Quote:


I assume that you mean 11. a3 (after 10. Bb3 Nxe4) since 10. a3 would hang a piece. I won't deny that it is rather unclear but I think Black is able to get a sizeable advantage after for instance after 13. Qxf7+ Kd8 14. bxc3 Nxd2 15. Kxd2 Qg5+! picking up the g-pawn. 16. Kd1 Qxg2 17. Re1 Re8 18. Kc1 (maybe White has something better here?) Qg5+ 19. Kb2 Qf6 20. Qc4 Rb8 and it seems to me that Black is clearly better. I don't really see the appeal of this line compared to the main line 6. Be3 which is certainly more testing as well as being complicated.

trumpet83 wrote on 02/28/10 at 13:49:56:


The line 1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Nxc6 dxc6 7. Bc4, despite being played twice by the great Nona Gaprindashvili in the final of the Women's World Championship, would probably only be seen nowadays in the games of inexperienced players, since the exchange on c6 "promotes" the black b-pawn into a c-pawn, for no compensation other than possibly surprise. Nevertheless, it has been played many times and is probably close to equal with good play. 

One point of the line is that the plausible 7...e6 8 0-0 d5? runs into 9 exd5 cxd5 10 Nxd5! exd5 11 Bxd5 and if 11...Rb8 12 Bxf7+ wins. Or 8...Ne7 9 Qd6.

Black's best lines seem to be:

a) the simple 7...d6 preparing 7...Nf6. Then once Black has castled he should be fine and can start thinking about using the b-file or mobilizing his central majority. It is worth noting that then 8 0-0 Nf6 9 e5, which looks a bit nasty at first, can be answered by 9...dxe5! since after 10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 the move 11 Bxf7 loses a piece after 11...e6! trapping the bishop, which can then be snapped up by ...Ke7.

b) 7...Qa5 attacking c3 and also discouraging e4-e5. This was the choice of probably the strongest player ever to have faced this line with Black: Oleg Romanishin. 7...Qc7 also covering e5 is playable but less pointed.

c) 7...Rb8!? seems playable, impeding the development of the Bc1. There is an interesting gambit line then after 8 Qf3!? Nf6! 9 e5 Nd5, e.g. 10 Nxd5 cxd5 11 Bxd5 e6 12 B moves Qa5+, or 11 Qxd5 0-0.

d) 7...Bxc3+!? Personally I do not like to give up the bishop like this, but by analogy with the fairly popular line 6 Nb3 Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 Nf6 it is probably playable.

A very interesting point is brought up by Trumpet83. Being an AD player myself, I think I understand his question.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nxc6 bxc6  (...dxc6 is hard to defend) 8.e5 is a popular line which once thought to be the refutation of AD. Now very sharp game ensues after 8...Nd5 9.Nxd5 cxd5 10.Qxd5 Rb8 ; while 8...Ng8 is very solid and the more popular choice. This is all known theory.
On the other hand, althoug similar, the move order Trumpet83 mentions sidesteps this variation and these kind of positions.
1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Nxc6 dxc6 7. Bc4
Now there are two options.
A.
7...Nf6 8.e5 Ng8 (Nd5 now is clearly out of option) 9.Qf3 f5 10.Bf4 which is very good for White.
Here I would like to point out a pecualirity. Having troubles against Maroczy Bind I once tried to find a solution and came up with what Silman calls "Semi-Accelerated Dragon" Namely, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 now if White plays a normal move like 6.Be3 then 6....Bg7 and we are back in AD territory and we succesfuly avoid Maroczy bind. But the problem is, if White plays ambitiously with 6.Nxc6 bxc6 (6....dxc6 is again hard to defend) 7.e5 Ng8 (please note that 7...Nd5 here is useless because Bishop is not at g7 yet) 8.Bc4 Bg7 9.Qf3 f5 10.Bf4 and surprise ! We have the same position on the board. Because of this system, which is very hard to play with Black, I learnt to deal with Maroczy bind and would suggect the same thng aspiring AD players.
B.
7...Qa5 now that e5 square is dealt with, Black can continue with normal development, ie. Nf6, 0-0 etc. An important trick is if 8.Qf3 Nf6 9.Bf4 (insisting on e5 advance) 0-0 ! 10.e5 Nh5 gives Black an edge.
The point is this nuance is not given in two AD books I own ; Accelerated Dragons by Jeremy Silman & John Donaldson and Starting Out: The Accelerated Dragon by Andrew Greet. This is why at the first instance I said I understand why Trumpet83 brought up his question.Another point with his move order is now the game develops schemes not similar to normal AD positions. Altough black seems to be doing fine, he has to know how to play those positions else he might experince difficulties.
I like both books anyway, especially I would recommend the book from IM Greet without hesitation to anyone who considers playind AD.

Generally speaking in both Dragon and Accelerated Dragon the move Nxc6 is often not a good move since it strenthens blacks grip in centre and opens the bfile for any black rook. If white tries to shield the b pawn with the Bishop the c pawn can sometimes even advance down the board attack the Bishop. Sometimes black can even play Be6 allowing a double pawn to take even more control of the centre.

However there are times when the move is good and that is when white has a good follow up. In the particeller position white has no such thing after something like Qc7 or d6 and carefull play (make shure that white cannot play e5 at favorable moments) black is already at least equal.