for Black · intermediate
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon
8/8
1.e4c52.Nf3Nc63.d4cxd44.Nxd4g6
Black fianchettoes quickly and holds back the d-pawn, aiming for the freeing ...d5 break in one move. It avoids the sharpest Yugoslav Attack lines of the normal Dragon, giving a sounder, more positional flavour.
Key ideas
- Fianchetto early and target the freeing ...d5 break
- Pressure White's centre and the c-file with the g7 bishop and rooks
- Be ready for the Maroczy Bind (c4) and play against White's space
- Trade down into comfortable positions when White overextends
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon7.9M games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
13%1.1M49%
3.7%293k47%
3.1%244k45%
1.2%93k43%
0.8%64k48%
0.6%47k49%
0.4%36k44%
Famous games in this line14k master games
Caruana, F. (2801) – Carlsen, M. (2877)Erigaisi, Arjun (2801) – Carlsen, M. (2833)Morozevich, Alexander (2760) – Carlsen, Magnus (2864)Giri, A.. (2776) – Carlsen, M.. (2847)Leko, Peter (2755) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2787)Kasparov, Garry (2838) – Kasimdzhanov, Rustam (2704)Leko, Peter (2755) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2787)Leko, Peter (2755) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2787)Heroes of this opening Erigaisi, Arjun · Morozevich, Alexander · Giri, A.. · Leko, Peter
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind5.c4 · 3 deeper linesSicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Variation5.Nc3 · 4 deeper linesSicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Exchange Variation5.Nxc6Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Bc4 Variation5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 · 1 deeper line
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