Introduction
The Sicilian Defence arises after 1 e4 c5.
The Sicilian Defence is Black's best fighting defence
against 1 e4 because it guarantees an unbalanced
position, yet it is sound and active; players who
need to win most often utilize the Sicilian Defence.
Thus, it can be said that every strong player plays
the Sicilian sometimes. Although 1 ... c5 does not
further the development of Black's minor pieces (the
knights and bishops), the move prepares to cut down
the White d-pawn if it is pushed to d4 (as in the
Open Sicilian, where White plays 2 Nf3 followed by
d2-d4). In these lines, White is allowed a temporary
lead in development, in return for a flexible mass
of central pawns. If White avoids the Open Sicilian,
then the move 1 ... c5 has still effectively staked
a claim in the center.
The
most important variations, where White avoids the Open
Sicilian (refrains from playing 2 Nf3 and 3 d4) are:
- 1
e4 c5 2 c3 - the 2 c3 Sicilian
- 1
e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3 - the Closed Sicilian
- 1
e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 f4 - the Grand Prix Attack
- 1
e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5, and 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 Bb5+ - the Bb5
- 1
e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 c3 - the Kopec System
Note
that after 2 Nf3, Black usually plays 2 ... Nc6,
2 ... d6 or 2 ... e6. Against 2 ... Nc6 or 2 ...
d6 White can play 3 Bb5(+). Against 2 ... e6, White
has the interesting move 3 b3, and he can still play
3 c3. Against any of these second moves by Black,
White can play either (a) 3 c3, either heading to
the Kopec, or a permutation of the 2 c3 Sicilian,
or (b) 3 d4, the Open Sicilian. Some of the most
important variations in the Open Sicilian are:
- (a) Black has played 2 ... d6
- 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 -
the Najdorf Variation
- 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 - the
Dragon Variation
- 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 - the
Scheveningen Variation
- 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 - the
Classical Variation
- (b) Black has played 2 ... Nc6
- 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6 - the
Accelerated Dragon
- 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 - the
Sveshnikov Variation
- 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e5 - the
Kalishnikov (Lowenthal) Variation
- (c) Black has played 2 ... e6
- 1
e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 - the
Taimanov Variation
- 1
e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 a6 - the
Kan Variation
- 1
e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Bb4 - the
Pin Variation
- 1
e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d3 - King's Indian Attack
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