Round 3 vs NWST: Board 5

Vlatko faced a regular Sicilian Dragon. The game shows that white had the better understanding of the opening. White's unusual 5.Bg5 is certainly playable but suboptimal because black can equalize in a rather normal fashion. Black missed out on it and played Nc6 too late.

after 8. ... Nc6

Vlatko was familiar with the e5 pawn push as a theme and applied by playing 9. Nxc6 bxc  10.e5.

after 10. e5

Not that this push gives white any advantage in the particular position but it poses for black the first practical challenge and black failed the first test by retreating his knight to e8. Again an example where the game is equal but it mattered who has the pracitcal chances.  The computer can find an equalizing line for black but the player of the black pieces could not.

A little later black proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he has no clue what the Dragon is about by trading his black squared bishop:

after  11. ... Bxc3

This is the last thing black wants to do. Now all the black squares around his king are open and white was even allowed to retain his bishop to make good use of it. No wonder the game only took 7 more moves and guess where black lost the game, on h6 and g7, but see for your self. Well done!