Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation
ECO B72 · Sicilian Defense · aggressive · advanced
The Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation (B72) is a aggressive chess opening in the Sicilian Defense family, played by Black. It arises after the moves 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3. Aggressive fianchetto with counterplay on the c-file. Recommended for advanced players.
Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3
About this opening
In the Dragon Variation, Black fianchettoes the bishop to g7, whose action on the long diagonal gives the line its mythical name. The two sides often castle on opposite wings: White launches the Yugoslav Attack (Be3, Qd2, f3, O-O-O, h4-h5) while Black attacks down the c-file. It is one of the sharpest lines in chess, a true attacking race where every tempo counts.