B40 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation
10/10
1.e4c52.Nf3e63.c3Nf64.e5Nd55.d4Nc6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation166k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
28%47k54%
26%43k65%
12%19k55%
11%17k45%
9.9%16k53%
3.9%6.5k55%
3%4.9k44%
2.7%4.5k48%
1.2%1.9k50%
1%1.7k51%
Famous games in this line19 master games
Deviatkin, Andrei (2528) – Zezulkin, Jurij (2494)Totsky, Leonid (2490) – Losev, Dmitry (2375)Smagin, Sergey (2495) – Bojkovic, Slobodan (2360)Shirazi, Kamran G (2460) – Sherzer, Alex (2355)Sotnikov, Alexey (2300) – Moiseev, Viktor (2415)Blauert, Joerg (2275) – Sehner, Norbert (2415)Bernshteyn, Michael (2309) – Bakutin, Aleksey (2350)Panopio, J. (2223) – Tran, Minh Thang (2399)Heroes of this opening Deviatkin, Andrei · Totsky, Leonid · Smagin, Sergey · Shirazi, Kamran G
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B40
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 Nc6
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From the archives
No defense has won more games at every level than the Sicilian. Bobby Fischer played almost nothing else against 1.e4, and Kasparov's Najdorf battles with Karpov and Anand are pillars of chess history. When you play 1...c5, you're refusing symmetry — the same refusal that carried two world champions.
Study this opening