I agree with MNB that playing d5 to transpose to a Schmid-Benoni may be Whites strongest continuation - and it would be enough to put me off the line for Black.

Interestingly though, from a psychological point of view I dont see many 1.e4 players going into this, since the Schmid-Benoni is more normal for 1.d4 players.

MNb wrote on 05/02/08 at 01:53:06:

6.e5! score very well for white.

MNb wrote on 05/01/08 at 20:45:00:


That seems to be a favorable (for Black) version of the Schmid, though, since White can't play f4 and Bb5+.  It seems that Black's play in Karpov-Kortchnoi was pretty dubious (e.g. the ...Nh5-f6 bit).  ECO and NCO think that sort of Schmid is better for Black than the Maroczy (as in equal versus +/=).  Going by sources such as those, White would have a better chance of advantage after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. d5 if he were allowed to get in c4.

But there's a significant bit of overlap between the Pterodactyl and the Hyper, i.e. the major line/position 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. dc Qa5 5. Nf3 (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. dc Qa5+ 5. Nc3).

Bibs wrote on 04/29/08 at 14:56:31:


I seem to recall the Silman/Donaldson book "Accelerated Dragons" having a fair amount of stuff.  I have an edition from about 1993; it seems that there is a 1998 edition which has 22 pages on the Hyper.  (I'm not familiar with the Hansen/Hansen AD book from 2003, but apparently it has about 14 pages on it.)

MNb wrote on 08/20/07 at 01:12:24:


1. Avoiding the Moroczy Bind! (2...g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6! 5.Nc3 d6 is a Dragon avoiding the Moscow variation 3.Bb5+)
2. Keeping White in the dark. In the above variation 4...Nc6 transposes to the Acc. Dragon. Black avoids the Rossolimo 3.Bb5, but not the Maroczy (5.c4).
3. There's a third option 3.d4 Bg7.

Certain players therefore try 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 intending 3...Nc6 4.d4 which transposes directly into the Maroczy or 3...Bg7 4.d4 after which 4...cxd4 also transposes, while 4...d6 is reputed to be difficult for Black. That leaves 4...Qb6 5.dxc5 Qxc5 with a Maroczy structure, where Black will lose time with the queen, 4...Qa5+ which usually leads to boring endgames, or Keene's 3...Bh6!? if one has a sense of humour.

MNb wrote on 08/20/07 at 01:12:24:

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 Bg7!? 4.c4 black con now play something like 4...d6 or 4...Qa5+, avoiding the Maroczy bind.

The hyper accelerated Dragon is extremely popular with two groups of chess players and those two groups probably overlap.

The first group is serious chess kids.  A lot of them have learned they can score gobs of easy points with tactical shots based on ...Qb6/Qa5 and attacking the seemingly well-defended e4 pawn.

The second group is blitz players online. They too score loads of points with a relatively small arsenal of deadly tactical shots.

If White can survive the weird tactics, White is still not guaranteed a great position which is why this opening is so appealing.   

I've been teaching my own students to play the Maroczy Bind against the "hyper" Accelerated Dragon.  They get into comfortable positions that have sound positional elements and they score well.   

Whether Black plays 3...Bg7?! or 3...cd4 and 4...Bg7, White still gets a good game.

In fact, I wonder if it's even a Sicilian after 3...Bg7.  Isn't there a line of Pirc that Korchnoi played against Karpov that reached the same position in a World Championship?