Firstly, I realize many have been saying things like I've tried this opening, that opening, this opening, that opening and they all don't seem to work. Am i playing the line correctly? I follow book line until move 20 and I find myself not being able to play the positions that arise thereafter. The book promises one thing but I end up fighting bitter battles on my side of the board. This just means you are playing blindly without understanding the opening in the first place. :P
Guidelines:
1. Well firstly, despite all those glowing introductions opening books give about their openings, (Some may even go to an almost religious-like attempt to promote what they are writing) the author also means to address that you must be able. I REPEAT MUST BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE MAIN IDEAS BEFORE PLAYING THE MOVES. It becomes rather obvious that if you play aimlessly by just following books, soon you will find yourself in hot water without a plan. So FIRST IMPORTANT RULE: UNDERSTAND THE KEY AND BASIC IDEAS BEHIND THE OPENING.
2. The second thing to note is, SUCCESS DOES NOT FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY. No!!!!!!! and very sadly, success is slow. If everyone were to encounter immediate success upon every change, we'd all be millionaires today. You have to perpetually play the opening time and time again to gain a certain 'feel' about the opening. What is the 'feel'? The 'feel' is like a natural pattern you start to observe after playing the opening very frequently. You develop a certain depth of knowledge on what to do on which positions and what plans to undertake. Just like tactics. When you pick up puzzles and solve a 100 of those, you begin to remember patterns of puzzles you solved in practice and start seeing those patterns in your tournament games. Then you apply what you have practiced. So you have to continuously play the opening very frequently to get to know the ideas well. experiment.
The Hyper-Accelerated Dragon.
Back in those heydays of the Yugoslav Dragon, players of both sides were trying to find refutations at every move. Thus, a cutting edge game would develop where both sides race to slaughter the monarch and whoever has time on his side often prevails. Well, many players don't stomach this style of play too well and want to pick a quieter, safer and more positional approach to the game. Besides, you go in with a psychologically prepared as well. 1.e4 players are generally aggressive players and by forcing them to go into a quiet line, you pretty much kill their enthusiasm for entering the type of game they desire.
The Hyper-Accelerated Dragon, is designed with one aim in mind. To avoid the tripwire lines of the Yugoslav Dragon, as well as to carry out an effective ... d5 break in the center.
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White's Plan
White has a simple aim when he plays 1.e4. Annihilate Black's king. Having the advantage of the first move, White normally has more space in most openings, and e4 is no exception. In the sicilian white will have more freedom of movement, and will use this to organize his forces to assault the enemy king. Very often than not, a successful attack hinges on White's slightly better center influence, especially the d5 square. If White can hold the d5 square (placing a piece or preventing Black from liberating with the pawn push ... d5 ), White can carry out successful attacks.
A familiar pawn structure in the Sicilian goes like this:
This position occurs regularly in the Yugoslav, Richter Rauzer, Sozin and Najdorf. It is White's most aggressive response to Sicilian systems, especially when White castles long and prepares a pawn storm on the opposite wing. No holds barred here. However, White need not go-all-out on an attacking scheme and may choose a quiet line instead. White can choose to go for a positional game. Since we are only limiting our study to the H. Dragon, White can only go positional with the Maroczy. Other side variations should not pose much problems to Black. After all, Black wants to seek quiet lines! So this fits naturally! Here is what I mean when White players chicken and Maroczy. 
Instead of going all out assault, White can choose to suffocate Black by means of controlling the center. Thus, White's aim is to prevent Black from ever liberating with ...d5. Thus, the name, Maroczy Bind. Named after Ezra Maroczy. However, Black do not need fear this, for he is not without his own devices of combating the bind.
Other systems are not so potent as the main line and the Maroczy and will be covered as time permits.
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Black's Plan
Black's plan in any sicilian is to carry out an effective d5 break. A d5 break often liberates black's otherwise playable but cramped position. This pawn break neutralizes White's grip on the center. A few examples:
d5 break in the Kan variation of the Sicilian
d5 break in the NajdorfAnd in the H-Dragon, the goal is the same. Black wants to achieve an early d5 break, thus the name, Hyper accelerated dragon. Here is how it goes:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Pxp 4. Nxp Nc6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Be2 0-0 8. 0-0 d5
The Maroczy was desinged with one aim in mind, to completely tie down the d5 square and prevent Black's liberation. But as I said earlier, Black is not without his devices in combating this much feared system. Here are Black's ideas:
Dragon Bishop
The bishop on g7 is going to play a pivotal in Black's plan. Exerting pressure long the a1-h8 diagonal, as well as keeping watch over the d4 and e5 squares, the Dragon Bishop will prove quite an asset.
C-File
The c file is where most of Black's operations will be focused at. The half-open file will allow Black to exert pressure on the c4 pawn. Sometimes, after white plays b3, the liberating d5 may linger in the air due to the combined force of the g7 bishop and blacks rooks invading c3 or along the c file.
Black Knight, Rider of the Apocalypse
Black's Knight is going to see much action too. After maneuvaring the Knight to c5 or e5, depending on the position, Black's knight acts as both a defender and an attacker at the center.
Here's a diagram to see all these at work:
With that out of the way, let's get to the details!___________________________________________________________________________
First we look at the classical lines and what happens when White wants to be stubborn and force a Dragon.
As in the introduction, a normal Dragon will be met with d5:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Pxp 4. Nxp Nc6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Be2 0-0 8. 0-0 d5
A possible continuation may be; 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Nxd5 cxd5 with good play for Black. White has no stronghold on the center.
Another continuation; 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. e5 Nd7 11. f4 e6 12. Bf3 f6 12. Pxp QxP with good play for Black. Black intends to gain space on the queenside by ... c5 and then play on the b-file.
How about 7. f3?
8. Qd2 d5 reaching positions similar to the Be2 variation.
***NOTE*** d5 should only be played after Black castles. If Black plays d5 before castling, white can play Bb5, pinning the c6 knight, and disrupting black's support of the d5 break. There's no convenient way to break out of this, so just castle to safety and play d5 without any qualms. :D
But White can play Bc4?
Like this: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Pxp 4. Nxp Nc6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. f3 O-O 8. Bc4
Black has 8. ... Qb6!
A few continuations: 9. Nf5 loses to 9. ... Qxb2. 9. Bb3 runs into Nxe4 10. PxN Bxd4 However White may choose to complicate with 10. Nd5 Qa5+ 11. c3 Nc5 12. Nxc6 dxc6 13. Nxe7+ Kh8 14. NxB and Black has come out fine.
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How about White forgoes f3 and plays Bc4 first?
Aha, this one has a little more things to talk about. I will update as I go along. Till then. Hope you learned something!
Feel free to post questions. I will do what I can to give an accurate response. Thank you!
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