80/20 Tactics - Sicilian Dragon (Level 3).

IM Valeri Lilov

Question 1.

Although a pawn down, Black has

the bishop pair and dangerous
lines against the White king.

What should Black do next?

Question 2.

How should Black continue his

attack?

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Question 3.

White just played 24.Nc1

defending against Black's mating
threat on a2.

How should Black continue?

Question 4.

White just played 21.d5 and

locked in Black's bishop on b7.

What should Black do about it?

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Question 5.

Black last move was 19...Qg3.

Who is better?

Question 6.

What is Black's best move in the

position?

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Question 7.

What should Black play here?

Question 8.

What is Black's best move in the

position?

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Question 9.

How can Black improve his

attack?

Question 10.

A lot of tempting moves. Can you

find the best for Black?

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Question 11.

This position occurred after the

moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Nd5?!
Nxe4?

What is White's best move here?

Question 12.

White just played e4-e5.

Can Black take the pawn on e5

with ...dxe5?

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Question 13.

Black just played ...Nc6.

What is White's best move?

Question 14.

After the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6

3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
6.f4 Bg7 7.e5 dxe5 8.fxe5, Black
fell into a well-known opening trap
by playing the move 8...Ng4?

How can White seal the deal

here?

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Question 15.

Tempting b2 pawn, dangerous-

looking discovered attack against
the Black queen…

What is Black's best move here?

Question 16.

White went for an early kingside

attack.

How should Black counterattack?

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Question 17.

Black just played ...Ng4, attacking

White's bishop on e3.

What is White's best move?

Question 18.

White just played h2-h4 and wants

to start an attack on the kingside.

What should Black do?

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Question 19.

It seems like White is going to

mate Black soon.

Can you find a defense?

Question 20.

White has a crushing attack… but

how does White win?

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 Solutions

1 Black is winning after 26...e4+ 27.Bd4 (27.Kb1 exf3+) exf3 28.gxf3 Rxd4! 29.Nxd4
Rd8! 30.Qb2 Qb6-+. White loses the knight on d4.
2 Black’s best move is 26...Rxb2! 27.Rxb2 Bxc3! 28.Bd2!? Bxb2+ 29.Kxb2 Rb8+
30.Ka1 c3 (threatening mate on a2) -+.
3 Black has the brilliant tactical resource 24...d3!! 25.cxd3 (25.Qxd3 Qa1+ 26.Bxa1
Ra1#) Bxb3 26.Nxb3 Qa2+ and White gets mated soon.
4 Black should react with 21...Nxb2! 22.Kxb2 Rxc3-+.

5 White is winning. Black missed the move 20.Qf1! with the idea of trapping the
queen with Rh3. Black has to give up his queen.
6 Black wins with the move 36...Qxc3! 37.Qxf3 Qc2+ 38.Ka1 Ra7!!-+.
7 Black has the strong tactical resource 22...Rxa2! 23.Kxa2 Qc7! 24.Ra1 Bxb3+
25.Kb1 (25.Kxb3? Qc4+ 26.Ka3 Qa4#) Bxc2+. Black wins a pawn and is clearly
better.
8 Black’s best move is 19...Nxf3!! 20.Nxf3 Nxe4! 21.Qc1 Nc3+ 22.Ka1 Nxa4-+.
9 Black has the strong move 26...Ra3! 27.bxa3 bxa3+ 28.Kc1 Qc3! 29.Rc4 Rb1+
30.Kxb1 Qb2#.
10 Black’s best move is 27...Bxd4! After 28.Bxd4, Black has Rf1+! 29.Qxf1 Nd2+!.
Black wins.
11 White has the strong continuation 7.Bb5+! Bd7 8.Qe2! Bxb5 (8...Nf6 9.Nxf6#)
9.Qxe4+-.
12 If Black plays ...dxe5, he’ll lose on the spot due to 1.Bxf7+ Kxf7 2.Qxd8+-.
13 Black fell into a well-known opening trap. White can play 1.Nxc6! bxc6 2.e5! and
both the Black knight on f6 and his pawn on c6 are hanging. White is clearly
better.
14 White wins after 9.Bb5+! Kf8 (9...Bd7 10.Qxf4+-) 10.Ne6+!+-. Black loses his
queen.
15 Black’s best move is 1...Nxe4! - a typical idea in the Sicilian Dragon. 2.Nxe4 Bxd4
3.Bxd4 Nxd4 and Black won a pawn.
16 Black should counterattack with the typical exchange sacrifice 1...Rxc3! 2.bxc3
Nxe4. It turns out that Black is at least clearly better, maybe even close to winning.
He’ll win another pawn and has extremely active piece play.
17 White wins with 1.Bb5+! Bd7 2.Qxg4.
18 This position arose from a well-known theoretical line. However, White had to

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 retreat his bishop to b3 instead of playing h2-h4. Here, Black wins a piece with
1...Nxd4 2.Qxd4 (2.Bxd4 Rxc4-+) Ng4! 3.Qd2 Nxe3 4.Qxe3 Rxc4-+.
19 The only move to defend for Black is 1...Rh3! After 2.Rxh3 Qf1+! 3.Kb2 Qxh3,
Black is clearly better due to his material advantage.
20 White wins after 1.Rxd6! (1.Nd5? Re8 and the position is unclear) exd6 2.Nd5!
Black has no defense against Nxf6+ and Qxh7+.

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