Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon - 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.
Let's learn the Exchange Variation! White trades on c6, then jumps the queen to d4. We recapture with the pawn and open our b-file. Let's begin with 1.e4.
Learn this chapter freeMain line
Scroll the moves: the board follows.
Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Trap: 12.Qxe5, you win the queen
… 13. c3 Re8 14. Qxe8+ Qxe8+ 15. Be3 Bc5
- 6. Nc3
… 5... bxc6 6. Nc3 Bg7
- 8. c4
… 7... Nd5 8. c4 Qb6 9. c5 Qb4+ 10. Qxb4 Nxb4 11. Na3 Bg7 12. Bd2 a5 13. f4 f6 14. exf6 Bxf6
- 8. c4
… 7... Nd5 8. c4 Qb6 9. Qxb6 Nxb6 10. Nc3 Bg7 11. f4 d6 12. exd6 exd6 13. Be3 Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 c5
- 10. Nc3
… 9... Kxf7 10. Nc3 d5 11. Bg5 Bg7 12. O-O-O Qa5
- 12. Qh4
… 11... e5 12. Qh4 Be7 13. Bg5 a5
- 12. Qh4
… 11... e5 12. Qh4 Be7 13. O-O a5
- 12. Qd1
… 11... e5 12. Qd1 Bc5 13. O-O Kg7
- 12. Qa4
… 11... e5 12. Qa4 Qc7
- 13. Kd1
… 12... Bb4+ 13. Kd1 Re8 14. Qf4 Bg4+ 15. f3 Qe7
Other chapters
Modern Variation (7.f3)
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 linesModern Bc4 Variation (7.Bc4)
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 linesModern Variation (7.Be2, 7.Qd2, 7.Nxc6)
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.
15 linesModern Variation (6.Nxc6)
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 linesMaróczy 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.
10 linesSidelines (5.Be3)
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 linesRossolimo Variation (3.Bb5)
Our knight takes the e4 outpost in front of White's e5 pawn. Next ...Qb6 attacks the bishop on b5, and ...Bg4 pins the knight on f3...
17 linesDelayed Alapin Variation (3.c3)
We recapture with the queen after trading off White's strong knight. Next ...e6, ...Be7 and ...O-O complete development, and ...Rd8 puts...
12 linesOld Sicilian (3.Bc4, 3.Nc3)
With our king safe, next ...Bf5 or ...Be6 develops, ...Rc8 takes the open c-file, and ...a6 asks the bishop on b5 to decide.
22 lines
Learn Exchange Variation (5.Nxc6) on the board
The trainer plays the opponent's moves and waits for yours, line by line. Free to start.
Learn this chapter free