Sicilian Dragon: Yugoslav Attack

I have decided to start with a very common opening for Black in the Sicilian - The Dragon - which is often met by White's Yugoslav Attack!

The move 5. .. g6 introduces the Dragon variation of the Sicilian Defense. The White system of attack with f3 and Be3 was developed during the 1930's by Vsevelod Rauzer (1908-41) a soviet master noted for his attacking ideas in the opening. The system was not considered particularly dangerous until the 1950's when Vladimir Vukovic and other Yugoslav players strengthened White's offensive. This is the source of it's name - the "Yugoslav Attack"

Of course, as in any opening there are many, many variations on the same theme. I simply intend to give a flavour of each opening variation and stimulate some debate - here is a sample opening in the "Yugoslav":

PGN Viewer courtesy of http://chesstempo.com/

1.e4 and the most popular responses ...

When you are new to chess you often start by playing 1.e4, hoping that maybe your opponent will play 1. ..e5 which is a pattern that you recognise. You may not realise it, but by playing 1.e4 you are actually giving Black the choice of opening!


Here are some of the possible openings that can ensue after 1.e4 ...

1. .. e5 - The Kings Pawn Opening
1. .. c5 - The Sicilian Defense
1. .. d5 - The Centre Counter or Scandinavian
1. .. e6 - The French Defense
1. .. c6 - The Caro Kann
1. .. g6 - The Modern Defense
1. .. b6 - Owen's Defence
1. .. d6 - The Pirc Defence
1. .. Nf6 - Alekhine's Defense

The above openings (not in any particular order) are considered to be the most common.  In the coming weeks I will be looking at the above 1.e4 openings ... and looking at some typical opening setups for Black and White, along with some sample games. I think that every beginner/intermediate player should be aware of the 'mainlines' for these openings at the very least. It is up to each individual to then look further into these openings and perform some in-depth analysis in order to improve and learn an opening thoroughly. Links to wikipedia articles have been provided to help in understanding the main lines for each opening. I will start my writing with probably the most popular response to 1.e4 and that is 1. .. c5 The Sicilian Defense.

Welcome to the Chess Opener!

It is a fact that all chess players would like to know a little more about the chess openings. Some may want to delve deeper into their favourite opening whilst others may simply want to try and understand an opening that they've yet to play ... Whatever the reason, it is important that as chess players, we understand the basic ideas behind each opening before trying them out in a serious game ... This can save you valuable time in club games - regardless of whether or not you're a very tactical player!

I have created this Blog to concentrate solely on chess openings and theory ... It will be a great accompaniment to the other Blog - The Chess Tactician