Accelerated Dragon

THE ACCELERATED DRAGON
Author: Nigel Davies
ChessBase (2007)
DVD
$36.00 (our price: $31.95)

Reviewed by IM John Donaldson

THE ACCELERATED DRAGON by English GM Nigel Davies offers Black an answer to 1.e4 that is solid and easy to learn. White has three major ways to stop Black from playing ...d5 in the Accelerated. One is to put his pawn on c4, another is to play Bc4, and the other to trade on c6. Davies advocates a dark-square strategy against the Maroczy (...Nxd4, ...Bd7-c6 and ...Nd7), 7...Qa5 to force White to castle kingside sidestepping the Yugoslav Attack and 8...Ng8 in the line 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5. The material on the four-hour DVD breaks down as follows.

    Intro
    Maroczy 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5 13.b3 Nd7 14.Be3
    Maroczy 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5 13.b3 Nd7 14.Bf2
    Maroczy 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5 13th Move Alternatives
    Maroczy 10.Rc1 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3
    Maroczy 10.Rc1 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.Qd3
    Maroczy 10.f3
    Maroczy 10.f4
    Maroczy 10.Nc2
    Maroczy 10.Nb3
    Maroczy 10.Rb1
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8th Move Alternatives
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nb3 Qc7 10.f4 d6 11.Be2 b6 12.g4
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nb3 Qc7 10.f4 d6 11.Be2 b6 12.Bf3
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nb3 Qc7 10.Bg5
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.f4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc6 13th Move Alternatives
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.f4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc6 13.Nd5
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.f4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc6 13.Qd3
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.Re1
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bb3 d6 10th Move Alternatives
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 Ng8 9.f4
    5.Nc3 ... 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 Ng8 9.Bd4
    5.Nxc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 d5
    5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Be2 0-0 8th Move Alternatives
    5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nb3 0-0 8.Be2
    5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Nb3 5th Move Alternatives

I found Davies' explanations to be clear and to the point and his chosen lines selected not only for their durability but also for ease of learning. For example, after 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 Ng8 9.Bd4 he gives 9...Qa5 instead of 9...f6. The resulting positions might not be as rich, but the lines are much easer to master.

This DVD is directed at an audience from 1600 to about 2200 and players at this level will definitely benefit from the fact that Davies does not end his commentary at move 15-20 which would be the norm for an opening book, but continues into the middle and endgame. Many Accelerated lines, especially in the Maroczy, have thematic plans that extend beyond the opening and Davies is good at explaining them.

While THE ACCELERATED DRAGON is not aimed at professional players and this is not the most theoretical of openings, it should be pointed out that one key line in the advocated anti-Maroczy strategy is missing -- 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.Bd3 planning a trade of dark-square Bishops and Rae1-e3-h3. (first used successfully by Grischuk against Serper). Also there is nothing on 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Nde2 -- one way White can definitely force the play into the Dragon -- albeit not the sharpest line as Black has no way to force ...d5. These two reservations aside, THE ACCELERATED DRAGON can be recommended as a fine introduction to this opening.

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