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The Sicilian defence is a chess opening which begins with: This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... The first moves of a chess game are the opening moves, collectively referred to as the opening or the book. ...

1.e4 c5

This is the most popular response to 1.e4 at the master level. Black immediately fights for the center, but by attacking from the c-file (instead of mirroring White's move) he creates an asymmetrical position that leads to complicated situations. Typically, White has the initiative on the kingside while Black obtains counterplay on the queenside, particularly on the c-file after the exchange of Black's c-pawn for White's d-pawn.

Dragon

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Black can adopt a variety of set-ups, among them the Dragon variation, which begins This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ...

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6

In this variation, Black fianchettoes a Bishop on the h8-a1 diagonal. This is called the "Dragon" variation, by one account because Black's pawn structure looks like a dragon. Another possible reason for the name is that a very aggressive middlegame usually develops following opposite-side castling. In chess the fianchetto (Italian little flanking) is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward. ...

The main variation is the Yugoslav attack which contines 6.f3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7. Move order is imporant: delaying f3 allows the annoying ...Ng4 while delaying Bc4 allows ...d5 or ...Nxd4 followed by ...Be6. When Black adopts the dragon formation without 2... d6, White must watch out for ...d5 which immediately equalizes.

The Yugoslav exemplifies the spirit of the dragon with race-to-mate pawn storms on opposite sides of the board. White tries to break open the Black kingside and deliver mate down the h-file, while black seeks counterplay on the queenside with sacrificial attacks. Typical White strategies are: exchanging dark squared Bishops by Be3-h6, sacrificing a pawn and sometimes an exchange on h5, exploiting pressure on the a1-g8 diagonal, and the weakness of the d5 square. Typical Black strategies are exchanging White's light Bishop by Nc6-e5-c4, pressure on the c-file, sacrificing the exchange on c3, advancing the b-pawn and pressure on long diagonal. Black can sometimes obtain an acceptable endgame even after sacrificing the exchange because of White's h-pawn sacrifice and doubled pawns.

Some famous exponents of the Dragon are Veselin Topalov, Andrew Soltis, Jonathan Mestel, Chris Ward, and the late Tony Miles and Eduard Gufeld. Garry Kasparov used the dragon with success as a surprise weapon against world title challenger Viswanathan Anand in 1995. The Dragon has diminished in popularity since the 1990s.
Veselin Topalov Veselin Topalov (born March 15, 1975) is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. ... Andrew Soltis is a chess author and columnist as well as a Grandmaster. ... Chris Ward (March 26, 1968) is also an English chess player who was British Champion in 1996. ... Anthony John Miles (April 23, 1955 – November 12, 2001) was an English chess player. ... Garry Kasparov Garry Kimovich Kasparov (, pronounced with stress falling on the second syllable: kas-PA-rov) (born April 13, 1963) is a chess grandmaster and one of the strongest chess players in history. ... Vishy Anand Viswanathan Anand (pronounced Viswahnəhthən Ahnənd) (born December 11, 1969) is an Indian chess grandmaster. ...

Najdorf

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Main article: Sicilian Najdorf

The most popular Sicilian system is the Najdorf, which begins This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... The Najdorf variation of the Sicilian opening is one of the most complex and respected of all chess openings. ...

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6

White plays a variety of moves here, including 6.Bg5, 6.Be2, 6.Be3, Bobby Fischer's preferred response 6.Bc4, 6.f3, 6.f4, 6.g3, and, rarely, 6.h3 or even 6.Rg1, preparing 7.g4.
Bobby Fischer. ...

Classical

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6

the so-called "Classical" Sicilian arises, featuring sound natural development from both sides. Both sides have brought out their knights to the best squares. White usually now continues with 6.Bg5 (the Richter-Rauzer Variation), which aims to weaken the Black kingside with a timely Bxf6 when Black often must respond with the weakening ...gxf6. In return, Black will enjoy a useful majority of pawns in the center. Another popular variation is 6.Bc4, the Sozin Variation, which brings the bishop to an aggressive square, and allows white to castle on either the kingside or the queenside (the hyper-aggressive Velimirovic Attack). The Sozin Variation was a favorite of Bobby Fischer. Less popular moves are 6.Be2, 6.f3, 6.Be3, 6.f3, 6.g3, and 6.f4.
Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either rook. ...

Other systems

Black can adopt a number of other set-ups, including the Scheveningen (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6); the Sveshnikov (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5); the Accelerated Dragon (2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6), which allows the Maroczy Bind (5.c4); and the Kan (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6). There are also many more offbeat lines, such as the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon (2.Nf3 g6), Nimzowitsch (2.Nf3 Nf6), and O'Kelly (2.Nf3 a6), and various lines with an early ...Qb6, such as 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qb6.

To avoid giving Black this wide choice of systems, White can adopt a number of so-called "anti-Sicilian" lines, including 2. Nc3 followed by g3 (the Closed Sicilian); 2. c3 (the Alapin Sicilian); 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 (the Smith-Morra Gambit); 2.b4?! (the Wing Gambit); lines with an early f4, such as the Grand Prix Attack, a typical line of which runs 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bc4 e6 6.f5); various lines with an early Bb5 (e.g., 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5, the Rossolimo Variation, or 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+, the Moscow Variation); and unusual moves such as 2. g3 (which may transpose to the Closed Sicilian but offers other options -- such as 2...d5 for Black, and a center buildup with c3 and d4 for White), 2. c4, and 2. b3. An ambitious attempt to achieve a more flexible Grand Prix setup by White is 2. f4. This has the disadvantage of allowing 2...d5 which is playable as a pawn sacrifice (3.exd5 Nf6), however White may refuse this with 3.Nc3, leading to the so-called Toilet Variation, named after the inventor's original place of inspiration. White can also keep his options open with the "Chameleon System" championed by Soltis and others, a typical line of which runs 2. Nc3 d6 3. Nge2, keeping Black guessing whether White will play a Closed Sicilian with 4.g3 or transpose to a standard Open Sicilian with 4. d4.[[he:H+G+N+H+ S+J+ZJJ+L+J+#N+J+T+]] In chess, the Smith-Morra Gambit (or simply Morra Gambit) is a gambit against the Sicilian Defence distinguished by the moves 1. ... In chess, Wing Gambit is the name given to the branches of several openings in which one player gambits a wing pawn (usually the b pawn (see algebraic notation)). Most common is the Wing Gambit in the Sicilian Defence, which runs 1. ...