Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon - Maróczy Bind (5.c4)
White grabs space with 5.c4, entering the tough Maroczy Bind. Develop with g6, d6, trade on d4, castle, then expand with a5, a4, and Bd7. Watch for 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Bc1 Qb6, where White's rook falls after Bxg4 Qxg4 Nc2+. Aim for a solid, flexible setup against White's queenside majority.
Let's learn the Maróczy Bind! White grabs extra space with c4, entering the bind. We attack e4 and expand with a5 and a4. Let's begin with 1.e4.
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Scroll the moves: the board follows.
Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Main Line
… 10. Qd2 a5 11. O-O a4 12. Rac1 Bd7
- 7. Be3
… 6... d6 7. Be3 Ng4 8. Bg5 Qb6 9. h3 Nxf2 10. Kxf2 Bg7
- Trap: 8.Bc1, you win a rook
… 6... d6 7. Be3 Ng4 8. Bc1 Qb6 9. Be2 Nxd4 10. Bxg4 Bxg4 11. Qxg4 Nc2+ 12. Kf1 Nxa1 13. Nd5 Qd4
- 7. Be3
… 6... d6 7. Be3 Ng4 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Bf4 Bg7 10. Qd2 O-O
- 7. Be3
… 6... d6 7. Be3 Ng4 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Bd2 Qb6 10. Qf3 Qxb2 11. Rb1 Qa3
- 7. Be3
… 6... d6 7. Be3 Ng4 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Bd4 e5 10. Be3 Nxe3 11. fxe3 Bh6 12. Qf3 Qb6
- 9. O-O
… 8... Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Qd1 a6
- 9. O-O
… 8... Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Qd3 a5 11. Be3 a4 12. Bd4 Bd7
- 11. f3
… 10... a5 11. f3 a4 12. O-O Qa5
- 12. f3
… 11... a4 12. f3 Qa5
Other chapters
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 d5 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. e5 Nd7 11. f4 e6 12. O-O-O c5
7.f3 Lines (after 5.Nc3 5...Bg7 6.Be3 6...Nf6)
After 7.f3, meet it with ...O-O, ...d5, and ...e6, challenging White's center directly. Watch for lines where White castles O-O-O too early, letting ...Qxa2 win material for you.
16 lines1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Bb3 Re8 9. f3 d5 10. exd5 Nb4 11. Nde2 e6
Modern Bc4 Variation (7.Bc4, after 5.Nc3 5...Bg7 6.Be3 6...Nf6)
White develops with 7.Bc4, then retreats to 8.Bb3 after your castling. Meet it with ...Re8, then after 9.f3 d5 10.exd5 Nb4 11.Nde2, play ...e6, lining your rook up behind that pawn against White's bishop on e3. Watch the 10.f4 trap, where ...Ng4 and ...Qb6+ win material. You aim for a sound center against White's queenside majority.
8 lines1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Qd2 O-O 8. O-O-O Ng4 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bd4 Bh6 11. f4 e5 12. Be3 Nxe3 13. Qxe3 Bxf4 14. Qxf4 exf4 15. Bc4 Qf6
Other 7th moves after 5.Nc3 5...Bg7 6.Be3 6...Nf6 (7.Qd2)
After 7.Qd2 O-O 8.O-O-O, meet it with ...Ng4 eyeing Nxe3 and Nxd4. If White plays 10.Bd4, pounce with ...Bh6 and ...e5, winning material.
2 lines1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bc4 Qc7 8. O-O Nf6 9. Re1 d6 10. Bf4 Nh5 11. Be3 a5
6.Nxc6 Lines (after 5.Nc3 5...Bg7)
After 6.Nxc6, recapture with bxc6 and meet 7.Bc4 with Qc7, then Nf6, d6, and Nh5 to hit the bishop on f4. Castle, then push a5 and a4, keeping the b-file half-open for your pieces. Watch the trap line where 9.e5 Ng4 wins material for you. Aim for active piece play against White's queenside majority.
7 lines1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Qd4 Nf6 7. e5 Nd5 8. e6 Nf6 9. exf7+ Kxf7 10. Bc4+ d5 11. Bb3 e5 12. Qxe5 Bb4+ 13. c3 Re8 14. Qxe8+ Qxe8+ 15. Be3 Bc5
Exchange Variation (5.Nxc6)
White grabs your knight with 5.Nxc6, then jumps the queen to d4 and later pushes e5-e6 to chase your pieces. Recapture bxc6, meet 7.e5 with Nd5, and answer 8.e6 with Nf6, letting White overextend. If White grabs your pawn with 12.Qxe5, hit back with Bb4+ and win material. Aim for an endgame where your active pieces and extra material are winning.
5 lines1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Be3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bg7
5.Be3 Lines
White develops with 5.Be3, usually continuing 6.Nc3. Meet it with 5...Nf6, attacking e4, then fianchetto with 6...Bg7. If White tries 6.f3 Bg7 7.c4 Qb6 8.Qd2, take material with 8...Nxe4. Aim for structures where you land the bishop pair and push your kingside pawns.
4 lines
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