The Dragon variation is one of the key battlegrounds of modern chess, and a perennial favourite of ambitious chess-players of all standards. Black develops his pieces so as to maximize the strategic pluses granted him in the Open Sicilian. If White is to expose a defect in the Dragon, it must be by a direct attack, and this leads to ferocious battles, with White trying to checkmate the black king via the h-file, while Black seeks to gain counterplay down the c-file and on the long diagonal. In the Dragon, many Sicilian themes are seen in their clearest form, with the ...Rxc3 exchange sacrifice particularly important. Even Dragon endgames tend to be very sharp, with Black often possessing a swathe of mobile pawns in return for an exchange, a piece, or even a whole rook.

In hazardous territory, a guide is essential, and Edward Dearing has stepped up to offer his services. He explains at length the all-important general themes, and advises on how to choose plans and methods, drawing upon his many years of experience and study of the Dragon. Dearing also provides an up-to-date view of Dragon theory, including many new ideas and suggestions to help the reader tailor his Dragon repertoire to suit his own preferences.

Edward Dearing is an IM, and one of Scotland's top players. He was equal first in the Smith & Williamson Young Masters in 2002, and has represented his country several times in World and European junior championships. He has a degree in law from Cambridge University. This is his first chess book.

Download a pdf file with a sample from the book.

"For all fans of the famous-notorious Sicilian Dragon, a very interesting book has been published by the English publisher Gambit. In Play the Sicilian Dragon the young Scottish IM Edward Dearing puts forward a powerful Black repertoire, which is analysed and annotated in great detail and thus is ideally applicable to a very broad range of chessplayers." - Schachmarkt

"A very successful Dragon Monograph" - Jerzy Konikowski, Fernschach International

"This is the new Dragon bible and because of the analysis it will remain essential to every Dragon player for years to come. Gambit's emphasis has always been on quality and depth, thus giving their books a long shelf life. Play the Sicilian Dragon is a great example of this, and also one of the best opening books in recent years." - John Watson, TWIC

"I was deeply impressed with this book " - Carsten Hansen, Chesscafe.com

"...excellent and extensive work..." - GM Lubosh Kavalek, Washington Post

"The amount of detail is just staggering and what struck me most was the difference in depth of knowledge on such a sharp opening between an IM like Eddie and a strong club player like myself. The difference is just awesome." - John Anderson, Correspondence Chess

"...there are numerous books and database sources on the Sicilian Dragon to be found everywhere. I would put Dearing's book at or near the very top of the list of recommended sources on the Dragon. Further, I would say any player above 1500 who wants to learn this opening will be well-rewarded by this title." - Lou Mercuri, Chess Horizons

"A very important reference work on the Dragon!" - John Elburg, Chess Mail

"I like Dearing's readability, comprehensiveness and objectivity." - Craig Pritchett, Glasgow Herald

"Sometimes it is just a massive contribution to existing theory..." - GM Mikhail Golubev, Chess Today

"This book is clearly a labour of love..." - John Pugh, Chess Post

"He has maintained a good balance between exhaustive analysis and explanation of underlying themes, and much of his material comes from the last few years." - Alan Sutton, En Passant

"It is a splendid piece of work and a most auspicious writing debut." - John Saunders, British Chess Magazine

"Eddie Dearing succeeds in imparting an enormous amount of information in a most lucid manner with crystal-clear explanations and infectious enthusiasm throughout." - GM Paul Motwani, The Scotsman

"There is plenty of verbal explanation and lots of original analyses and assessments." - Phil Adams, 3Cs website

"...a very impressive debut by the Scottish International Master. There has been a need for a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the Dragon for some time and this book goes far in fulfilling this....Highly Recommended" - John Donaldson, www.jeremysilman.com