DragonMasters - Volume 1

The Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defense
– known simply as ‘the Dragon’ to its acolytes and opponents – truly stands
atop any list of fans’ favorites, the mythical scaly beast lending its name to
perhaps the most dangerous and nerve-wracking of all chess openings.This book aims to chart the life story of
this most epic of chess variations through the eyes of the brightest and best
Dragon Masters, from its inception to its 21st century status. Along the way we will recall the perils and
pitfalls that exist in the often wild and as yet untamed Dragon landscape. Intimately connected to these battles are the anti-Dragon warriors – those who
have dedicated years to inventing ever more clever methods of slaying the
Dragon.

Just as the Dragon attracted world
champions such as Botvinnik, Kasparov and Carlsen to its cohorts, so too were
figures such as Spassky, Fischer and Karpov committed to breaking its spirit. The popularity and theoretical status (often,
though not always, intertwined) of all major openings rise and fall like
empires, destined to lie in dust, only to find themselves miraculously revived
and rebuilt by new generations.