By Donaldson & Silman

I (Silman) was recently talking to my friend John Donaldson about the Accelerated Dragon (a long-time favorite of mine, while Donaldson is one of the world’s great authorities on this opening). After the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0–0 0–0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.f4, I used the solid 11…Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc6 13.Qd3 Rad8 in the final years of my career. However, in earlier times I had a real love for 11…Rac8 when both 12.Qf3 and 12.Nf3 are met by 12…Qh5. This favorite of the late grandmaster Leonid Stein scored well for Black in the mid 60s before some setbacks put it on the rubbish heap.

Though it’s not clear that this “Stein Variation” is actually bad for Black, Kapengut wondered if …Rac8 was really necessary, and thus he came up with 11…Qh5. Black had the usual ups and downs before this, too, was relegated to the “theoretically dubious” pile.

11…Qh5, GOOD OR BAD?

 

Years went by and grandmaster Roman Dzindzichashvili became interested in the Accelerated Dragon and infused the opening with many new ideas. In particular, he was quite high on 11…Qh5 (that’s how openings are: they strike fear into various hearts, they get “refuted,” and then they make a comeback), and Gata Kamsky decided to give it a try, too. A brief flurry of international activity followed and then, once again, it was laid to rest…before being raised from the ashes all over again by Dzindzi!

Since retiring from active play, I find myself way out of the theoretical loop and so I was trying to milk Donaldson’s brain. “John, last I heard, 11…Qh5 seemed playable. Has anything new been discovered?”

As a response, JD kindly sent the following annotated game.

By the way, any readers who have experience in the 11…Nxd4, 11…Rc8 followed by 12…Qh5, or in the 11…Qh5 lines are welcome to share their games and/or analysis (click HERE to contact me or HERE to contact Donaldson).

JOHN DONALDSON'S REPLY:

Jeremy, I didn’t see anything convincing for White when we wrote our book and I still don’t see anything now! Here’s the latest.

N Yap – D Blohm [B35]
San Francisco, 2003
Notes by Donaldson
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0–0 0–0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.f4 Qh5 12.Nf3 b5 13.a3 a5 14.Qd3 b4!?

DZINDZHI’S INFLUENCE MAKES ITSELF FELT

More commonly seen is 14...a4, but the text might be better.

15.Nd5

15.Ne2 bxa3 16.Ng3 axb2 and now 17.Nxh5 bxa1=Q 18.Rxa1 Nxh5 is an interesting Queen sacrifice proposed by Blohm's teacher GM Roman Dzindzhihashvili.

AN IMPORTANT POSITION!

The position in the diagram seems fine for Black, but not taking on h5 doesn’t seem to give White anything at all: 17.Ra4 (or 17.Rab1 Nb4 18.Nxh5 Nxd3 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.cxd3 a4 and the two pawns are better than the piece) 17…Qh6 18.f5 g5 19.Bxg5 Ne5 20.Bxh6 Nxd3 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.cxd3 Bxa4. The analysis here, too, is by Dzindzhi.

15.axb4 axb4 16.Rxa8 (16.Nd5 runs into 16...Rxa1 17.Rxa1 Bxh3) 16...Rxa8 17.Ne2 Qa5, =, Hector-Minzer, La Coruna 1995, allows Black to complete his plan of bringing the Queen back to the queenside.

15...a4?!

15...bxa3! 16.Rxa3 Nxd5 puts the onus on White as b2 is hanging.

THE OPENING HASN’T GONE WELL FOR WHITE

Note that 17.exd5 Nb4 wins serious material for Black.

16.Bc4 bxa3 17.Qxa3 Nxd5

17...Nxe4 18.Nb6 Rad8 19.Nxd7 Rxd7 20.Qxa4 is much better for White.

18.Bxd5 Rab8 19.c3 Rfc8

19...e6 was the best try with the idea 20.Qxd6 exd5 21.exd5 Bxh3 22.dxc6 Rxb2 23.gxh3 Qxh3 White should answer 19...e6 with 20.Ba2 and some advantage.

20.Rad1

The immediate 20.Ng5 looks stronger.

20...Be8 21.Ng5 Na5 22.e5 Qe2 23.Bd2 Nc4 24.Qa2

24.Bxc4 Qxc4 25.exd6 exd6 26.Bc1 d5 27.f5, =.

24...Rxb2?

Fritz suggests the interesting line 24...Nxd2 25.Rfe1 (25.Bxf7+ Bxf7 26.Qxf7+ Kh8 27.Qd5 Qe3+ 28.Kh1 Bxe5 29.Qxd2 Qxd2 30.Rxd2 Bf6 31.Ne6 a3 and Black is doing fine.) 25...Qd3.

25.Bxc4 Rxd2 26.Qxd2??

26.Bxf7+ Bxf7 27.Qxf7+ Kh8 28.Rxd2 Qxd2 29.Qe6 Rf8 30.Nf7+ Rxf7 31.Qxf7 h6 32.Rb1 Kh7 33.Rb8 mating. Now Black gets ample compensation for the lost Exchange.

26...Qxd2 27.Rxd2 Rxc4 28.exd6 exd6 29.Rxd6 Bxc3 30.Rd8 Kf8 31.Ra8, 1/2–1/2. Black could consider playing on with 31...h6 32.Nf3 Rxf4.

The improvement 15…bxa3! forces White to find an earlier improvement. At the moment, 11…Qh5! is alive and kicking!