Sicilian Defense

• At a glance

  Sicilian Defense

  78 games, 76.9%: Wonderfultime's Nimzowitsch Sicilian. 2…Nf6 invites e4-e5, then Black hits the advanced pawn or White's center with …d6 and …d5.

  17 cards, one idea each. Swipe to move on.

• The big idea

  Your games: 71× · you score 77%

  Against 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3, Wonderfultime almost always plays 2…Nf6, the Nimzowitsch Variation.

• The big idea

  Your games: 36× · you score 76%

  The knight attacks e4: White chases it with 3.e5, or defends with 3.Nc3, and Black then answers 3…d5.

• The big idea

  Your games: 5× · you score 80%

  78 games, 76.9%. The dossier finds no recurring disputed move.

• The big idea

  Your games: 10× · you score 65%

  One move, though, 6…Ne7 after 5.Ne4 f5 6.Nc3, falls outside Stockfish's top three choices: the position that follows has scored 65% in 10 games.

• The big idea

  Your games: 28× · you score 79%

  The thread of the course: White's e5 pawn advances alone, and Black's whole game is about hitting it or trading it. Against 3.Nc3, it is …d5 that opens the center right away.

• Principle

  Invite e5, then hit it

  Your games: 36× · you score 76%

  2…Nf6 attacks e4. If 3.e5, the knight goes to d5, and Black targets the e5 pawn with …Nc6 and …d6.

• Principle

  Recapture toward the center

  Your games: 9× · you score 83%

  After 5.Nxd5, …exd5 recaptures toward the center and opens the f8 bishop's diagonal.

• Principle

  A pawn for the initiative

  Your games: 5× · you score 80%

  In the 8.Qxd5 line, Black gives up a pawn for a moment: the b6 queen and the c5 bishop aim at f2 together.

• Principle

  Against 3.Nc3, …d5 right away

  Your games: 28× · you score 79%

  If White defends e4 with the knight, …d5 opens the center before White plays d4.

• Principle

  Defend b7 and d7 in one move

  Your games: 6× · you score 50%

  When White's queen arrives on f3, …Qc8 guards both b7 and the d7 bishop.

• Imbalance

  The advanced e5 pawn

  Your games: 23× · you score 76%

  After 3.e5, the white pawn gains space but moves away from its base. Black hits it with …d6 or trades it.

• Imbalance

  The d6 square

  Your games: 6× · you score 75%

  With a white pawn on e5 and …f5, the d6 square becomes an entry point for White's knights.

• Imbalance

  The open d-file

  Your games: 3× · you score 67%

  After …d6 and exd6, the d-file opens: Black's queen on d6 faces the d2 pawn, left behind.

• The trade-off

  What you gain

  • Only one move to know at the start, 2…Nf6, and simple ideas.
  • White has to show something from the third move.
  • Lines where Black regains material with activity.
• The trade-off

  What you give up

  • 2…Nf6 is not among Stockfish's top three choices.
  • After 5.Ne4 f5, the d6 square stays weak.
  • Against 7.Qf3, the results drop.
• That's all

  Your turn

  These ideas only stick once you play the moves. The chapters make you find the right ones.

  Start chapter 1

Card 1 of 17: Sicilian Defense

Use the left and right arrow keys to change cards.