Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Dragon
The Accelerated Dragon (or Accelerated Fianchetto) is a chess opening variation of the Sicilian Defence that begins with the moves:
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| Moves | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | B34–B39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Open Sicilian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonym(s) | Accelerated Fianchetto[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Accelerated Dragon features an early ...g6 by Black. An important difference between this line and the Dragon is that Black avoids playing ...d7–d6 so that ...d7–d5 can be played later in one move, if possible. Black also avoids the Yugoslav Attack, but since White has not yet played Nc3, 5.c4 (the Maróczy Bind) is possible.
The Accelerated Dragon generally features a more positional style of play than in many other lines of the Sicilian.
Main line
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |              | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
One of the main lines continues: 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 (diagram), when the most important Black continuations are 7...0-0 and 7...Qa5. White should not castle queenside after 7...Qa5, unlike in the Yugoslav Attack.
7...0-0 is the main line, after which White should proceed with 8.Bb3. If Black plays 8...d6, White usually continues 9.f3 as in the Yugoslav Attack. Black often plays 8...a5 or 8...Qa5, however, after which castling queenside can be dangerous, and it is often a better idea for White to castle kingside.
Passmore Variation
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
Another common line seen in tournaments continues: 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Qd4 Nf6 7.e5 Ng8 (7...Nd5 works as well) 8.e6 Nf6 9.exf7+ Kxf7 (diagram), when both sides have equal chances. White often continues 10.Bc4+, attempting to add kingside pressure while developing a minor piece. Black defends easily, however, with 10...d5 or 10...e6, resulting in a position where his king is safe. Both players can choose to play positionally or otherwise will have variable results. Statistically, White's best continuation is 10.Be2 followed with 11.0-0.
See also
References
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- Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1996) [First pub. 1992]. "Accelerated Dragon". The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 2. ISBN 0-19-280049-3.
Bibliography
- Keene, Raymnod; Kasparov, Garry (1994) [1989]. Batsford Chess Openings 2. B.T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 978-0-8050-3409-7.
Further reading
- Donaldson, John W.; Silman, Jeremy (1998). Accelerated Dragons. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1857442083.
- Hansen, Carsten; Nielsen, Peter Heine (2006). Sicilian Accelerated Dragon. Sterling Pub. ISBN 9780713489477.
- Greet, Andrew (2008). Starting Out: The Accelerated Dragon. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1857445305.
- Understanding The Accelerated Sicilian Dragon B36
- The Accelerated Dragon, by GM Eugene Perelshteyn
- A weakness in the Accelerated Dragon
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