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 Variation7.Nh3 Nge7
Nearby lines in the family
Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky Variation2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 …Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Jaffe Variation2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 …Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Main Line2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nc3 e6 …
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
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