1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nc7 6.Nf3 Nc6 is generally considered somewhat better for White. So why should this line with colours reversed favour White too? Is the extra tempo that important? Just asking.

Hey. Thanks for posting my game. But, I almost never played the Accelerated Dragon before, and had no idea about the theory of this Nc2!? line. A lucky draw vs. the young guy, rated 2087, because I was clearly lost after blundering his 16.Qe2!.
Later I learned that the b4!? sacrifice was suggested by GM Chuchelov in Chess Informant. 
Black often plays ...Nd7 early without ...Be6, and often even before the short castle. Better look for the recent top level games, between GMs at least - not 2400s vs 2000s. 

9..Be6 is also mentioned by Davies in "the dynamic reti" where he prefers 10. Rb1 and refering to stein-daskalov and adorjan-parkanyi.

Hi, this thread is about the assessment of the following position:



A sample line to reach this position is
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Nc2 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Be6!?.

This position may be reached by various move orders and openings as the English or Réti opening, e.g.  1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. e4 d6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Nc2 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Be6.

The line with an early Nc2 is advocated by EvtS, but Nielsen only deals with 9...Nd7 and 9...Bd7, so 9...Be6 is interesting for black players who want to get white out of book.

So far I only did a quick database research and found various high level games, including one of our author Golubev. White has obviously various options, but black seems to be solid. Does somebody know theorys verdict on this position?

[Event "WCh-Women"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[White "Koneru,H"]
[Black "Hou Yifan"]
[WhiteElo "2622"]
[BlackElo "2557"]
[ECO "A05"]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 g6 6. Nc2 Bg7 7. e4 d6 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Be6 10. b3 a6 11. Rb1 Rb8 12. Bb2 Qa5 13. b4
Qd8 14. f4 b5 15. cxb5 axb5 16. Kh1 Qd7 17. Qd2 Rfd8 18. Ne3 d5 19. exd5 Nxd5 20. Nexd5 Bxd5 21. Bxb5Qb7 22. Nxd5 Qxb5 23. Bxg7 Rxd5 24. Qc3 Rd3 25. Qa1f6 26. a4 Qd5 27. Bh6 Rxb4 28. Rxb4 Nxb4 29. f5g5 30. Qc1 Nc6 31. a5 Rd2 32. Rg1 Nxa5 33. Qc8+
Qd8 34. Qe6+ Kh8 35. Qf7 Qg8 36. Qxe7 1-0

[Site "Bad Woerishofen GER"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[White "Gustafsson,J"]
[Black "Lichman,P"]
[WhiteElo "2607"]
[BlackElo "2334"]
[ECO "A56"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 g6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. e4 d6 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Nc2 Be6 10. Rb1 a6 11. Be3 Rc8 12. b3 Qa5 13. Bd2 Qd8 14. Kh1 Nd7 15. Nd5 Nc5 16. f3 Bxd5 17. exd5 Nd4 18. Nxd4 Bxd4 19. Bh6 Bg7 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. Qd4+ Kg8 22. Rfe1 Re8 23. f4 e5 24. dxe6 Nxe6 25. Qd2 Nc5 26. Bf3 Qb6 27. h4 a5 28. Rbd1 Rxe1+ 29. Qxe1 Qd8 30. g3 b6 31. Qd2 Qd7 32. Kg2 Rd8 33. h5 Qe7 34. Qc3 Nd7 35. Qd4 Nc5 36. Kf2 Re8 37. Kg2 Rd8 38. h6 f6 39. Bd5+ Kh8 40. Re1 Qf8 41. g4 Nd7 42. g5 Re8 43. Be6 Ne5 44. Bh3 Nd7 45. Rxe8 Qxe8 46. Bxd7 Qxd7 47. Qxf6+ Kg8 48. Kf2 Qc7 49. Qd4 a4 50. bxa4 Qd7 51. Qf6 Qc7 52. Ke3 Qc5+ 53. Ke4 1-0

[Site "Palma de Mallorca ESP"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[White "Haslinger,S"]
[Black "Valmana Canto,J"]
[WhiteElo "2506"]
[BlackElo "2343"]
[ECO "B36"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Nc2 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Be6 10. Be3 Rc8 11. Qd2 Ng4 12. Bxg4 Bxg4 13. Bh6 Bxh6 14. Qxh6 a6 15. Ne3 Be6 16. f4 Qb6 17. f5 Qxb2 18. Rac1 Ne5 19. fxe6 fxe6 20. Qh3 Nd3 21. Qxe6+ Kh8 22. Qxe7 Rxf1+ 23. Rxf1 Qxc3 24. Rf8+ 1-0


[Site "Leiden NED"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[White "Ducarmon,Q"]
[Black "Golubev,M"]
[WhiteElo "2087"]
[BlackElo "2480"]
[ECO "B37"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Bg7 6. Nc2 d6 7. Be2 Nf6 8. Nc3 O-O 9. O-O Be6 10. Bd2 Nd7 11. Rb1 Nc5 12. b4 Bxc3 13. Bxc3 Nxe4 14. Ba1 f6 15. Bd3 d5 16. Qe2 f5 17. f3 Ng5 18. h4 Ne4 19. cxd5 Qb6+ 20. Qe3 Nd2 21. dxe6 Rad8 22. Qxb6 axb6 23. Bb5 Nxb1 24. Rxb1 Rd2 25. Ne3 Rfd8 26. a3 f4 27. Nf1 Rc2 28. Ba4 Re2 29. Bb5 Rc2 30. Ba4 Re2 31. Bb5 1/2-1/2