Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter Variation

11/11
1.e4c52.Nf3Nc63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3e56.Nb3
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter Variation980k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
77%754k51%
7.8%76k49%
6.7%66k48%
3.8%38k46%
1.9%19k49%
0.8%8.0k53%
0.7%6.8k37%
0.4%4.0k38%
0.3%3.3k41%
0.3%3.1k45%
Famous games in this line200 master games
Ivanchuk, V. (2726)Kuzubov, Y. (2699)20171–0Gelfand, Boris (2709)Van Wely, Loek (2617)20041–0Williamson, Harvey D. (2537)Remin, Wolfgang (2595)2025½–½Wilczek, Tadeusz (2606)Svácek, Pavel (2525)2011½–½Jobava, Baadur (2669)Bykhovsky, Anatoly (2459)20091–0Miralles, Gilles (2515)Vaisser, Anatoli (2575)1998½–½Ehlvest, Jaan (2600)Veingold, Aleksandr (2480)20031–0Williamson, Harvey D. (2506)Bubir, Alex Nikolaevich (2526)2021½–½
Heroes of this opening Ivanchuk, V. · Gelfand, Boris · Jobava, Baadur · Ehlvest, Jaan
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
B33
Line
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Nb3
Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines
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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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