Dragoljub Velimirovic’s attacking setup in the Sicilian: Bc4, Be3 and Qe2, preparing queenside castling and sharp central and kingside play.
The Velimirovic Attack is a Sicilian Defence system named after Serbian grandmaster Dragoljub Velimirovic. Its hallmarks are bishops on c4 and e3, a queen on e2, and the intention to castle queenside.
One move order is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qe2. White prepares active play, but Black’s response determines the timing of castling and pawn breaks.
Developing the bishop to c4 belongs to the Sozin family of variations. Within that framework, the Velimirovic Attack combines Be3 and Qe2 with preparation for queenside castling. This often supports g4–g5, while the c4-bishop pressures the diagonal towards e6 and f7.
Velimirovic’s game against Sofrevski from 1965 shows him using this approach in the sixties. His name and recorded games give this page a clear connection to Serbian chess.
White often considers g4–g5, h4–h5, and knight moves to d5 or f5. A sacrifice needs to open routes for the other pieces to reach the king; an advanced knight alone is not enough.
Black seeks counterplay in the centre and on the queenside, using moves such as ...a6, ...b5 or ...d5 when possible. Opposite-side castling is common, but in the examples below Black sometimes keeps the king in the centre for a long time.
Against Jovan Sofrevski, Velimirovic castles queenside and advances the g-pawn. After 14.Nf5 exf5 15.Nd5, the other knight enters the centre, followed by 16.exf5.
Follow the f-pawn: its advance to f6 helps open lines around Black’s king, which has meanwhile castled.
The Sofrevski game shows how piece activity and open lines work together. Against Leonid Stein at the 1970 European Team Championship, Velimirovic uses a similar setup but develops the attack differently.
After advancing the g- and h-pawns, he strikes in the centre with 20.e5. Watch the rook’s journey through c3 and b3, while the knight approaches the king with 25.Nf5 and 26.Ng7+.
At the 1981 zonal in Becici near Budva, against Bozidar Ivanovic, Velimirovic attacks before castling. After 15.Bxf7+ Kxf7 16.Qh5+, the queen enters with check, and 17.f6 adds kingside pressure.
White’s king is exposed too. Black’s queen gives checks late in the game, so Velimirovic must find a route to escape them and resume his attack.
In these three wins, Velimirovic connects piece activity, pawn breaks and attacks on the king. The same opening setup leads to different combinations.
Pause before 14.Nf5, 26.Ng7+ or 15.Bxf7+ and work out the next few moves. Calculating the continuation is what turns an attacking idea into a combination.