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
20%1.4k52%
12%83949%
10%70044%
7.6%52846%
5.3%36740%
3.6%25242%
1.5%10849%
1.5%10649%
1.1%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
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
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