Chinese Dragon

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Blackfoxx

Hello. Since a few days I'm learning the Chinese Dragon, which goes like this:

However, when White plays 10. Bb3 or 10. h4 (the second and third most popular moves respectively), then what should I do? Play entirely different lines? After 10. Bb3 Rb8 I am not comfortable with Nxc6 and the pawn taken on a7 because White has not played 0-0-0 yet. After 10. h4 I think I should either play Rc8 or h5 and those are once again entirely different lines.
Should I just learn those different lines too or is there a decent way to get back to my beloved Chinese Dragon in those variations?
 

Blackfoxx

9. g4 and 9. 0-0-0 from White are familiar to me by the way, even though those have nothing to do with the Chinese Dragon.

Jion_Wansu

You know why it's called the Dragon, right?

Blackfoxx
Jion_Wansu wrote:

You know why it's called the Dragon, right?

Yes.

kleelof
Jion_Wansu wrote:

You know why it's called the Dragon, right?

Because it sounds cool? Laughing

Once, back before I started studying chess, someone said to me "This is the Sicilian Dragon" then started talking about how he could see 5 or 6 moves ahead.Smile

TheGreatOogieBoogie

I found an interesting line:



hudaneblue

That was interesting

csalami

Against 10. h4 the Chinese dragon is just too slow, you should play h5. I don't know anything about 10. Bb3, but you could try Na5 (which you would play in the Chinese dragon anyway) hoping to transpose. But I think after 11. h4 you would just be in a normal soltis variation.
The Chinese dragon is good but you can't play it against anything. 

01luckyluke

why do u call it as dragon?

Blackfoxx

Thanks for that line, TheGreatOogieBoogie. It's possible that I get it on the board.
@ csalami Against 10. h4 I will indeed just play something else. The main lines actually, with Rc8 Bb3 Ne5 0-0-0 h5 just being the Soltis Variation as you already said. Against 10. Bb3 the computer actually gives Na5 as the #1 move, but I'm always a bit hesitant with computer moves in the opening / early middlegame. In my livebook after Na5 0-0-0 has 72 games and h4 62 games, and after h4 h5 it's once again an entirely different line. So I guess against both 10. Bb3 and h4 I will play the normal/regular Soltis Variation. Thanks for your input, it was helpful.

@PinkPanther because of the pawn structure it has the shape of a dragon, lolz 

Jion_Wansu
kleelof wrote:
Jion_Wansu wrote:

You know why it's called the Dragon, right?

Because it sounds cool? 

Once, back before I started studying chess, someone said to me "This is the Sicilian Dragon" then started talking about how he could see 5 or 6 moves ahead.

No. It's because black's pawn structure looks like a dragon

mokerslag

I think you can't transpose to the Chinese Dragon again. I remember playing 10.Bb3 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 b5 with black, which should be ok.

Blackfoxx

Ok, well since transposition here is a tough task to say the least I might as well check that and other variations out. Thanks for the input.

kleelof
Jion_Wansu wrote:
kleelof wrote:
Jion_Wansu wrote:

You know why it's called the Dragon, right?

Because it sounds cool? 

Once, back before I started studying chess, someone said to me "This is the Sicilian Dragon" then started talking about how he could see 5 or 6 moves ahead.

No. It's because black's pawn structure looks like a dragon

Widipedia seems to disagree with you:

The name "Dragon" was first coined by Russian chess master and amateur astronomer Fyodor Dus-Chotimirsky who noted the resemblance of Black's kingside pawn structure to the constellation Draco.[4]

shivaji1varad

its silican dragon