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 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