Chess opening · ECO B54
Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line
This is the crossroads of the Open Sicilian. White has a knight on d4 and more room in the center; Black has the c-file and a knight on f6 that is already hitting e4. White's fifth move has to deal with that pawn, and Black's fifth move then chooses the system. Several of the big Sicilian lines start from exactly this position.
- Rank by weighted share
- #49 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
- 3... cxd4The c-pawn trades itself for a central pawn. Black now has d6 and e7 against White's single e-pawn, which is a long-term asset Black keeps in the Open Sicilian.
- 4... Nf6The knight comes out attacking the e4 pawn, which has no defender at this moment. White's next move has to answer that, and Nc3 does it while developing a piece.
Three ways to hold the e4 pawn
5.Nc3 guards it with a piece and develops at the same time, and it leads every band of the table by a wide margin. The cost is that the c-pawn is now blocked, so a pawn wall on c4 and e4 is off the menu.
5.Bd3 guards it with the bishop and keeps c4 possible. 5.f3 uses a pawn instead, also leaving the c-pawn free, though it spends a pawn move where a piece could have developed.
Black's fifth move picks the system
After 5.Nc3, the quiet ...a6 leads to the Najdorf and ...g6 to the Dragon. ...Nc6 brings the Classical, and ...e6 heads for a Scheveningen pawn shape with d6 and e6 side by side.
Each choice changes what White's next few moves look like, so players on both sides usually study one or two of these systems rather than all of them.
5.f3 and a central reply
5. f3 e5 6. Nb3 d5
With f3 in place, Black kicks the knight with ...e5 and then strikes with ...d5, opening the center before White can play c4. The white knight on b3 is out of play for the moment, and e4 is under fire again.
Top replies by rating
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1200–1399 | Nc3 81% | Bd3 10% | Bb5+ 5% |
| 1400–1599 | Nc3 84% | Bd3 9% | f3 3% |
| 1600–1799 | Nc3 84% | Bd3 10% | f3 4% |
| 1800–1999 | Nc3 89% | Bd3 5% | f3 4% |
| 2000 and up | Nc3 88% | f3 8% | Bd3 3% |
Questions
Why doesn't White just play 5.c4?
It leaves e4 without a defender, so ...Nxe4 becomes possible and White would need concrete tactics to justify the pawn. Guarding e4 first, with Nc3, f3 or Bd3, avoids that question.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.