♚ blackB34–B39

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

The Accelerated Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6) fianchettoes the bishop before playing ...d6, keeping the option of ...d5 in one move. This avoids the Yugoslav Attack that plagues the regular Dragon.

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Variations

About the Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

By delaying ...d6, Black avoids the most dangerous setups White has in the normal Dragon. The downside is that White can play the Maroczy Bind (c4) to clamp down on ...d5. The Accelerated Dragon leads to strategic battles where Black needs to undermine White's center, often with ...b5 or ...f5. It's a practical choice for players who like the Dragon bishop but dislike the Yugoslav Attack theory.

Key Ideas

  • Fianchetto before ...d6 to keep the ...d5 option
  • Avoid the Yugoslav Attack entirely
  • Be ready to face the Maroczy Bind (c4) — the main challenge
  • ...b5 or ...f5 are the key breaks against the Bind
  • The dragon bishop on g7 remains a powerful piece

Related Openings

Sicilian DragonSicilian NajdorfKing's Indian DefensePirc Defense

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