Sicilian Defense

ECO B20, B27, B50 · 1. e4 c5

The Sicilian Defense, 1.e4 c5, is the most popular and statistically most successful reply to 1.e4. Instead of mirroring White, Black fights for the d4 square with a flank pawn, creating an unbalanced position from the very first move.

Plans for White

In the Open Sicilian (2.Nf3 and 3.d4) White trades the d-pawn for Black's c-pawn, gains a lead in development and space, and often attacks on the kingside with f3, g4 and h4 or f4 and e5. Anti-Sicilians such as the Alapin (2.c3), Closed Sicilian (2.Nc3) and Smith-Morra Gambit (2.d4 cxd4 3.c3) avoid the heaviest theory.

Plans for Black

Black gets a central pawn majority (two center pawns against one) and a half-open c-file for counterplay with ...Rc8, ...Qc7, ...b5 and exchange sacrifices on c3. The main systems are the Najdorf, Dragon, Scheveningen, Taimanov, Kan and Sveshnikov.

Typical pawn structures

The defining structure is White's e4 pawn against Black's d6 and e6 pawns with the c-file half-open for Black and the d-file half-open for White. Opposite-side castling and pawn races are common.

Who it suits

Ambitious players who want to play for a win with Black and enjoy sharp, double-edged positions. The main lines demand serious study.

Common traps

The Siberian trap in the Smith-Morra: after 6.Bc4 Qc7 7.O-O Nf6 8.Qe2 Ng4 9.h3?? Nd4! White loses the queen or gets mated on h2. In Open lines, the knight on d4 and the e6 square are frequent targets for sacrifices such as Nd5 and Nf5.

Variations

• Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6
• Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6
• Sicilian Defense: Closed — 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3
• Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6
• Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6
• Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. c3
• Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6
• Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6
• Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. d4
• Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3
• Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5
• Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. b4
• Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5
• Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
• Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6
• Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4
• Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6
• Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6
• Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 Nf6
• Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6
• Sicilian Defense: French Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6
• Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. f4
• Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4
• Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. b3
• Sicilian Defense: Kronberger Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Na3
• Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4
• Sicilian Defense: Morphy Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nf3
• Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Pterodactyl — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7
• Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4
• Sicilian Defense: Prins Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3
• Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Be2 e5
• Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. Qg4
• Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4
• Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nh3
• Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. g4
• Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Ne2
• Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening — 1. e4 c5 2. Ke2
• Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Dunne Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. g3
• Sicilian Defense: Mengarini Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. a3
• Sicilian Defense: Myers Attack, with a4 — 1. e4 c5 2. a4
• Sicilian Defense: Myers Attack, with h4 — 1. e4 c5 2. h4
• Sicilian Defense: Staunton-Cochrane Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. c4
• Sicilian Defense: Brussels Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 f5
• Sicilian Defense: Bücker Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 h6
• Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Dragon — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6
• Sicilian Defense: Jalalabad Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e5
• Sicilian Defense: Katalimov Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 b6
• Sicilian Defense: Mongoose Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Qa5
• Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6
• Sicilian Defense: Polish Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 b5
• Sicilian Defense: Quinteros Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Qc7
• Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. b3 d5 3. Bb2
• Sicilian Defense: Halasz Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. f4
• Sicilian Defense: Kopec System — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bd3
• Sicilian Defense: Kramnik Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4
• Sicilian Defense: Open — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
• Sicilian Defense: Portsmouth Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. b4
• Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit Deferred — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b4
• Sicilian Defense: Acton Extension — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bh6
• Sicilian Defense: Double-Dutch Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 f5 3. exf5 Nh6
• Sicilian Defense: Drazic Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 a6
• Sicilian Defense: Franco-Sicilian Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 e6
• Sicilian Defense: Frederico Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 f5
• Sicilian Defense: Kotov Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. g3 b5
• Sicilian Defense: Marshall Counterattack — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 d5
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Center Formation — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 e5
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Scandinavian Formation — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d5
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Wing Formation — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Qa5
• Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation — 1. e4 c5 2. d3 Nc6 3. c3 d6 4. f4
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3 4. c4
• Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Deferred — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. c3
• Sicilian Defense: Flohr Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qc7
• Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 h5
• Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6
• Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6
• Sicilian Defense: Löwenthal Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5
• Sicilian Defense: Nimzo-American Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 d5
• Sicilian Defense: Paulsen-Basman Defense — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
• Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit — 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd1 Nf6 5. Bc4
• Sicilian Defense: Heidenfeld Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Na3
• Sicilian Defense: Gaw-Paw Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Qb6
• Sicilian Defense: Kalashnikov Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6
• Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bd7
• Sicilian Defense: Spielmann Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nde2
• Sicilian Defense: Venice Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Bb5+
• Sicilian Defense: Magnus Smith Trap — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 g6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5
• Sicilian Defense: Velimirovic Attack — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2

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