Sicilian Defense

You play Black · 218 variations

Mixed practice

The machine picks a different variation every time.

Start

Take a quiz

10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.

Include the other variationsLeave it unticked and questions come from the main variations only.

Start the quiz

Opponent strength after the book

Stockfish 19 · UCI_Elo

White

Black· the opening’s side

Pick the other side to train your opponent’s moves, guessing them one by one.

Main variations · 138

Other variations · 80

What is the Sicilian Defense?

The Sicilian Defense starts 1.e4 c5. Black fights for the d4 square from the flank and creates an unbalanced position from the very first move. In the Open Sicilian, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3, Black has traded a wing pawn for White's central d-pawn, gaining a central pawn majority and the half-open c-file in return for a slight lag in development. It is the most popular and most combative answer to 1.e4 at every level.

Main ideas and plans

The Najdorf Variation, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6, is the most famous choice, associated with Fischer and Kasparov. The move ...a6 controls b5 and prepares ...e5 or ...e6, followed by ...b5, ...Bb7 and pressure along the c-file. White's sharpest try is the bishop to g5, which can lead to the Poisoned Pawn, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2, where your queen grabs a pawn and has to survive a dangerous attack. Against the English Attack with Be3, f3, Qd2, g4 and long castling, and against the quieter bishop move to e2 (the Opocensky Variation), a set-up with ...e5, ...Be6 and ...Be7 is a reliable plan, with ...d5 as the freeing break whenever it works.

The Dragon Variation, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6, puts the bishop on g7, aiming along the long diagonal at White's queenside. In the Yugoslav Attack, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4, the kings usually castle on opposite wings and a race begins: White pushes h4 and h5 to open the h-file and tries to exchange your bishop with Bh6, while you use the c-file, the knight route ...Ne5-c4, ...Qa5 and the typical exchange sacrifice ...Rxc3 to tear open the white king's position. In every Sicilian your counterplay comes from the c-file, the ...d5 break and queenside pawn advances.

Who is it for?

The Sicilian suits ambitious, concrete players who want winning chances with Black and are ready for a lot of theory. Main lines like the Najdorf and the Dragon demand regular study, and one inaccurate move can lose quickly. You also need answers to White's anti-Sicilian systems, such as the Alapin (1.e4 c5 2.c3), the Closed Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nc3), the Smith-Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3) and the Rossolimo and Moscow lines with Bb5. Start by understanding why Black wants the half-open c-file and the extra central pawn, and learn the typical exchange sacrifice on c3 before memorising long lines.

Sign in to TheoryChess