Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Chinese Dragon
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Statistics from Lichess
41,097 games: White 43.4% / Draw 5.0% / Black 51.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 12,92213K | ||
| 11,70812K | ||
| 8,0188,018 | ||
| 5,0495,049 | ||
| 1,2211,221 | ||
| 1,1711,171 | ||
| 255255 | ||
| 129129 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.55 White is slightly better
Best play: 11. Kb1 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. Bf1 Re8 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Chinese Dragon (ECO B78, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, reached after 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 Rb8 (10 moves).
In 41,097 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.4%, Black 51.6% and 5.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 11. h4, in 31% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Chinese Dragon
11. Bb3 scores best for White: 50.0%, with White winning 47.4% and Black 47.3% of 12K games. The most played, 11. h4, scores 46.4% in 13K games, and 11. g4 scores lowest: 40.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 11. Kb1.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Chinese Dragon (B78)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-dragon-variation-yugoslav-attack-chinese-dragon