Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bb5!?
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| This position occurs 46 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and includes White wins by grandmasters Zaven Andriasian and Zhamsaran Tsydypov |
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I guess the opening could be called a Sicilian Bb5(+), although I do not recall the line being covered in any books I own.
3...Bg7
Five games saw Black play 3...Nc6!?, transposing to a main line of the Bb5(+) Variation of the Sicilian.
4.0-0 a6
Seven of the 12 games to reach the position after 4.0-0 saw Black choose 4...Nc6!?, again transposing to a well-known main line.
5.Bc4
Apparently a novelty. Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon it is an improvement on the known 5.Ba4?? (obviously) and 5.Be2 (marginally).
5...Nc6
If 5...b5!?, then 6.Bd5.
6.a3 Nf6 7.d3 b5 8.Ba2 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White's play has been on the eccentric side, with Black able to expand on the queenside 'for free', but there are no weaknesses in the white position, and White has the only pawn on the two central files to reach the fourth rank. The engines reckon the game is equal.
9.h3!? d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Re1 Bb7
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| How should White proceed? |
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12.c4?!
12.c4?!
The engines suggest 12.Nbd2.
12...Nb6 13.Nc3
This is best, according to the engines, one point being 13.Qb3? runs into 13...bxc4 14.dxc4 Na5.
13...b4 14.axb4!?
The engines are OK with this. Indeed, it comes to be Stockfish17.1's top choice, although Dragon1, after initially top-rating it, comes to prefer the move I expected, 14.Ne4, when both engines reckon 14...Nd7 gives Black at least a slight edge. Also quite good for Black is 14...bxa3 15.Nxc5 axb2.
14...Nxb4 15.Bb1 Qc7 16.Na2 a5 17.Nxb4?!
The black knight looked menacing, but swoping it improves Black's pawn-structure and gives up control of the a file.
17...axb4 18.Ra2!?
Even worse is 18.Ba2? Bxf3 19.gxf3 (19.Qxf3 b3) Ra6, when Black has huge pressure against White's queenside. However, possibly better than the text is 18.Rxa8.
18...Rxa2 19.Bxa2 Ra8 20.Bb3 Ra1!?
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| What should White play? |
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21.Qe2
This is Stockfish17.1's choice; Dragon1 comes to prefer 21.d4.
On 21.Bf4!? I intended sacrificing the exchange, with 21...Qxf4! 22.Rxa1 Bxf3, which gives Black more than enough compensation, eg 23.gxf3 Bd4. The engines reckon 23.Qc1!? is an improvement, but 23...Qxc1 24.Rxc1 Bc6 leaves Black well on top.
21...e6 22.Qc2?
The engines suggest 22.Rd1, but agree Black has a positionally won game.
22...Bxf3 23.gxf3 Bd4 24.Bd2? Qg3+! 25.Kh1 Qxf3+ 26.Kh2 Qxf2+ 27.Kh1 Rxe1+ 28.Bxe1 Qxe1+
Missing 28...Qg1#.
29.Kg2 Qg1+ 30.Kf3 Qf1+ 31.Kg3 Be5+ 0-1
Why does White want to provoke .. a6? Black could play it at move 3 as well. The idea of 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bc4 has been played far more frequently and Black might well play . .. a6 anyway.
ReplyDeleteDefintely a byway of opening theory although the resulting positions are quite normal to Sicilian and many other players.
The equivalent ideas on the other side of the board of 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 and 1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 can become some of the madder positions in opening theory. I suppose that may also go for 1. e4 e5 2. Bb5
RdC
I suspect my opponent was playing on autopilot. What I find interesting is that the engines don't particularly mind 3.Bb5!? I suppose it's confirmation that White has more leeway than Black in the early stages of a game.
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