I WAS upfloated.
Sicilian Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Bc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f3!?
More popular are 7.Be2 and especially 7.Bc4, but there are 8,532 examples of the text in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and it has been played by many grandmasters.
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| How should Black respond? |
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7...0-0
It is probably too early for the Accelerated's trademark move ...d5, as White can reply to 7...d5?! with 8.Bb5.
A typical response to an early f3 in these lines is ...Qb6, and there are 367 examples of 7...Qb6? in Mega26, but it fails to 8.Nf5 Qxb2 9.Nxg7+ Kf8 10.Na4!, eg 10...Qa3 11.c3 Kxg7 12.Bc5, or, if 10...Qe5, then 11.Bh6.
8.Qd2 d5
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| How should White proceed? |
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9.exd5
This is second in popularity in Mega26 to 9.Nxc6!?, which, despite its popularity, is probably not best, although it has been played at blitz by Fischer and Caruana (they both lost). Stockfish18 and Dragon1 like 9.0-0-0, claiming equal chances.
9...Nxd5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Nxd5 cxd5 12.c3!?
The engines agree this is best.
12...e5 13.Bc5 Re8 14.Bb5 Bd7 15.Bxd7 Qxd7 16.a4?
It is too early to be pushing the queenside majority with this apparent-novelty. The known move is 16.0-0.
16...Qc6 17.Bf2!?
This may be the bishop's best square.
17...e4?!
Almost certainly stronger is the engines' 17...Qc4!?, preventing castling, and if 18.Qe2, then 18...e4!, eg 19.Qxc4 exf3+.
18.0-0 exf3 19.gxf3
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| How would you assess this middlegame? |
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Material is equal, and both sides have two isolated pawns. White has a farside pawn-majority, but the less-safe king. The engines give Black a slight edge (Stockfish18) or the upper hand (Dragon1).
19...Re7
Dragon1 suggests 19...d4!? 20.Bxd4 Rad8, with attacking chances, but Stockfish18 reckons 21.Kg2!? is a good answer, one line continuing 21...Re5 22.Rae1!? Red5 23.Re4 Qxa4 24.b4 with unclear play.
20.Bd4 Rae8
The engines prefer 20...Bxd4, and then 21...Rae8.
21.Bxg7 Qxg7 22.Qd4+?!
White is close to equalising with 22.Rae1!?, according to the engines.
22...f6?!
This weakens the second rank, so 22...Kg8 is probably better.
23.Rf2 Qc4!?
Black should probably keep queens on, since, despite 22...f6?!, Black has the safer king.
24.Qxc4 dxc4
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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Black has two pawns holding up three on the queenside, but White's kingside pawns are well-placed to make it difficult for Black to create a passer on the kingside. The engines reckon the position is equal.
25.Rd2 Rb8 26.Kf2 Reb7 27.Ra2!? f5 28.Ke3
The engines suggest 28.a5!? or 28.Kg3!?
28...Kf6 29.Rd6+
29.h4!? is preferred by the engines.
29...Ke5 30.Rd4!? Rxb2 31.Rxb2 Rxb2 32.Rxc4 Rxh2
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| How should White proceed? |
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33.Rc7?
Better than the text is 33.f4+, but best is the engines' 33.Rc5+!, and if 33...Kd6, then 34.Ra5, with what they reckon is complete equality.
33...h5?
Black is winning after 33...f4+ 34.Kd3 Rf2!, according to the engines.
34.f4+ Kd6!? 35.Rxa7 h4 36.Ra6+ Kc5 37.Rxg6 h3 38.Rg5
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| Black to play and draw |
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38...Kc4?
Black draws with 38...Rc2 39.Rxf5+ Kd6 40.Kd3 Rf2! (40...h2? 41.Rh5), eg 41.a5 Rf3+ 42.Kc4 h2 43.Rh5 Rxf4+ 44.Kb3 Rf2. The engines show that also drawing is 38..Kd6 39.Rxf5 Rc2, which is simply a transposition.
39.Rxf5 Rc2
Or 39...Kxc3 40.Rh5, when 40...Ra2 41.Rxh3 Rax4 is a standard winning rook-and-pawn-v-rook position with the defending king cut off from the pawn.
40.Rh5 Rxc3+ 41.Ke4
The only winning move, but not hard to find.
41...Rd3 42.f5 Ra3 43.f6 Rd3 44.a5 Rd4+
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| White to play and win |
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45.Kf3!
Clearly 45.Kf5?? loses to 45...Rd5+ 46.Kg6 Rxh5 47.Rxh5 h2 etc, but the plausible 45.Ke3 only draws after 45...Rd6! as White cannot both defend the f pawn and prevent the h pawn from queening.
45...Rd1
Thanks to the white king being on f3, White can meet 45...Rd6 with 46.Rf5, without allow the h pawn to queen.
46.Kg4 Rf1 47.Kg5 Kd5!? 48.Rxh3 Ke6 49.Re3+ Kf7 50.Re7+ Kf8 51.a6 Rg1+ 52.Kf5 Rf1+ 53.Ke6 Re1+ 54.Kd6 Rf1 55.Ke6 Re1+ 56.Kd5 Rf1 57.Re6 Kf7 58.Rb6 Rd1+ 59.Kc6 Rc1+ 60.Kb5 Rb1+ 61.Kc6 Rd1 62.Kb7 Rd7+ 63.Kc8 Rd1 64.a7 Ke8 65.a8=Q 1-0
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