Open Sicilian - Open (3...cxd4)
Your opponent plays ...cxd4, entering the Open Sicilian, then follows up with ...a6, ...Qc7 and ...b5 in Kan style. Develop with Nxd4, Nc3, Bd3 and Qe2, then expand with f4, g4 and g5. Defend with Be3, meet ...b5 with a3, and prepare f5 and castling. Aim for a position with a queenside pawn majority.
Let's learn the Open! Black plays into the French Variation and then the Kan Variation. We claim the center with d4 and recapture with our knight. Let's begin with 1.e4.
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Scroll the moves: the board follows.
Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Main Line
… 9... Nc5 10. g5 Nfd7 11. Be3 b5 12. a3
- 4...Nc6
… 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 Nf6
- 4...Nc6
… 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d5 7. c4 dxe4 8. Bxe4 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 Bb7 10. Kc2
- 4...Nc6
… 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d5 7. c4 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 Nf6 10. f3
- 4...Nc6
… 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d5 7. c4 Nf6 8. Nd2 Be7 9. O-O
- 4...Nf6
… 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. e5 Nd5 7. Qg4 Kf8 8. Bd3
- 4...Nf6
… 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4 Qc7 9. f4 Qb6 10. a3 Ne3 11. Qd3
- 5...b5
… 5. Nc3 b5 6. Bd3 Bb7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nxc6 Bxc6 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Be3
- 5...b5
… 5. Nc3 b5 6. Bd3 Bb7 7. O-O Nf6 8. e5 Nd5 9. Nxd5 Bxd5 10. c3
- 5...b5
… 5. Nc3 b5 6. Bd3 Bb7 7. O-O Qc7 8. Re1 Be7 9. e5
- 6...Nc6
… 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. O-O Nf6 9. Bd2
Other chapters
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 a6 7. N5c3 Nf6 8. Bd3 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Be3 Be6 11. Nd5
4th moves after 2...Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 (4...e5, 4...Nf6, 4...g6, 4...d6)
Black pushes 4...e5 and settles with 5...d6, reaching the Kalashnikov Variation. Reroute with 5.Nb5, play 6.c4, retreat 7.N5c3, then castle and develop with Bd3 and Be3. Finish with 11.Nd5, offering a knight trade while sitting on a safe outpost. Aim for a queenside majority with Black's backward d6 pawn as your target.
17 lines1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 Be7 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O Nbd7 11. g4 b5 12. g5
Najdorf and Dragon Variations (5...a6, 5...g6)
Meet ...e5 and ...Be6 with the English Attack. Play Nb3, f3, Qd2, O-O-O, then g4 and g5 to gain space. Watch for ...b5, which stops your knight from landing on a4. Aim for a queenside majority, with Black's backward d6 pawn a target on the half-open d-file.
16 lines
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