Chess opening · ECO B20
Sicilian Defense
With 1...c5, Black fights for the d4 square without copying White's center. The pawn on c5 does the job a pawn on e5 would do, but from the flank. That asymmetry shapes the whole opening: if White opens the center with d4, Black trades the c-pawn for White's d-pawn and is left with two center pawns against one.
- Rank by weighted share
- #4 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 c5
- 1... c5The c5 pawn controls d4 and b4. Because it leaves the e-pawn and d-pawn at home, Black keeps both central pawns for later and gets a half-open c-file once the c-pawn is traded.
The Open Sicilian trade on d4
The main line runs 2.Nf3 and 3.d4. After ...cxd4 and Nxd4, White has a lead in development and more space, while Black has an extra central pawn and the c-file for the rooks and queen.
Black's second move picks the setup: ...d6, ...Nc6 or ...e6 each lead to a different family of lines, from the Dragon and Najdorf to the Sveshnikov and Taimanov.
Avoiding the open lines
White does not have to play d4 early. The Alapin with 2.c3 prepares to recapture on d4 with a pawn. The McDonnell with 2.f4 and the closed setups with Nc3 and g3 keep the center closed for longer and look to the kingside.
There are gambits too. The Smith-Morra offers the d-pawn with 2.d4 and 3.c3, and the Wing Gambit offers the b-pawn with 2.b4. The Bowdler Attack, 2.Bc4, simply develops the bishop toward f7.
Into the Open Sicilian
2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3
Black's knight on f6 hit the e4 pawn, so White covered it with Nc3. Black keeps two central pawns, on d6 and e7, while White has only the e-pawn, and the half-open c-file points at c3 and c2.
Top replies by rating
Nf3 leads every band and grows with rating. Bc4 holds second place up to 1799, while from 1800 up Nc3 takes that spot.
Questions
Why does Black not just play 1...e5?
1...e5 mirrors White's first move and keeps the pawns symmetrical. 1...c5 creates an imbalance from the first move, so both sides end up with different pawns, different files and different plans.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.