Accelerated Dragon - Sicilian Defense
Accelerated Dragon
Definition
The Accelerated Dragon is a variation of the Sicilian Defense in which Black fianchettoes the king’s-bishop without first committing to …d6. A typical move-order runs:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7
Instead of the “classical” Dragon ( …d6, …Nf6, …g6 ), Black accelerates the fianchetto, keeping the d-pawn on d7 so that the central break …d7–d5 can sometimes be achieved in one move.
Strategic Ideas
- …d5 in one go – The cornerstone of the opening. If Black manages …d5 without having played …d6 first, the resulting freeing exchange usually solves all developmental problems and yields full equality.
- Dragon-style pressure – As in the regular Dragon, Black’s bishop on g7 eyes the e5- and c3-squares and often lines up against White’s king on the long diagonal.
- The Maroczy Bind – White can prevent …d5 by playing 5. c4 (often via 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Be2 0-0 8. 0-0 d6 9. c4). The pawn duo on e4 & c4 clamps the center but gives Black long-term queenside targets.
- Piece play over pawn storms – Because Black keeps the pawn on d7, the violent Yugoslav Attack (f3, Be3, Qd2, 0-0-0, g4, h4) is less effective; games are more positional than in the regular Dragon.
Typical Move Orders
- Main line: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 0-0 8. Bb3 d6 (a flexible tabiya).
- Maroczy Bind: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 0-0 8. Be2 d6 9. 0-0.
- Hyper-Accelerated Dragon: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bg7 – fianchetto on move two, but White can reply 5. Nc3 Nc6 transposing back or enter independent lines.
Historical Notes
Although games with a quick …g6 appeared as early as the 1890s, the system became popular in the 1950s thanks to grandmasters such as Gideon Stahlberg and Viktor Korchnoi. In modern chess it features regularly in the repertoires of top players like Hikaru Nakamura, Peter Svidler, and Magnus Carlsen. ECO codes B34–B39 cover the main branches.
Model Games
1) Gashimov – Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 2012 – Carlsen steered the game into a Maroczy Bind but gradually out-maneuvered White on the dark squares, illustrating Black’s latent counter-play.
2) Svidler – Topalov, Dortmund 2006 – An instructive example of the pawn break …d5 executed under ideal circumstances, liquidating the center and equalizing effortlessly.
[[Pgn| [Event "Dortmund"] [Site "Dortmund"] [Date "2006.07.29"] [White "Svidler, Peter"] [Black "Topalov, Veselin"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 O-O 10.Qd2 Be6 11.O-O Qa5 12.Rac1 Rfc8 13.b3 a6 14.f3 b5 15.Nd5 Qxd2 16.Nxe7+ Kf8 17.Bxd2 Kxe7 18.cxb5 axb5 19.Bxb5 Rxa2 20.Rxc8 Bxc8 21.Bb4 Be6 22.e5 Nd5 23.Bxd6+ Kd8 24.Rf2 Ra1+ 25.Rf1 Ra2 26.Rf2 Ra1+ 27.Rf1 1/2-1/2|fen|r2qk2r/pp1nppbp/3p1np1/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR]]The full game shows the harmonious development that often characterizes the Accelerated Dragon.
Pros & Cons
- Pros
- Avoids many heavily-analyzed Yugoslav Attack lines.
- Retains the thematic …d5 break in one move.
- Leads to rich, dynamic positions with imbalance.
- Cons
- The Maroczy Bind can be unpleasant if Black lacks experience.
- Less direct kingside attacking chances than in the regular Dragon.
- Requires accurate move-order handling to sidestep dangerous transpositions.
Typical Plans
For Black
- Develop quickly: …Nf6, …0-0, …d6 (only if necessary), …Be6 or …Qa5.
- Break with …d5 in favorable circumstances; if prevented, aim for …b5–b4 to undermine White’s c4-pawn.
- Exploit the g7-bishop by targeting c3, e4 and the long diagonal.
For White
- Choose between the open Sicilian set-up (Nc3, Be3, Be2/Bc4) and the Maroczy Bind (c4).
- In Bind structures, restrict …d5 and maneuver pieces to d5, e4 and f4.
- If Black delays …Nf6, consider f2-f4 setups or a quick h2-h4 advance to gain space.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The variation was once nicknamed the “Hungarian Dragon” after early adopters Lajos Portisch and Levente Lengyel.
- In some lines (e.g., 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 g6!) Black invites 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4, transposing back—an example of the sophisticated move-order traps surrounding the Accelerated Dragon.
- Mikhail Tal briefly experimented with the system in the late 1960s, preferring the dynamic piece play over his usual attacking fare.
Further Study
The Accelerated Dragon is covered in numerous contemporary repertoire books and video series. For database research, filter ECO codes B34–B39 and pay special attention to games by Nakamura, Carlsen and the late Vugar Gashimov.