Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Katalimov Variation
4/4
1.e4c52.Nf3b6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Katalimov Variation640k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
51%328k55%
18%116k52%
9.6%62k52%
9.3%60k53%
2.6%16k51%
2.1%14k49%
1.5%9.3k52%
1.3%8.4k52%
1.2%7.6k50%
0.8%5.1k52%
Famous games in this line592 master games
Anand, Viswanathan (2781) – Bacrot, Etienne (2718)Karjakin, Sergey (2756) – Kamsky, G. (2721)Topalov, Veselin (2757) – Bauer, Christian (2622)Robson, Ray (2614) – Kamsky, Gata (2741)Artemiev, V. (2706) – Ponkratov, P. (2628)Sutovsky, E. (2620) – Jobava, Ba (2713)Fressinet, Laurent (2654) – Bauer, Christian (2634)Kovalev, Vl (2623) – Ponkratov, P. (2641)Heroes of this opening Anand, Viswanathan · Karjakin, Sergey · Bauer, Christian · Artemiev, V.
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B27
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 b6
Fianchetto
★ Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines →Keep exploring
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