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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:
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 Variation
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