Answers.Body: <p>The line 8.Bb3 a5 9.0-0 d6 still occasionally occurs in games of IMs and GMs, and the results are actually quite ok for black. For example, <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1667437" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hou Yifan-Yu Yangyi</a>, <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1670609" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Kudrin-Diamant</a>, <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1750258" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Vishnu-Vazquez Igarza</a> and <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1785731" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Saric-Damaso</a>.</p>
  
  <p>However, at the highest level, it indeed seems that black is looking for alternatives. At the latest FIDE Grand Prix, Palma de Mallorca 2017, Gelfand tried 8....d5 against <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1891835" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Vachier-Lagrave</a> and 8....d6 against <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1891866" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Vallejo Pons</a>, but lost both games.</p>
  
  <p>A remarkable alternative is 8....Re8, first played by <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1733369" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zvjaginsev</a> in 2013. This move has been repeated in several GM games, e.g. <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1773221" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Leko-Vitiugov</a> and <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1890765" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sanal-Dubov</a>.
  <strong>EDIT:</strong> In the first round of the Gashimov Memorial 2018, the theoretical discussion on 8....Re8 is continued in the game <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1918248" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Navara-Mamedov</a>.</p>
  
  <p>Recently, a new repertoire book has been published: <a href="http://www.thinkerspublishing.com/raja-panjwani-th-e-hyper-accelerated-dragon-2017.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Hyper Accelerated Dragon</a> by IM Raja Panjwani. According to a book review on <a href="http://chess.ca/newsfeed/node/963" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Canadian Chess Newsfeed</a>, the author analyzes two variations against 7.Bc4.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>If White avoids the Maroczy (c2-c4), then the only other way to stop the ...d7-d5 equalizer is 7.Bc4, which is the subject of Chapters 2 and 3. Black could allow the game to transpose into a Yugoslav attack (Bc4, f3, Qd2, 000, and a kingside pawn storm) but Raja wants to avoid that, and offers two antidotes: 7...Qa5 (ch.2) and his own system ("My System") which is a hybrid of the Dragon on the kingside (e7, f7, g6, h7/h5) and a Taimanov on the queenside (...a6, ...b5, ...e6). That's the subject of Chapter 3, and the excerpt in the game player below.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <pre>
  <code>
        [StartPly "15"]
  
        [FEN ""]
        1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 a5 (8...d5)(8...d6)(8...Re8) 9.O-O d6
  
  </code>
  </pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-12T23:58:29.783Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for all the info!  Of the games you linked only one has the critical 10.Ndb5 and I prefer Whites position -- though Kudrin made a tactical oversight with 22.Nc7? 8...Re8 is interesting.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ywapom
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-13T09:47:09.610Z
Answers.Text: You're welcome! Although I didn't look at it in detail, I like the subtile 8....Re8. Against 9.f3 black can play 9....e6 and 10....d5, while after 9.0-0 black seems also fine after 9....d6 and 10....Na5. Btw, 8....a5 9.0-0 d6 10.Ndb5 was also played in Saric - Damaso.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Maxwell86
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-12T20:51:55.507Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-04-19T19:15:03.777Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2018-04-19T19:15:03.777Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Maxwell86
Body: <p>After:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 a5 9.O-O d6
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>It appears 10.Ndb5 is difficult for Black to play against.  I only found some games from 2008.  Is it still the case that Black is avoiding this line at high levels?</p>
  
Tags: <opening><sicilian-defense><1.e4><accelerated-dragon>
Title: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Bc4 Variation (B35) 10.Ndb5!
ThreadText: # Accelerated Dragon, Modern Bc4 Variation (B35) 10.Ndb5!
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-12)
  
  After:
  [FEN ""]
  1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 a5 9.O-O d6
  
  It appears 10.Ndb5 is difficult for Black to play against.  I only found some games from 2008.  Is it still the case that Black is avoiding this line at high levels?
  
  **Tags:** opening, sicilian-defense, 1.e4, accelerated-dragon
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-12-12. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  The line 8.Bb3 a5 9.0-0 d6 still occasionally occurs in games of IMs and GMs, and the results are actually quite ok for black. For example, Hou Yifan-Yu Yangyi, Kudrin-Diamant, Vishnu-Vazquez Igarza and Saric-Damaso.
  However, at the highest level, it indeed seems that black is looking for alternatives. At the latest FIDE Grand Prix, Palma de Mallorca 2017, Gelfand tried 8....d5 against Vachier-Lagrave and 8....d6 against Vallejo Pons, but lost both games.
  A remarkable alternative is 8....Re8, first played by Zvjaginsev in 2013. This move has been repeated in several GM games, e.g. Leko-Vitiugov and Sanal-Dubov.
  EDIT: In the first round of the Gashimov Memorial 2018, the theoretical discussion on 8....Re8 is continued in the game Navara-Mamedov.
  Recently, a new repertoire book has been published: The Hyper Accelerated Dragon by IM Raja Panjwani. According to a book review on Canadian Chess Newsfeed, the author analyzes two variations against 7.Bc4.
  
  If White avoids the Maroczy (c2-c4), then the only other way to stop the ...d7-d5 equalizer is 7.Bc4, which is the subject of Chapters 2 and 3. Black could allow the game to transpose into a Yugoslav attack (Bc4, f3, Qd2, 000, and a kingside pawn storm) but Raja wants to avoid that, and offers two antidotes: 7...Qa5 (ch.2) and his own system ("My System") which is a hybrid of the Dragon on the kingside (e7, f7, g6, h7/h5) and a Taimanov on the queenside (...a6, ...b5, ...e6). That's the subject of Chapter 3, and the excerpt in the game player below.
  
  
  
        [StartPly "15"]
  
        [FEN ""]
        1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 a5 (8...d5)(8...d6)(8...Re8) 9.O-O d6
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks for all the info!  Of the games you linked only one has the critical 10.Ndb5 and I prefer Whites position -- though Kudrin made a tactical oversight with 22.Nc7? 8...Re8 is interesting.  
  > **username_1**: You're welcome! Although I didn't look at it in detail, I like the subtile 8....Re8. Against 9.f3 black can play 9....e6 and 10....d5, while after 9.0-0 black seems also fine after 9....d6 and 10....Na5. Btw, 8....a5 9.0-0 d6 10.Ndb5 was also played in Saric - Damaso.  
  
  ---
  
  