Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Main Line
17/17
1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3g66.Be3Bg77.f3O-O8.Qd2Nc69.Bc4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Main Line715k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
15%109k37%
8.7%62k43%
7.2%52k42%
4.4%31k39%
2%14k41%
1.5%11k44%
1.3%9.1k37%
0.9%6.1k32%
Famous games in this line6.0k master games
Karjakin, Sergey (2771) – Carlsen, M. (2881)Anand, Viswanathan (2800) – Carlsen, Magnus (2826)Anand, Viswanathan (2790) – Carlsen, Magnus (2810)Anand, Viswanathan (2798) – Carlsen, Magnus (2775)Anand, Viswanathan (2798) – Carlsen, Magnus (2775)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2789) – Nakamura, Hi (2781)Ivanchuk, Vassily (2781) – Carlsen, Magnus (2775)Topalov, Veselin (2777) – Carlsen, Magnus (2775)Heroes of this opening Anand, Viswanathan · Topalov, Veselin
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B77
- Line
- 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
SharpAggressive
★ Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Dragon VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Byrne Variation9…a5Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Old Line9…Bd7 10.O-O-O Rc8 · 1 deeper lineSicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Chinese Dragon9…Bd7 10.O-O-O Rb8Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Topalov Variation9…Bd7 10.O-O-O Rc8 11.Bb3 Nxd4 12.Bxd4
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
No reply to 1.e4 is played more. Fischer made the Najdorf his main weapon, and Kasparov's Sicilians are pillars of chess history — the Scheveningen against Karpov, the Dragon he unveiled against Anand in 1995. When you play 1...c5 you refuse symmetry, the same refusal that carried two world champions.
Study this opening