Chess Openings Lab
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Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack

The Yugoslav Attack is 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O, the sharpest answer to the Dragon. White builds Qd2, long castling and a pawn storm with h4 and g4, while Black castles short and races for counterplay on the c-file and with ...d5.

Moves
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O
ECO
B76, B78, B79
Engine
+0.54 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
2,193 games in our lichess sample
White scores
53.1%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • 8.Qd2 lines up with the e3 bishop so Bh6 can trade off the g7 bishop.
  • Castle long, then push h4 and h5 to open lines against the black king.
  • 8.Bc4 controls d5, hits f7 and makes ...d5 harder, though ...Nxd4 and ...Be6 can trade it.
  • 8.g4 skips Qd2 for speed but leaves e4 and f3 harder to defend after ...d5.

Black

  • Play ...Nc6 at once. It adds pressure on d4 and prepares ...d5 or ...Nxd4.
  • The ...d5 break against long castling opens the center while White's king is still unsafe.
  • Use ...Be6 and ...Rc8 with ...Qa5 to point pieces at c3 and the white king.
  • Keep the g7 bishop if you can. If White plays Bh6, consider moving the rook from f8 first.

Plans and pawn structure

This is a race. White aims for Qd2, O-O-O, Bh6 and h4-h5, often adding g4 to drive the f6 knight away from defense. Black's answer is speed: ...Nc6 and then ...d5 hits the center before the storm arrives, or ...Rc8, ...Qa5 and an exchange sacrifice on c3 to tear the queenside open. Whoever spends a single wasted tempo usually gets mated. Knowing which plan matches White's eighth move matters more than general rules.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.54: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.54 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.O-O-O d5 10.exd5 Nxd5
  2. +0.39 8.Bc4 Nc6 9.Qd2 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Be6
  3. +0.38 8.g4 Nc6 9.Qd2 Be6 10.Be2 d5

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

2,193 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 53.1%.

1200–159970.5%
1600–199953.8%
2000 and up50.9%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

  • Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Soltis Variation8.Qd2 · rare

How to play against it

With Black, play ...Nc6 next and look for ...d5 whenever it works tactically, since it hits e4 before the storm. Against Bc4 setups, trade the bishop with ...Nxd4 and ...Be6. Do not spend moves on the kingside, because h4 and h5 arrive quickly against the castled king.

Other lines with this name

The lichess opening list also files these lines under the same name, though they reach a different position: 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; 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.Bc4 Bd7 10.O-O-O; 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.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 Qa5 11.O-O-O Rfc8 12.Bb3.

Questions

What are the moves of the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack?

The Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack starts 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O. Its ECO code is B76, B78, B79.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.54 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. In 2,193 lichess games from our sample, White scored 53.1%. For players on both sides who enjoy sharp races and are ready to study; one slow move is often fatal.

What is the main idea of the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack?

White castles long and attacks on the kingside with Bh6 and h4-h5. Black castles short and counterattacks with ...Nc6, ...d5 or c-file play, so the game becomes a race.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is Qd2, with Bc4 and g4 close behind. 8.Qd2 connects with Be3 for Bh6 and prepares long castling.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.