How Do Beginners Play Against the Yugoslav Attack

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CoolBreezeG

I feel like White simply plays Bh6, h4-h5 and does whatever else he needs to open the h-file and keep throwing things at Black's king until something works. Maybe it wins, maybe it doesn't but it's a clear plan for White to try and follow. Black's plan doesn't seem so clear. There are exchange sacrifices and all that but none of this seems obvious to me while White's plan seems so obvious that any beginner will at least have an idea of what to do.

I know that people say that it doesn't matter what you play as a beginner but they also say that a plan is better than no plan and it seems like Black's plans are just way too sophisticated to just play without knowing a lot of stuff beforehand. Is this so? Is it possible for Black to get by just playing good logical moves as White does?

Yigor

There is one straightforward move 9...Na5 counter-attacking that Yugoslav bishop on c4. bn.pngblitz.pngwb.pngpeshka.png

Eipgo

Black has to know his stuff, but the same could be said about White! The Yugoslav variation is very sharp, but for both players. In the variations where Black answers h4 with h5 White often commits to sacrifice the g and h pawns, as well as an exchange in order to attack black's king. Black can return some of the material and stop the attack. It is a very theoretical variation. If you want to play the Dragon, you need a bit of knowledge, since you need to take care of White's attack. After that, Black can also counterattack on the queenside. If you are looking for something a bit diferent, maybe you can check the Chinese Dragon, where Black plays his rook to b8 (instead of c8), plays a quick b5 and follows with Na5-Nc4, intending to recapture on c4 with the pawn, and opening the b file for the rook against the king.

imsighked2

It's funny the lure of the Sicilian Dragon for beginners. I played the Dragon for a long time, even learned the Soltis Variation, but eventually switched to the Sicilian Taimanov and then the Najdorf.  I figured if you have to learn a lot of theory, as you do with the Dragon, you may as well learn the Najdorf. I've noticed that most GM games with the Dragon use the Soltis Variation. There is a nice article on this site about that variation, if you are interested:


https://www.chess.com/article/view/history-of-opening-theory-soltis-vriation-of-the-dragon

CoolBreezeG

Thanks for the help guys.

ThrillerFan
HinduLoving wrote:
CoolBreezeG wrote:

I feel like White simply plays Bh6, h4-h5 and does whatever else he needs to open the h-file and keep throwing things at Black's king until something works. Maybe it wins, maybe it doesn't but it's a clear plan for White to try and follow. Black's plan doesn't seem so clear. There are exchange sacrifices and all that but none of this seems obvious to me while White's plan seems so obvious that any beginner will at least have an idea of what to do.

I know that people say that it doesn't matter what you play as a beginner but they also say that a plan is better than no plan and it seems like Black's plans are just way too sophisticated to just play without knowing a lot of stuff beforehand. Is this so? Is it possible for Black to get by just playing good logical moves as White does?

My strategy would be, as black, to push my kingside pawns and fight back and then if I win on the kingside I am already better in the center and the queenside and will succeed for sure.

 And that would explain why you are weak!  You are clearly clueless about a very basic concept.  Do not advance pawns on the side in which you are weak.  In the Yugoslav attack, Black must attack the White king or aim for an equal endgame.