Sicilian Dragon - Refutation of ...Qa5

(3) Hernandez,Gilberto (2525) - Amura,Claudia Noemi (2365) [B79]
Balaguer op Balaguer, 1997
[Martin,A]
I come to bury ...Qa5, not to praise him. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 d6 8.f3 0–0 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Qa5 11.Kb1 Rfc8 12.Bb3 Rab8 Diagram
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Bobotsov's move, planning b7-b5 and then ...Ne5-c4, recapturing with the pawn on c4. The Rook on b8 then comes into play.Positional considerations can now be dispensed with; White should just get on with it! 13.h4! b5 14.h5 Nxh5 [One could call 14...b4 'consistent': 15.Nd5! the traditional recipe of stripping away the piece cover around the Black King. 15...Nxd5 16.Bxd5 Ne5 17.hxg6 hxg6 18.Bh6 Bf6 19.Bg5 Nc4 20.Qf4 heading for h4 and KAPUT. 20...Na3+ 21.Ka1 Nxc2+ 22.Nxc2 b3 23.Rh8+!! Diagram
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Stoica-Carousa Rumania 1969A wonderful move, worth a diagram of anybody's money. What a crusher! 23...Kxh8 (23...Bxh8 24.Qxf7#; 23...Kg7 24.Bxf6+ exf6 25.Qh6#) 24.Bxf6+ Kg8 25.Bxf7+ Kxf7 26.Bc3+ Ke8 27.Bxa5 bxc2 28.Rc1+-] 15.g4 Nf6 16.Nf5!! Diagram
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And here's another bonecrusher which a slow move such as 12...Rab8 has only encouraged. Black is almost certainly busted now. 16...Be6 She realises that she has walked slap bang into a theoretical trap. Taking the Knight is no good either. [16...gxf5 17.Bh6! Ne5 (17...f4 18.Qxf4 b4 19.Bxg7 bxc3 20.Rxh7!+-) 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20.Nd5+-] 17.Nxg7 Kxg7 18.Bh6+ Kg8 19.Bg5 Bxb3 20.cxb3 Nd7 21.Rxh7! Diagram
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The Dragon is a very good opening; you just have to make the right choices, that's all. 21...Nf8 [21...Kxh7 22.Qh2+ Kg8 23.Rh1 f6 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Qxg6! and mate to follow.] 22.Rh3 f6 23.Be3 e6 24.Qh2 b4 25.Rh8+ Kf7 26.Rh1 e5 27.Nd5 Ke6 28.f4 Nd4 29.Rxf8 Rxf8 30.Qh7 12...Rab8 is too slow.I just finished a book on the Dragon and it has been a very interesting experience. Without doubt the Yugoslav Attack is the ONLY way to put any pressure on Black and I found that the way is narrowing for the second player. Perhaps there are one or two lines only that can be recommended. I'm afraid 10...Qa5 isn't one of them.The fuller truth will soon be out there, and yes, you will have to buy the book! 1–0