Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon Repertoire

The Dragon's punch without the dreaded Yugoslav Attack, and a bishop that rakes the board.

The Accelerated Dragon fianchettoes your bishop a move early, so it presses d4 before White finishes developing, and your d-pawn can reach d5 in one step. Ten chapters and 121 lines cover the Modern Variation (7.f3, 7.♗︎c4Bc4, 7.♗︎e2Be2, 7.♕︎d2Qd2, 7.♘︎xc6Nxc6 and 6.♘︎xc6Nxc6), the Exchange Variation, the Maróczy Bind, 5.♗︎e3Be3 and the third-move sidelines 3.♗︎b5Bb5, 3.c3, 3.♗︎c4Bc4 and 3.♘︎c3Nc3, each with concrete plans. Trap lines, master games and puzzles help the patterns stick.

What you'll learn

Modern Variation (7.f3)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘︎xd4Nxd4 g6 5.♘︎c3Nc3 ♗︎g7Bg7 6.♗︎e3Be3 ♘︎f6Nf6 7.f3

You meet 7.f3 with 7...O-O 8.♕︎d2Qd2 d5, striking the center in one move because your d-pawn never stopped on d6. After 9.♘︎xc6Nxc6 bxc6 10.e5 ♘︎d7Nd7 11.f4 e6 12.O-O-O c5, your pawn covers d4 so White's bishop can't post there, and the kings sit on opposite wings. You also get 8.♗︎c4Bc4 d5, 9.exd5 and 9.O-O-O, plus trap lines that punish tries like 11.O-O-O and 13.♗︎d4Bd4 by handing you extra material.

Modern ♗︎c4Bc4 Variation (7.♗︎c4Bc4)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘︎xd4Nxd4 g6 5.♘︎c3Nc3 ♗︎g7Bg7 6.♗︎e3Be3 ♘︎f6Nf6 7.♗︎c4Bc4

You meet 7.♗︎c4Bc4 O-O 8.♗︎b3Bb3 ♖︎e8Re8 with the central strike 9.f3 d5. After 10.exd5 ♘︎b4Nb4 11.♘︎de2Nde2 e6, your rook on e8 backs the e6 pawn against White's bishop on e3, your only good move there. If White plays 8.f3 instead, 8...d5 takes you straight into the 7.f3 chapter. A trap after 8.O-O d6 9.♘︎xc6Nxc6 bxc6 wins you the exchange if White plays 10.f4 and 11.♗︎d2Bd2.

Modern Variation (7.♗︎e2Be2, 7.♕︎d2Qd2, 7.♘︎xc6Nxc6)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘︎xd4Nxd4 g6 5.♘︎c3Nc3 ♗︎g7Bg7 6.♗︎e3Be3 ♘︎f6Nf6 7.♕︎d2Qd2

Against the quiet 7.♗︎e2Be2, you castle and play ...d5, and after 9.exd5 ♘︎xd5Nxd5 10.♘︎xd5Nxd5 ♘︎xd4Nxd4 11.♗︎xd4Bxd4 ♕︎xd5Qxd5 the position is level. Against 7.♘︎xc6Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5, your knight drops back to g8 and comes out again on h6. If White brings the queen out with 7.♕︎d2Qd2 and castles long with 8.O-O-O, you jump in with 8...♘︎g4Ng4 to hunt the bishop on e3. After 9.♘︎xc6Nxc6 bxc6, the lines cover 10.♗︎d4Bd4, 10.♗︎f4Bf4 and 10.♗︎g5Bg5, and the main trap ends with you winning White's queen. By 15.♗︎c4Bc4 ♕︎f6Qf6, you plan ♖︎b8Rb8, ♕︎e5Qe5 and a d5 push against the bishop.

Modern Variation (6.♘︎xc6Nxc6)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘︎xd4Nxd4 g6 5.♘︎c3Nc3 ♗︎g7Bg7 6.♘︎xc6Nxc6

After 6.♘︎xc6Nxc6 bxc6 7.♗︎c4Bc4, you develop with 7...♕︎c7Qc7, 8...♘︎f6Nf6 and 9...d6, meeting 10.♗︎f4Bf4 by hitting the bishop with 10...♘︎h5Nh5. After 11.♗︎e3Be3 a5, you plan to castle and push your a-pawn to a4. Against 7.♗︎d3Bd3 and 7.♗︎d2Bd2 you strike with ...d5, and a trap after 7.♗︎d3Bd3 ♘︎f6Nf6 8.O-O d5 9.e5 ♘︎g4Ng4 wins you the exchange if White pushes 10.f4.

Exchange Variation (5.♘︎xc6Nxc6)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘︎xd4Nxd4 g6 5.♘︎xc6Nxc6

White trades on c6 and brings the queen to d4, so you meet 7.e5 with 7...♘︎d5Nd5 and answer 9.exf7+ with 9...♔︎xf7Kxf7, since your king is safer than it looks. After 10.♗︎c4Bc4+ d5 11.♗︎b3Bb3 e5, the lines cover every queen move: 12.♕︎h4Qh4, 12.♕︎d1Qd1 and 12.♕︎a4Qa4 are met calmly, and if White grabs the pawn with 12.♕︎xe5Qxe5, 12...♗︎b4Bb4+ punishes it. After 13.c3 ♖︎e8Re8 14.♕︎xe8Qxe8+ ♕︎xe8Qxe8+ 15.♗︎e3Be3 ♗︎c5Bc5, you plan ♗︎xe3Bxe3 and ♕︎xe3Qxe3+ to pile up material.

Maróczy Bind (5.c4)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘︎xd4Nxd4 g6 5.c4

White grabs space with 5.c4, the Maróczy Bind. You play 5...♘︎f6Nf6 and 6...d6, then trade down with 7...♘︎xd4Nxd4 8.♕︎xd4Qxd4 ♗︎g7Bg7. You expand on the queenside with 10...a5 and 11...a4, then finish developing with 12...♗︎d7Bd7 as White puts a rook on c1, or meet 12.f3 with 12...♕︎a5Qa5. A trap after 7.♗︎e3Be3 ♘︎g4Ng4 8.♗︎c1Bc1 ♕︎b6Qb6 9.♗︎e2Be2 wins you a rook.

Sidelines (5.♗︎e3Be3)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘︎xd4Nxd4 g6 5.♗︎e3Be3

White develops the bishop early with 5.♗︎e3Be3, and you reply 5...♘︎f6Nf6 6.♘︎c3Nc3 ♗︎g7Bg7, fianchettoing on the long diagonal. After 6.f3 ♗︎g7Bg7 7.♘︎c3Nc3 O-O you are back in the 7.f3 chapter. Against 7.c4 ♕︎b6Qb6, one line shows how to meet 8.♘︎f5Nf5, and a trap where 8.♕︎d2Qd2 ♘︎xe4Nxe4 hands you extra material.

Rossolimo Variation (3.♗︎b5Bb5)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.♗︎b5Bb5

You answer 3.♗︎b5Bb5 with 3...g6 and 4...♗︎g7Bg7, keeping your fianchetto. After 4.O-O ♗︎g7Bg7 5.c3 ♘︎f6Nf6 6.♖︎e1Re1 O-O 7.d4, you strike with 7...d5, and after 8.e5 your knight jumps to e4. If White gives up the bishop with 4.♗︎xc6Bxc6, you recapture 4...dxc6 and develop with ...♗︎g7Bg7, ...♘︎f6Nf6 and ...O-O. The lines also cover 5.♖︎e1Re1, 5.♘︎c3Nc3, 4.c3 and 4.d4.

Delayed Alapin Variation (3.c3)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.c3

You meet 3.c3 with 3...♘︎f6Nf6, hitting e4. After 4.e5 ♘︎d5Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6, you challenge White's e5 pawn at once, and after 7.♗︎c4Bc4 ♘︎b6Nb6 8.♗︎b5Bb5 or 8.♗︎b3Bb3 you take on e5. The lines also cover 7.exd6, 7.♘︎c3Nc3, 8.♗︎xf7Bxf7+, 5.♗︎c4Bc4 and 4.d4, plus the quiet 4.d3, 4.♗︎d3Bd3 and 4.♕︎c2Qc2, where you fianchetto as usual.

Old Sicilian (3.♗︎c4Bc4, 3.♘︎c3Nc3)

1.e4 c5 2.♘︎f3Nf3 ♘︎c6Nc6 3.♗︎c4Bc4

Against 3.♗︎c4Bc4 you play 3...g6. When White builds with c3 and d4, you add ...e6 and ...d5 against the bishop on c4, and recapture with ...exd5. After 4.d4 cxd4 5.♘︎xd4Nxd4 ♗︎g7Bg7 6.♗︎e3Be3 ♘︎f6Nf6 7.♘︎c3Nc3 O-O you are back in the 7.♗︎c4Bc4 chapter. The early 4.♘︎g5Ng5 e6 loses the knight to 5...♕︎xg5Qxg5 if White plays 5.♕︎f3Qf3 or 5.O-O. Against 3.♘︎c3Nc3 g6, 4.d4 cxd4 5.♘︎xd4Nxd4 ♗︎g7Bg7 leads into the main chapters, and after 4.♗︎b5Bb5 ♗︎g7Bg7 5.d3 ♘︎d4Nd4, the natural 6.♘︎xd4Nxd4 cxd4 wins you a piece.

What's inside

• 121 lines in 10 chapters, with trap lines in most chapters, so you learn the tricks that win games first.
• 8 master games played in these lines.
• 30 puzzles from real games of this opening.

Why this repertoire?

• Amateurs ready to fight. You meet White's most common tries, including the Maróczy Bind and the Exchange Variation, with clear replies for every popular setup.
• Not much to memorize. Ten short chapters cover White's main tries, and several move orders lead back into the same 7.f3 position.
• Recurring plans carry you. Central breaks with d5, queenside expansion with a5 and a4, and knight jumps to g4 against the bishop on e3 show up chapter after chapter.
• Understand, don't just memorize. Every move comes with the point behind it, like why your rook on e8 lines up behind the e6 pawn or why c5 keeps White's bishop off d4.
• Traps reward natural mistakes. Trap lines punish common amateur tries, from grabbing e5 too early to misplacing the bishop on d4.