B25 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, with f4

12/12
1.e4c52.Nc3Nc63.g3g64.Bg2Bg75.d3d66.f4e5
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, with f425k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
75%18k53%
11%2.8k62%
4.8%1.2k50%
4.3%1.0k50%
2.2%53550%
1.1%27852%
0.6%14952%
0.4%10449%
0.4%9850%
0.1%3456%
Famous games in this line376 master games
Spassky, Boris V (2630) – Hort, Vlastimil (2620)19781–0Larsen, Bent (2615) – Portisch, Lajos (2625)19770–1Spassky, Boris V (2610) – Portisch, Lajos (2625)19771–0Balashov, Yuri S (2581) – Kharlov, Andrei (2639)2001½–½Spassky, Boris V (2630) – Timman, Jan H (2585)1978½–½Short, Nigel D (2677) – Nataf, Igor Alexandre (2526)2000½–½Bachin, Vitaly (2510) – Motylev, Alexander (2680)20050–1Bachmann, Ax (2593) – Wagner, De (2575)20151–0
Heroes of this opening Spassky, Boris V · Portisch, Lajos · Motylev, Alexander · Bachmann, Ax
Family
Sicilian Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
B25
Line
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e5
FianchettoSharp
★ Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines →
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, Edge VariationB25 7.Nh3 Nge7
Nearby lines in the family
Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky VariationB58 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 …Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Jaffe VariationB40 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 …Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Main LineB29 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nc3 e6 …
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
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