Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation
9/9
1.e4c52.Nf3e63.d4cxd44.Nxd4a65.Bd3
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation583k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
41%241k52%
16%93k52%
13%78k50%
12%70k52%
3.9%23k51%
1.8%10k49%
0.9%5.1k51%
0.6%3.8k48%
Famous games in this line16k master games
Carlsen, M. (2872) – Caruana, F. (2782)Duda, J. (2750) – Carlsen, M. (2864)Giri, A. (2782) – Caruana, F. (2816)Anand, Viswanathan (2801) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2787)Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2788) – Caruana, F. (2795)Aronian, L. (2764) – Caruana, F. (2816)Praggnanandhaa, R. (2747) – Carlsen, M. (2830)Anand, V. (2759) – Caruana, F. (2816)Heroes of this opening Caruana, F. · Carlsen, M. · Ivanchuk, Vassily · Vachier Lagrave, Maxime
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B42
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Polugaevsky Variation5…Bc5Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Swiss Cheese Variation5…g6Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Gipslis Variation5…Nf6 6.O-O d6 7.c4 g6
Nearby lines in the family
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