Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Dragon

Accelerated Dragon
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
c8 black bishop
d8 black queen
e8 black king
f8 black bishop
g8 black knight
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
d7 black pawn
e7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
c6 black knight
g6 black pawn
d4 white knight
e4 white pawn
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
c2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
b1 white knight
c1 white bishop
d1 white queen
e1 white king
f1 white bishop
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Moves1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6
ECOB34–B39
ParentOpen Sicilian
Synonym(s)Accelerated Fianchetto[1]

The Accelerated Dragon (or Accelerated Fianchetto) is a chess opening variation of the Sicilian Defence that begins with the moves:

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 g6

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.

  1. ^ *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.