blog) 12...Rfc8 13. Kb1 

It is hard to see the point behind this high quality waiting move until you actually play it and feel it! 13. h5 is also a promising continuation, but according to my personal database, Abdullah Che Hassan has experienced this move before and I suppose, he must had studied it. 13...Nc4 14. Bxc4 Rxc4 15. Nb3 Qc7 16.Bd4 Be6 17. h5 a5 18. a4 These are all theories. However, the most important fact is that, this was played by Abdullah Che Hassan himself in National Closed 2010 (or 2009)} 18...Rb4 18... Qc6 was played by Abdullah Che Hassan in the aforementioned encounter.  19. hxg6

19...fxg6 Rizal: 19... hxg6 is normally played. Hairulov: 19... hxg6 is the line suggest by Fritz . I think 19.fxg6?! is a dubious move here . In Dragon opening, black usually have to chooce whether to take on g6 with h or f-pawn. Taking with the h-pawn is usually preferred because it didn't exposed black's king from check by white's queen or bishop on the  g8-a2 diaganol. However the drawback is black have to deal with white pressure on h-file if white choose to double or triple his rooks and queen along the file.


If black choose to take with f- pawn (fxg6) instead, he can defend his vulnerable 7th rank square especially h7 and g7 by putting  his queen or rooks on his 7th rank. The main drawback is white's queen or light square bishop can exploit the weakness on the g8-a2 diagnaol. 

20. Rh4?! Rizal: 20. Bxf6! Bxf6 21. Nd5 was suggested in one of Gufeld's Sicilian Dragon's books.21... Bxd5 22. Qxd5+ Kg7 23. Rxh7+ Kxh7 24. Qf7+ Kh6 25. f4 Kh5 26. Qh7+ Kg4 27. Qh3+ Kxf4 28. Rf1+ Kxe4 29. Qf3+ Ke5 30. Re1+ Re4 31. Qxe4#  20... Qc4

Abdullah Che Hassan(left) against Rizal Ahmad Kamal. Position after 20...Qc4. 

Hairulov: Black can take charge with 20... Rc8! 21. Rdh1 Bxb3 22. cxb3 e5  21. Rdh1 As this is a rapid 25 minutes game, I had no ample time to calculate anything else except preparing for the possible mating attack  21... h5 22. g4 Hairulov: 22. e5!? also looks strong...22...dxe5 23. Bxe5  22... Rxb3  Hairulov: 22... b5 looks like  a strong counter attacking idea     23. cxb3 Qxb3? Hairulov: lesser evil is 23... Nxe4  24. Nxe4 Qxd4 25. Qxd4 Bxd4 24. gxh5 Rc8 24... Nxh5? will be answered with 25.Rxh5! Bxd4 (25...gxh5 26.Qg5 win ) 26.Qxd4 gxh5 27.Rg1win 25. hxg6 Rxc3 Diagram Rizal : An important moment. I had more time but now I spent more time calculating the double Rooks sacrifice. Suddenly I noticed that, black was threatening a mate in one. Therefore...   26. Qxc3 The correct capture -NM Kamalarifin.  The most important point is that, white has not invest anything yet! 26. Rh8+ Bxh8 27. Rxh8+ (27. Qh6 $4 Qa2#) 27... Kxh8 28. Qh6+ ( 28. Bxf6+ Kg8 29. Bxc3 Qa2+ 30. Kc1 Bb3 31. Qh2 Qa1+ 32. Kd2 Qd1+ 33. Ke3 Qc1+ 34. Kf2 Qc2+ 35. Kg3 Qxh2+ 36. Kxh2 b6 37. Bd4 Bxa4 38. Bxb6 Kg7 39. Bxa5 Kxg6
40. b4 {Probably only a draw}) 28... Kg8 29. Bxf6 Qa2#  26...Qa2+ 27. Kc1 Qxa4 28. Rh7 Qb5 

29. Rxg7+! Kxg7 30. Bxf6+ exf6 Hairulov: 30... Kxg6 will not save the game for e.g.31. Rg1+ Kf7 32. Rg7+ Kf8 33. Kd2 win  31. Qc7+ Bd7

 32. Qxd7+!  Hairulov: A fancy finish. after 32...Qxd7 33. Rh7+ Kxg6 34. Rxd7 White has a whole Rook  1-0  A nice game by Rizal Ahmad Kamal