Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon
Initial Moves: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The Accelerated Dragon fianchettoes the bishop before playing ...d6: after 4...g6, Black keeps the option of breaking with ...d5 in one move and avoids the Yugoslav Attack in its most dangerous form. The position measures +0.45, and White's most feared reply, the Maróczy with 5.c4, measures +0.42 after 6...d6 and +0.37 with full development. What the entry records are the traps, and the two biggest are Black's: 8...Na5 against the b3 bishop measures +2.04, and 6...Nxe4 in the Maróczy, +5.46.
The pawn structure this opening produces
The Accelerated plays with the same diagonal as the Dragon — the bishop on g7 aiming at d4 and b2 — and with one structural difference that decides everything: the d-pawn is still on d7. That gives Black the ...d5 break in a single move, which is what White must prevent. The most awkward answer is the Maróczy, with 5.c4: the c4 and e4 pawns take d5 from Black for good, and the position becomes a space struggle in which Black plays ...d6, trades knights on d4 and looks for ...a5 and ...b5 or ...f5 to open the game. With 5.Nc3 and the Yugoslav set-up (Be3, Bc4, f3, Qd2), White keeps the centre open, but Black can transpose to the Dragon with ...d6 or play ...a5 and ...Qa5 without having spent the tempo on ...d6. With the 5.Nxc6 bxc6 exchange, Black keeps the c-pawns and an open centre. In every version, the sensitive point is f7 and the a2-g8 diagonal, where White's bishop on c4 or b3 works while Black's king has not castled.
Typical Plans for White
- Set up the Maróczy with 5.c4 and play against Black's lack of space with Be2, Be3 and Qd2
- With 5.Nc3, develop Be3 and Bc4 and castle before f3, so as not to open the g1-a7 diagonal
- Against 7...Ng4 in the Gurgenidze, retreat the queen to d1 after 8.Qxg4 Nxd4: +0.61
- Do not play 8.f3 before castling: 8...Qb6 pins d4 and hits b2, and the position drops to −0.08
- Exploit ...Na5 with e5 and the sacrifice on f7 when the bishop is on b3
Typical Plans for Black
- Hold back ...d6 while ...d5 is possible and break in the centre at once
- Against the Maróczy, trade knights on d4 and play ...a5 and ...Bd7-c6 against the c4-e4 chain
- Against the bishop on b3, do not play 8...Na5: 9.e5 and the b3 bishop win material, +2.04
- Never take on e4 with the knight in the Maróczy: 6...Nxe4 loses the piece, +5.46
- Against 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Qd4, answer ...Nf6 and use the open centre: the line measures −0.18
Main Variations of the Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maróczy (5.c4) | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 O-O 10.Qd2 |
+0.37 | The space struggle against the c4-e4 chain; White's most feared reply |
| Gurgenidze (7...Ng4) | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 |
+0.61 | The knight forces the exchange of the e3 bishop; the highest evaluation among the main lines |
| Gurgenidze with 9.O-O-O | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.O-O-O |
0.00 | Long castling gives away the edge the queen on d1 kept |
| Classical set-up (7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 a5) | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 a5 |
+0.34 | The a-pawn threatens ...a4 against the b3 bishop |
| 7.Bc4 Qa5 | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.O-O O-O |
+0.35 | The queen comes to a5 before castling, pressing c3 and e5 |
| Transposition to the Yugoslav | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 d6 9.f3 Bd7 10.Qd2 |
+0.15 | The late ...d6 reaches the Dragon by another order, with less White edge |
| 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Qd4 | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Qd4 Nf6 7.e5 Nd5 8.e6 |
−0.18 | White tries e5-e6 and ends up worse; the lowest evaluation in the entry |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 15/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Accelerated Dragon better than the ordinary Dragon?
By the evaluation, the two starting positions are close: +0.45 for the Accelerated and +0.56 for the Dragon in the Sicilian entry. The Accelerated avoids the Yugoslav Attack in its most dangerous form, because ...d5 remains possible, but it allows the Maróczy, which the ordinary Dragon does not.
Does the Maróczy refute the Accelerated Dragon?
No. After 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6, the position measures +0.42, and with full development up to 10.Qd2, +0.37. White gains space, but Black trades knights and plays for ...a5 and ...f5. It is a hard structure to play, not a refutation.
What is the best-known trap in the Accelerated?
The b3 bishop against f7. After 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3, attacking the bishop with 8...Na5?? allows 9.e5, and the position measures +2.04. The other one is White's: 8.f3?, before castling, lets 8...Qb6 pin the d4 knight, and the edge disappears (−0.08).
Guides on this opening
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Attacking the bishop with 8...Na5?? in the 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 set-up. The knight leaves the defence of the centre: 9.e5 drives the f6 knight away and the b3 bishop eyes f7 unopposed, +2.04. The line:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 Na5+2.04 - 02 Taking the e4 pawn with 6...Nxe4?? in the Maróczy. The knight has no support: 7.Nxe4 wins the piece, and Black has no compensation, +5.46. The line:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Nxe4 7.Nxe4+5.46 - 03 Playing 8.f3? before castling in the 7.Bc4 O-O set-up. The g1-a7 diagonal is open: 8...Qb6 pins the d4 knight against the e3 bishop and hits b2, and the position goes from +0.34 to −0.08. The line:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.f3 Qb6−0.08
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