Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Accelerated Dragon
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6
The Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Accelerated Dragon is a chess opening classified as ECO B54, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 2,363 times by this move order. White won 49%, 5% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 5. Nc3 (56% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.46 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5. c4 Nc6 6. Nc3 Nxd4 7. Qxd4 Nf6)
- ECO
- B54
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pp1p/3p2p1/8/3NP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 474 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,529 | |
| 2000+ | 360 | |
| All | 2,363 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Nc3 | 1,317 (56%) | |
| 5. Bc4 | 195 (8%) | |
| 5. c4 | 193 (8%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 192 (8%) | |
| 5. Bb5+ | 120 (5%) | |
| 5. c3 | 80 (3%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 71 (3%) | |
| 5. b3 | 32 (1%) |
Master games
232 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 63%, draw 13%, Black 24%). The strongest:
- IM Bakhtiyar Nugumanov (2354) – GM Spartak Vysochin (2512) 1-0 · Titled Tue 29th Nov Early · 2022-11-29
- IM Mads Vestby-Ellingsen (2350) – GM Raja Rithvik R (2502) 1-0 · Titled Tue 29th Aug Early · 2023-08-29
- GM Nazar Firman (2464) – FM Anastasia Avramidou (2276) 1-0 · Titled Tue 28th Jan Early · 2025-01-28
- GM Rodrigo Vasquez Schroeder (2459) – IM Alejo Ismael Gimenez Aguirre (2265) 1-0 · 34th Leon Blitz Open 2021 · 2021-07-07
- FM Rene Humberto Perera Alfonso (2320) – FM Alexandros Papasimakopoulos (2401) 1-0 · Titled Tue 9th May Early · 2023-05-09
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM Angelicanmade (2578) – Kovalev_Vitaly (2606) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Udemzo (2541) – bobbystruk (2419) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- strizibuba (2509) – behrad98 (2434) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (3. d4 cxd4) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4
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.