1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
The fianchetto Sicilian — Black's dark-squared bishop breathes fire.
Famous practitioners: Garry Kasparov, Teimour Radjabov, Sergei Tiviakov
Starting position
0 / 10 moves
Exchange Sac on c3
Black sacrifices the rook on c3! Recapturing shatters White's queenside pawns and unleashes the Dragon bishop.
The Yugoslav Attack is the most critical test for the Dragon. White castles queenside and sends pawns h4-h5-h6 at Black's king. Black must counterattack on the c-file with Rc8 and push queenside pawns. Both sides are racing to mate the other — a single tempo can decide the game.
White plays h4-h5 storm while Black counterattacks on the c-file — a race to deliver checkmate
Black's classic tactical idea in the Dragon: sacrifice the c-file rook onto c3! Recapturing with bxc3 shatters White's queenside pawns and removes a key defender. The Dragon bishop on g7 then dominates the long diagonal, White's exposed king and disconnected pawns become permanent liabilities.
...Rxc3! destroys the queenside structure — the Dragon bishop dominates after bxc3
In the Soltis Variation of the Yugoslav Attack, Black plays 12...Rfe8!? followed by 13...h5! — seemingly stopping White's h5 push, but actually preparing a powerful king march to h7. The rook on e8 defends against e5 breaks and Black's plan is ...Rh8, ...Bh6 to trade off White's attacking bishop. A deeply researched, computer-approved defensive setup.
12...Rfe8! and 13...h5! — the Soltis Defense stops the h-file storm and prepares counterplay
White plays an early Bc4 to pressure d5 and eyeball f7. If Black carelessly plays 6...Bg7?? White can strike with 7.e5! dxe5 8.Nxe5 and the knight on e5 along with the bishop on c4 create enormous pressure. The standard response is 6...e6 to close the dangerous diagonal before completing development.
6...Bg7?? allows 7.e5! — White wins material with a forced sequence
Dragon Setup
Black commits to ...g6. White decides between the fearsome Yugoslav Attack or calmer lines.
rnbqkb1r/pp2pp1p/3p1np1/8/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 6Scan your Lichess or Chess.com games and see exactly where you lose in this opening — powered by Stockfish 18, free.
Sicilian Defense (Open)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4
The most popular and sharpest response to 1.e4 — asymmetric and combative.
Sicilian Najdorf
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6
The sharpest Sicilian — Fischer and Kasparov's weapon of choice.
French Defense
1.e4 e6
Solid and strategic — the French wall holds and counterattacks.
Caro-Kann Defense
1.e4 c6
Rock-solid — support …d5 without blocking the light bishop.