Sharp and Sensible Defense for Black
Few openings divide opinion like the Dragon. GM Romain Edouard admits it doesn’t enjoy the same reputation as the Najdorf or the Sveshnikov, yet he considers it a very sensible choice for Black.
In his first course for Modern Chess, Edouard presents one of his favourite defences: sharp, tricky and double-edged. His top-level novelties and fresh ideas aim to keep every line playable against the strongest opposition.
Even the quieter 6.Be2, which he calls “Black’s Dream”, gets two full chapters.
The Author
GM Romain Edouard was French Champion in 2012, won the Dubai Open in 2014, and reached his peak FIDE rating of 2702 in June 2014.
He has also worked with players at the very highest level, and it shows in the course. In the 10.exd5 chapter, he notes that he analysed 14.Qe5!?, the only serious alternative to the main line, together with GM Topalov for White.
What Makes This Repertoire Different
The course is shaped by personal experience as much as by analysis. Edouard used 9.g4 himself as a surprise weapon with White, faced 11.e5!? against GM Christian Bauer, and played the Dragon against GM Gawain Jones and GM David Navara. Each of these encounters feeds directly into the recommendations.
Against the Yugoslav Attack, Black’s choices are concrete and modern:
- Against 9.0-0-0, the immediate central strike 9...d5!, with the old 9...Nxd4 dismissed as clearly favouring White by today’s standards.
- Against 9.g4, the precise 9...Be6!, avoiding the often-played 9...Nxd4, which allows White to save a tempo and attack at once.
- Against 9.Bc4, the setup with 9...Bd7, ...Rc8 and the queenside advance with 12...b5!, followed deep into the critical 17.Rhe1 positions.
- Against 10.h4!?, the blocking 10...h5, followed by ...Ne5 and ...Nc4.
The analysis also highlights resources that must be known by heart. One is the defensive 16...f6!!, which saves the bishop in the 14.h4 line of Chapter 1. Another is how sharp the 10.Qe1 line remains: Magnus Carlsen once blundered a piece there with 17.g4?? in classical chess.
Variation Map
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6
9.0-0-0 d5!
- 10.Nxc6 and other sidelines → Chapter 1
- 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4→ Chapter 2
- 10.Qe1 e5! → Chapter 3
9.g4 Be6!
- 10.h4 → Chapter 4
- 10.Nxe6 → Chapter 5
9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5!
- 13.h4 → Chapter 6
- 13.Nd5 and other 13th moves → Chapter 7
- 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.exd5 a5 16.a3 Kg8 17.Rhe1 Rc5! 18.Re3 b4!? 19.axb4 axb4 20.Qxb4 Qa8!
- 21.Bc4!? → Chapter 8
- 21.Kd2 → Chapter 9
- 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.exd5 a5 16.a3 Kg8 17.Rhe1 Rc5! 18.Re3 b4!? 19.axb4 axb4 20.Qxb4 Qa8!
9.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4!? h5 11.0-0-0 Ne5! 12.Bb3 Rc8
- 13.Kb1 → Chapter 10
- 13.Bh6 → Chapter 11
- 13.Bg5 → Chapter 12
6.g3 and other quiet systems → Chapter 13
6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0
- 8.Re1, 8.Kh1, 8.Nb3 → Chapter 14
- 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Nb3 Be6 10.f4 Qc8 → Chapter 15
Premium Course Features
This is a Modern Chess Premium course, built as a complete training system:
- 15 theory chapters with video explanations
- 50 test positions — critical moments with tactical and strategic solutions
- 5 training positions for interactive computer practice
- 3 annotated model games
- 5 Things to Know — the key ideas of the repertoire in one place
- Memory File — the key lines condensed into a single file
- To-Go Version of every chapter — condensed files for pre-game review
- Memory Booster — for long-term recall of key ideas
- Multilingual PGN files — English, German, French, and Spanish
- Full download access — all materials are yours to keep
Completing the Sicilian Repertoire
The Dragon begins after 5…g6, so a full repertoire also needs answers to White’s earlier deviations. Beat the Anti-Sicilians - Practical Repertoire for the Najdorf Players by GM Baadur Jobava and IM Dragos Ceres uses the same 2...d6 move order and is a natural companion.
Start Studying the Dragon
The Classical Dragon - A Complete Repertoire for Black gives you a modern answer to the Yugoslav Attack and every major alternative. Explore the course and add the Dragon to your repertoire today.