Openings 1.e4 c5: the Sicilian
Sicilian Dragon: Yugoslav Attack, Plans and Stats by Rating
5...g6 puts the bishop on g7, where it breathes fire down the long diagonal. Opposite-side castling races are typical: White attacks the king, Black attacks on the c-file.
B70Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation
Games from this position (1600–1999): 7,021
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
| Move | Played | Games | White · Draw · Black |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33% | 2,344 | ||
| 15% | 1,084 | ||
| 14% | 986 | ||
| 10% | 697 | ||
| 8% | 596 | ||
| 7% | 524 | ||
| 4% | 312 | ||
| 3% | 188 | ||
| 1% | 89 | ||
| 0.8% | 56 | ||
| 0.6% | 44 | ||
| 0.6% | 41 |
Plans for both sides
White
- The Yugoslav Attack (Be3, f3, Qd2, O-O-O, h4–h5) is the most dangerous plan.
- Trade the g7 bishop with Bh6 when you can; the Dragon is much weaker without it.
- Quieter lines with Be2 and O-O are easier to play but less testing.
Black
- Castle short, put a rook on c8, and use ...Ne5–c4 to fight White’s bishop.
- The exchange sacrifice ...Rxc3 is a key idea to break White’s queenside.
- The Accelerated Dragon (...Nc6 and ...g6 without ...d6) aims for ...d5 in one go.
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Sicilian Dragon at each rating
How often the position after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 comes up in rated Lichess games, how it scores and what players answer next.
| Rating | Games (Share of games) | White · Draw · Black | Top next move |
|---|---|---|---|
| <1200 | 268<0.1% | 6.Bg521% | |
| 1200–1599 | 1,833<0.1% | 6.Bg522% | |
| 1600–1999 | 7,0210.1% | 6.Be333% | |
| 2000+ | 7,2680.4% | 6.Be350% | |
| All | 16k<0.1% | 6.Be339% |
What usually comes next
The most played moves from here, all ratings together. Thicker line = played more often.
Main variations
The main line. White castles long and pushes h4–h5; Black plays ...Bd7, ...Rc8 and ...Ne5.
682 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 44%, 9% were drawn, Black won 48%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4Both sides castle short. Slower and more positional.
318 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 47%, 7% were drawn, Black won 47%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.O-O O-OBlack delays ...d6 to play ...d5 in one move. White can grab space with c4 (Maróczy Bind).
37k games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 47%, 5% were drawn, Black won 47%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6Black skips ...Nc6 as well. 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 eyes h8 at once, and 4...Nf6 5.e5 Nc6 6.Qa4 Nd5 is the main answer.
279 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 50%, 6% were drawn, Black won 44%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.e5 Nc6 6.Qa4 Nd5
Common traps
6.Be3 Ng4? 7.Bb5+
6...Ng4 hits the e3 bishop, but 7.Bb5+! wins a piece: after 7...Bd7 8.Qxg4 Bxb5 9.Ndxb5 White is a knight up. Black should play 6...Bg7 first.
Fewer than 6 games in our data reached the end of this line.
Show on the board: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bb5+ Bd7 8.Qxg4 Bxb5 9.Ndxb5Advertisement
At club level
Almost every player answers 6.Be3 with 6...Bg7, but the 6...Ng4? trick below is worth knowing from both sides. Beyond that, the race matters more than memory: count who gets there first.
Practice it
The trainer answers with the replies people at your rating choose, in the same proportions, and brings back your mistakes on a schedule.
Related openings
- Sicilian Defense
1.e4 c5
- Closed Sicilian
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3
- Alapin Sicilian
1.e4 c5 2.c3
- Smith-Morra Gambit
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3
- Rossolimo Attack
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
- Sicilian Najdorf
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6