An extremely direct route to the 6-deoxyanthracycline skeleton is described. The initial route to quinone 10 failed due to an unexpected complication in the Ago demethylation step. However, starting from 2-bromo- 1,4-dimethoxynaphthalene, furan 17 could be prepared in two steps. Furan 17 was then converted into anthraquinone 19 in five steps. The eight-step route proceeds in 9% overall yield.