Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Modern Bc4 Variation

14/14
1.e4c52.Nf3Nc63.d4cxd44.Nxd4g65.Nc3Bg76.Be3Nf67.Bc4d6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Modern Bc4 Variation486k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
40%196k58%
24%115k47%
13%62k50%
9.6%47k55%
4.3%21k46%
3.3%16k52%
1.2%5.7k44%
1.1%5.3k45%
0.7%3.4k42%
0.6%2.7k42%
Famous games in this line570 master games
Svidler, Peter (2755) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2775)2011½–½Grischuk, A. (2783) – Giri, A. (2734)2013½–½Giri, A. (2775) – Abasov, N. (2632)20230–1Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2730) – Savchenko, Boris (2638)2010½–½Sasikiran, K. (2656) – Gelfand, B. (2684)20190–1Volokitin, Andrei (2654) – Tiviakov, Sergei (2663)2007½–½Savchenko, Boris (2632) – Mamedov, Rauf (2660)20100–1Movsesian, Sergei (2639) – Macieja, Bartlomiej (2653)2004½–½
Heroes of this opening Abasov, N. · Gelfand, B. · Mamedov, Rauf
Family
Sicilian Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
B35
Line
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 d6
FianchettoSharp
★ Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Dragon VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines →
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Nearby lines in the family
Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit, Romanian Defense2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 …Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Flank Variation2…d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 …Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Gipslis Variation2…e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 …
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.

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