I'm having success only with c4 against Accelerated Dragon. I will appreciate if you share any other efficient way of dealing with it.
Cheers.
Cheers.
There are different approaches to the accelerated dragon, depending on what you want and what your opponent wants.
If your opponent does the usual accelerated dragon: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6, you can play 5. Nc3 and dare your opponent into a usual dragon, for example 5. ..Bg7 6. Be3 and if black plays 6. ..Nf6, you have 7. f3, going into the mainline yugoslav attack. If 5. ..Nf6 you play 6. Be3, if black plays 6. ..Bg7 you transpose to the above and if black plays 6. ..a6, you can answer with 7. Be2 and avoid sharp lines. In general, playing Nc3 instead of c4 in response to the accelerated dragon almost always gives you a normal dragon if you know your move orders.
If black plays the hyperaccelerated dragon: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6, I like to answer with 3. c3, because the position is kind of unusual for black. If black doesn't care about your c3, he plays 3. ..Bg7 and you immediately get a big center with 4. d4. In my opinion, black's best is probably 3. ..d5, after which you can play 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 and you usually get a comfortable position with an IQP. One thing I quite like is the plan of playing Na3 to kick the queen with Bc4 later, which wins a crucial tempo sometimes. For example after 5. d4 Bg7 6. Na3 cxd4 7. Bc4 is very sharp, it is fun but you should look deeply into the line before playing it, you can lose these positions quickly (but also win). If you don't like this sharp line, instead of 6. Na3 you can just play 6. Be2, after 6. ..cxd4 7. cxd4 Nf6 8. Nc3 you have an equal position.
If your opponent does the usual accelerated dragon: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6, you can play 5. Nc3 and dare your opponent into a usual dragon, for example 5. ..Bg7 6. Be3 and if black plays 6. ..Nf6, you have 7. f3, going into the mainline yugoslav attack. If 5. ..Nf6 you play 6. Be3, if black plays 6. ..Bg7 you transpose to the above and if black plays 6. ..a6, you can answer with 7. Be2 and avoid sharp lines. In general, playing Nc3 instead of c4 in response to the accelerated dragon almost always gives you a normal dragon if you know your move orders.
If black plays the hyperaccelerated dragon: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6, I like to answer with 3. c3, because the position is kind of unusual for black. If black doesn't care about your c3, he plays 3. ..Bg7 and you immediately get a big center with 4. d4. In my opinion, black's best is probably 3. ..d5, after which you can play 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 and you usually get a comfortable position with an IQP. One thing I quite like is the plan of playing Na3 to kick the queen with Bc4 later, which wins a crucial tempo sometimes. For example after 5. d4 Bg7 6. Na3 cxd4 7. Bc4 is very sharp, it is fun but you should look deeply into the line before playing it, you can lose these positions quickly (but also win). If you don't like this sharp line, instead of 6. Na3 you can just play 6. Be2, after 6. ..cxd4 7. cxd4 Nf6 8. Nc3 you have an equal position.
The problem with Nc3 is that back can try to play d7-d5 in one rush, so the lines with 0-0-0 instead of Bc4 all give black easy play.
White can prevent that with Bc4 but black can answer Qb6! (assuming that f3 has been played already). The threat is Nxe4 and white has problems to even keep the balance.
So, transposing to the Dragon main lines is not possible if black doesnt want that.
c3 d5, well, i personally would prefer black here, because he has a target and no bad pieces.
Only c4 gives white real chances. You often can keep the position interesting by playing exd5 after Nd5 Nxd5. Often also the endgames after cxd5 are comfortable for white, as he has the better King.
Here is a good scheme f game by Carlsen. He first prepares b4 and then he follows up with f4-f5 (which becomes strong after ...h5 has been played) and Bg5, pressing against the weak spot e7. Also note the pawn breakthrough 35.c5, that is also a main idea by white.
And here are the other two games he played in that line (16...Rfc8):
Notice that in this game he was worse. He then played an incorrect piece sac, after which his opponent didnt defend right - it was a blitz game.
White can prevent that with Bc4 but black can answer Qb6! (assuming that f3 has been played already). The threat is Nxe4 and white has problems to even keep the balance.
So, transposing to the Dragon main lines is not possible if black doesnt want that.
c3 d5, well, i personally would prefer black here, because he has a target and no bad pieces.
Only c4 gives white real chances. You often can keep the position interesting by playing exd5 after Nd5 Nxd5. Often also the endgames after cxd5 are comfortable for white, as he has the better King.
Here is a good scheme f game by Carlsen. He first prepares b4 and then he follows up with f4-f5 (which becomes strong after ...h5 has been played) and Bg5, pressing against the weak spot e7. Also note the pawn breakthrough 35.c5, that is also a main idea by white.
And here are the other two games he played in that line (16...Rfc8):
Notice that in this game he was worse. He then played an incorrect piece sac, after which his opponent didnt defend right - it was a blitz game.
Klartext can you specify which lines you mean where black can play d7-d5 in one go after Nc3? I recommended Nc3 only in the normal accelerated dragon, where black has already played d6. There black usually has nothing better than to transpose into a normal dragon, d5 is terrible there. In the hyperaccelerated dragon I do not recommend Nc3.
I am referring to 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6. I dont see useful waiting moves for white here. He needs to make a decision. Either he plays c4 or something else. If he does not play c4 but Be3, Bc4 or Nc3 then the mentioned line with Qb6 can become possible. Nxc6 is not really a threat. I guess the white players tried it because they couldnt find something in the other lines (without c4).
Oh yes, I didn't cover that line because I don't encounter it. After 2. Nc6 I play 3. c3 and am happy with an equal position. You are correct that in this line of the accelerated dragon, 5. c4 is probably the only try for a real advantage.
@hairbeRt By definition in the accelerated dragon black does not play d6, hence allowing d5 in one go. The line you gave in post #2 just seems to be a bizarre move order to enter the standard dragon, even though the Lichess opening explorer calls it the "accelerated dragon" for some reason.
@hairbeRt Ah, i just see, you referred to 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6. But that is not Accelerated Dragon. Accelerated is only if black avoids an early d7-d6. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Defence,_Accelerated_Dragon
The Wikipedia article suggests 8.Bb3 to prevent the Qb6 idea (which is possible after 8.f3) but here black has an extra possibility which he doesnt have in the standard move order: 10...Nxd4 and 11...b5 (the Bb3 does not protect that square any more):
Carlsen also played three games from the position after 11...b5, all three were draws.
Carlsen also played three games from the position after 11...b5, all three were draws.
@Klartext as far I was aware 8...Re8 instead of 8...d6 is all the rage in this position
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