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B85 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation, Paulsen Variation

16/16
1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3a66.f4e67.Be2Qc78.O-ONc6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation, Paulsen Variation7.0k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
Be334%2.4k53%
Kh120%1.4k52%
Nxc612%83949%
f510%70044%
Bf37.6%52846%
e55.3%36740%
Nf33.6%25242%
a31.5%10849%
Nb31.5%10649%
g41.1%7540%
Famous games in this line122 master games
Lau, Ralf (2495)Nisipeanu, Liviu Dieter (2600)19970–1Sanguineti, Raul (2530)Schmid, Lothar (2550)1974½–½Perez Ponsa, Federico (2469)Flores, Diego (2608)20100–1Hulak, Krunoslav (2525)Panno, Oscar (2550)1977½–½Ganguly, Surya Shekhar (2498)Sasikiran, Krishnan (2573)20000–1Horvath, Adam (2517)Sax, Gyula (2535)2004½–½Karpov, Anatoly (2630)Cobo Arteaga, Eldis (2420)19721–0Fedorchuk, Sergey A (2571)Genov, Petar (2469)2005½–½
Heroes of this opening Nisipeanu, Liviu Dieter · Flores, Diego · Sasikiran, Krishnan · Karpov, Anatoly
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No defense has won more games at every level than the Sicilian. Bobby Fischer played almost nothing else against 1.e4, and Kasparov's Najdorf battles with Karpov and Anand are pillars of chess history. When you play 1...c5, you're refusing symmetry — the same refusal that carried two world champions.

Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
B85
Line
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 e6 7. Be2 Qc7 8. O-O Nc6
Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines
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