Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Closed Variation
5/5
1.e4c52.Nf3Nf63.Nc3
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Closed Variation536k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
28%149k49%
27%143k52%
24%130k54%
13%71k49%
3.7%20k47%
1.7%8.9k46%
1.3%7.2k40%
0.5%2.4k41%
0.1%62742%
0.1%60037%
Famous games in this line1.5k master games
Caruana, F. (2816) – Mamedyarov, S. (2808)Anand, V. (2759) – Mamedyarov, S. (2808)Anand, V. (2759) – Mamedyarov, S. (2808)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2804) – Grachev, B. (2654)Morozevich, Alexander (2707) – Polgar, Judit (2735)Caruana, F. (2828) – Adly, A. (2611)Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2788) – Grandelius, N. (2649)Yu Yangyi (2763) – Kovalev, Vl (2661)Heroes of this opening Vachier Lagrave, Maxime · Mamedyarov, S. · Caruana, F.
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B29
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3
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From the archives
No reply to 1.e4 is played more. Fischer made the Najdorf his main weapon, and Kasparov's Sicilians are pillars of chess history — the Scheveningen against Karpov, the Dragon he unveiled against Anand in 1995. When you play 1...c5 you refuse symmetry, the same refusal that carried two world champions.
Study this opening