The Dragon's Second Life: GM Sina Movahed's Engine-Era Repertoire
For decades, the Dragon existed in uncertain territory—too dangerous to die, too sharp to be trusted. Bobby Fischer declared it lost. Yet there were always believers, grandmasters who saw something the verdict missed. Now, with modern chess engines rewriting opening theory, those believers are proven right. GM Sina Movahed's new course presents the Dragon not as a rehabilitation project but as a fully operational weapon for Black, armed with the dynamic resources modern engines have finally revealed.
The Dragon's Modern Reality
What makes this course distinctive is its premise: the Dragon isn't holdable—it's dangerous. Movahed's repertoire centers on positions where Black trades material for initiative, accepts structural concessions for piece activity, and plays for wins against 9.0-0-0, the most critical test. The course doesn't promise safety. It promises practical winning chances in lines that were once considered White's strength.
The repertoire centers on 9.0-0-0 d5, the immediate central break that defines Black's response to White's most aggressive setup. Unlike the older main line 9.Bc4, where White prevents this break, casting long allows Black to strike at once. The critical continuation runs 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6 14.Ne4 Re8 15.h4 h5 16.Bc4 Nf4 17.Bxe6 Nxe6—Black accepts having a damaged pawn structure but gains dynamic piece play and attacking chances against White's king. This isn't theory maintenance. It's a complete rethinking of the Dragon's purpose.
Variation Map
The course covers the full spectrum of White's sixth and seventh move options, with deep preparation in the 9.0-0-0 main lines:
Early Deviations and Alternatives
- 6.g3 (Fianchetto setups) — Black fights for initiative → Chapter 1
- 6.Bc4 (short castle plans) — bishop exposed to piece attacks, 6.f4 covered → Chapter 2
- 6.Be2 (Classical Dragon) — solid but less dangerous than 9.0-0-0 → Chapter 3
The 9.0-0-0 Complex: White's Main Tries
After 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6:
- 7.Be2 (mixed plan with Be3+Be2) — inefficient with 0-0-0 plans, plus other move 7 alternatives → Chapter 4
- 8.Bc4 Nc6 9.Bb3 (queen avoids d2, may go d3/e2) → Chapter 5
- 9.Nb3 (Carlsen's choice: 0-0-0 without allowing ...d5) → Chapter 6
- 9.g4 (prevents ...d5 with g5 threat) — requires precision from Black → Chapter 7
After 9.0-0-0 d5: White's 10th Move Options
- 10.Nxc6 (Nepo's choice: trade for Bh6 plans) plus other 10th move rare options → Chapter 10
- 10.Kb1 (fourth most popular: leads to curious complications) → Chapter 11
- 10.Qe1 (second most played: similar structures but fewer concrete problems) → Chapter 12
The Main Line: 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 e5 13.Bc5 Be6
- 14.Ne4 Re8 15.Bc4 (alternatives on move 15) → Chapter 13
- 14.Ne4 Re8 15.h4 and other tries (before 15...h5) → Chapter 14
- 14.Ne4 Re8 15.h4 h5 16.Bc4 Nf4 17.Bxe6 (engine's most dangerous recommendation) → Chapter 15
The Yugoslav Attack: 9.Bc4 Main Line
- 9.Bc4 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Qa5 11.0-0-0 Be6 12.Bb3 b5 13.Kb1 b4:
- 14.Nd5 (old main line: slightly pleasant endgame for White, but solid for Black) → Chapter 8
- 14.Bxe6 (modern preference: middlegame complications instead of endgame) → Chapter 9
What You Get with Modern Chess Premium
This is a Modern Chess Premium course, built as a complete training system rather than a collection of files. Premium delivers the full Modern Chess learning toolkit:
- 15 theory chapters with video explanations — ideas and plans explained directly by GM Movahed, not just annotated moves
- 30 test positions — critical moments across the full repertoire, with solutions covering both tactical and strategic decisions
- 5 training positions for interactive computer practice — typical positions designed to be played out against the engine so the structures become second nature
- To-Go Version of every chapter — condensed files for pre-game review and quick study
- Memory Booster — spaced repetition system for key variations
- Multilingual PGN files — English, German, French, and Spanish
- Full download access — all materials are yours to keep
Completing the Sicilian Repertoire
The Dragon covers White's main Sicilian setup with Nf3, d4 and then Nc3. For Anti-Sicilian systems (2.c3, Closed Sicilian, Rossolimo, Grand Prix Attack, and others), Jospem vs the Anti-Sicilians provides a complete second-move repertoire for Black, giving you practical answers across the full 1.e4 c5 landscape.
The Dragon didn't come back from the dead. It was never dead—just waiting for the right tools to prove it. Start the course and see what Fischer missed.