Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Bc4 Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4
The Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Bc4 Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B35, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,186 times by this move order. White won 50%, 6% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 7… O-O (76% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.14 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 7… O-O 8. Bb3 d5 9. exd5 Na5 10. Qd2)
- ECO
- B35
- Moves
- 13 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pp1pppbp/2n2np1/8/2BNP3/2N1B3/PPP2PPP/R2QK2R b KQkq - 5 7- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 56 | |
| 1500-1999 | 555 | |
| 2000+ | 575 | |
| All | 1,186 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7… O-O | 903 (76%) | |
| 7… Qa5 | 127 (11%) | |
| 7… d6 Dragon Variation, Modern Bc4 Variation | 73 (6%) | |
| 7… e6 | 36 (3%) | |
| 7… Ng4 | 10 (1%) | |
| 7… a6 | 9 (1%) | |
| 7… Nxe4 | 9 (1%) | |
| 7… Ne5 | 5 (0%) |
Master games
3,267 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 23%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- GM Alexander Morozevich (2760) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) 1-0 · 8th Tal Mem Blitz · 2013-06-12
- GM Yangyi Yu (2726) – GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2758) 0-1 · 82nd Tata Steel GpA · 2020-01-19
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2853) – GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli (2626) 1/2-1/2 · AimChess Rapid Play-In · 2023-06-12
- GM Yangyi Yu (2734) – GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (2728) 1/2-1/2 · 7th Hainan Danzhou GM · 2016-07-13
- GM Peter Svidler (2743) – GM Vadim Zvjaginsev (2655) 1-0 · 67th ch-RUS 2014 · 2014-12-07
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Ante373 (2672) – kasparik_garik (2646) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Ante373 (2677) – PromShortBow (2627) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- nuitet989893 (2548) – FM Andrey_Klymchuk (2675) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Modern Bc4 Variation B35 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 d6
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.