The Dynamic Sicilian - Which Dragon?

using your criteria (1) Pawn storm (2)  strategically rich (3) Have tacticsI I would say you should play the Dragon main line, in the accelerated version you will have lots of strategically rich position but there are not going to be pawn storms over neither king.

Your 3 point (tactics) in everyposition there are tactics involved but in the accelerated is most about fighting for squares and trying to make favourable exchanges to reach and endgame with an edge.

This been said you have to know that in all the variations you have wild players and more strategically positional ones, even people who go for the Dragon main line can play very positional and people who go for the Accelerated can go very wild but in general terms thats not going to be the case.  

Interesting. There seems to be a consensus that the Dragon is more aggresive than the Accel. Dragon, but that the Dragon is slightly dubious and the Accel. Dragon is more sound.

May you please do me the favor of comparing the Accel. Dragon with the Hyper-Accel. Dragon?  Please compare those two openings with the following criteria:

(1) Pawn storm (2)  strategically rich (3) Have tacticsI

Also, is the Rossolimo optimal against Accel. Dragon, and is the Maroczy Bind optimal against the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon?

Thanks very much!

I haven't read all the posts here, so I'm sorry if this has already been said. However, I wonder if you might enjoy the Najdorf. It often has pawn storms, is strategically rich, and has all kinds of tactics.

In the Dragon White often conducts a pawn storm, but I don't think Black does one so often (at least not in the mainline where White plays Nxc6).

That being said, the Accelerated Dragon and Hyper-Accelerated Dragon are basically the same except that against the Accelerated Dragon White can play 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 while against the Hyper Accelerated Dragon White can play 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 (Black can also try 3...Bg7 though it's unsound). So if you choose an Accelerated Dragon it just depends which line you'd rather face.

The advantage the Dragon holds over the Accelerated Dragon is that White cannot achieve a Maroczy bind (which occurs in the AD by 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4) when White is guaranteed more space and a long lasting positional edge. The Accelerated Dragon, on the other hand, often allows Black to play d7-d5 in one move (instead of d7-d6-d5) which means Black will be a tempo up in a normal Dragon line if White tries to play a Yugoslav attack.

So really it's all about which lines you'd rather face. The Accelerated Dragon is probably more positional while the Dragon is more tactical. Neither really has a ton of pawn storms (though White does in the Dragon and Larson sometimes did with Black in the AD against the Maroczy Bind). Again, I really think you should check out the Najdorf 

Why is getting the Marochsy bind a problem? I seldom get it, and when playing a g6 dragon the fianchetto darksquarebishop points straight trough the bind-pawns.

I play mostly some accelerated o hyperaccelerated, but I do vary a lot, depending of mood and resistance. The problem with hyperaccelerated are that you are showing your cards a bit early, announcing fianchetto with  kingsidecastle .

I think its smart to play them all,included the Najdorf and that you can transpose to regular dragon when yo feel you have enough tempo.

After some houndred correspondencegames you will be more familiar with our dragons. Dont expect fast success.

I bought Shipov's Complete Hedgehog mostly to deal with a c4+e4 bind rather than treat it like an opening book.  Like a c4+e4 vs d6+e6 version of Winning Pawn Structures (a book that specializes in the isolated d-pawn.) since the better you get the more you run into people who know what you do and perhaps more. 

It depends on what level you are at. Many low level players will not know what the Marcozy Bind is and will simply play Nc3 like a normal dragon which I believe will simply give black an edge. The reason why is becuase its like a normal dragon with a saved tempo.

However, The Marcozy Bind is possible against the accelerated dragon and hyper accelerated dragon because their is no pressure on e4 pawn right away. Usually if you was to look at the Mainline Dragon move order Nf6 will hit the e4 pawn so white has to defend it. With the Accelerated dragon and Hyper Accelerated dragon it is delayed 1 move. Which gives white the chance to play it.

The problem with this is space is considered to be an advantage. If white has a Positional Bind on the d5 square. Black can not liberate with a d5 pawn break. Usually in many sicilian black wants to play d5 to get more space and get his pieces more active. The saying is "if black manages to play d5 successfully in the sicilian they have equalized."

If your opponent has a positional bind on the d5 square the chances of you equalizing is not that great lol. Which means you will stay cramped. Realistically black does have spots for his pieces so its not like he pieces will have no were to go or be hugely cramped. The main issue is white will be working with 4 rows black will be working with 3 rows so if white can sit on the position and start targeting different pawns or pieces. It will cause black some discomfort becuase its hard to defend stuff if your pieces only have 3 rows to move around with.

Space the final frontier, those who have it try to maintain it, those who don't have it try to achieve it.

You ask if the Rossolimo or Maroczy Bind is optimal. Well, against the Hyper, I'd say 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 is maybe white's best line. Against the Accelerated, meh. The Rossolimo gives white a tiny edge. The Maroczy Bind also does that, and maybe black has to squirm around a bit more to get equality, but if you play the Rossolimo you are also avoiding the Sveshnikov and other annoying Nc6 Sicilians, so in some ways it is a better practical choice, depending on what you want to allow.

I will add some diagrams so you can see what the positions will look like. Also you will see what usually people play against each one.

Sicilian Dragon vs Yugoslav Attack

Accelerated Dragon vs Rossolimo

Accelerated Dragon vs Macrozy Bind

Hyper Accelerated Dragon vs Qxd4 line which I have no idea what the name of it is

Hyper Accelerated Dragon vs Macrozy Bind

As you can see the lines that are sound tend to have more lines played against them. The one that is not so sound well it has the same line played against it. Why play others if the Yugoslav Attack seems to be working lol.

However, I can not stress how theoritical it is so even if the Yugoslav attack gives the sicilian dragon trouble it does not mean your opponent will know all of the theory. You could beat him simply but knowing more theory than him in the line. However, if he is well prepared you might struggle some. It will still be interesting game though.

I actually do enjoy playing the Sicilian Dragon use to play it alot in fact. I got tired of playing it lol it so full of chaos lol I like more quite stuff now.

@X PLAYER JX This is a good post. I must add though that in the Rossolimo, 4. c3 is also a perfectly reasonable option for white in addition to 4. 0-0 and 4. Bxc6.

I think the worst difficulties playing black comes facing the Smith- Morra gambit. 

Man I love this thread. Chock full of Sicilian goodies lol. Anybody know which book is considered the best najdorf book? I think I'm ready to tackle that giant next.

Thanks for the positions, althought there are still queens on the board, maybe I will try them

Yugoslav is weak against hyper accel. dragon...not weak but it can be defended

The dragon main line is kind of problematic for black. However, there is a sideline that makes your life significantly easier and scores well at master level called a Hungarian dragon. After 6. Be3 you play 6. ...Nc6 and if 7. f3 then 7. ...h5! Weird move, but it is really good. Simon Williams has a chessable course, but he does not call it a hungarian dragon, and there is a book.

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