- ECO code
- B32
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 346
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1892–2026
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon is the opening filed under ECO code B32, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Accelerated Dragon; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 346 games on this line — the 278th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1892 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 64 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 40% of those games, 45% end in a draw, and Black wins 15%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 13 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 10 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5.c4, played in 209 games, followed by 5.Nc3 (105) and 5.Be3 (16). After 5.c4 White scores 39% and Black 11%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (27 games); on the Black side, Larsen, Bent (52).
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Results in master games
- White 40% (137)
- Draws 45% (156)
- Black 15% (53)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.c4 | 209 | 39/50/11 | — |
| 5.Nc3 | 105 | 43/41/16 | — |
| 5.Be3 | 16 | 37/25/38 | — |
| 5.Nxc6 | 9 | 45/11/44 | — |
| 5.Be2 | 3 | 0/33/67 | — |
| 5.Nb3 | 3 | 33/67/0 | — |
| 5.Bc4 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 · 21,789 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 · 18,942 games
- Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 4,730 games
- Sicilian Defense: Open · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 · 2,339 games
- Sicilian Defense: Open · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 · 2,338 games
- Sicilian Defense: Open · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 · 2,337 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 27
- Tal, Mihail 16
- Keres, Paul 13
As Black
- Larsen, Bent 52
- Ivanchuk,V 14
- Mamedov,Rau 10
Games per decade
- 1890s 11
- 1900s 2
- 1910s 1
- 1920s 4
- 1950s 24
- 1960s 34
- 1970s 16
- 1980s 33
- 1990s 58
- 2000s 64
- 2010s 57
- 2020s 42
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivanchuk,V | Mamedov,Rau | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool D |
| Esipenko,Andrey | Caruana,F | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | World Rapid 2025 |
| Balint,Peter | Carlsen,M | 0-1 | 2025 | Titled Tue 22nd Apr Early |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Rosen,E | 1-0 | 2025 | Titled Tue 25th Feb Late |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | Chess.com Classic Winners |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Carlsen,M | 1-0 | 2025 | Chessable Masters Winners |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon?
It is the opening with ECO code B32, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon good for White or for Black?
In 346 master games on this line White wins 40%, 45% are drawn and Black wins 15%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon?
5.c4 — played in 209 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon?
On the White side Shirov,A (27), Tal, Mihail (16), Keres, Paul (13); on the Black side Larsen, Bent (52), Ivanchuk,V (14), Mamedov,Rau (10).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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