The Accelerated Dragon (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6) has attracted the attention of many creative players. In the past these included Tigran Petrosian and Bent Larsen while modern aficionados include the dominant player of the era, Magnus Carlsen, as well as Viswanathan Anand, Veselin Topalov, Vassily Ivanchuk, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and many others.

The opening is characterised by the swift fianchetto of the dark-squared bishop on g7. It is a close relative of the "normal" Dragon (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6) but with one crucial difference - Black delays committing the d-pawn to d6, a decision which complicates the play. If White does not respond accurately, Black will often gain the opportunity to play ... d7-d5 in one go. This can mimic the effect of a bomb going off as the white position is laid to waste.

The traditional reason why the accelerated version of the Dragon is viewed with a little suspicion is that with 5 c4 White can set up the Maroczy Bind - a potentially powerful clamp on Black's game. However, there are good ways to fight against this plan and they are examined in detail.

• A strong aggressive line where "natural" moves can be disastrous for White
• A complete repertoire for Black against 1 e4.
• The question-and-answer method continually tests the reader's understanding.