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Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. Nf3/2...d6/3. d4/3...cxd4/4. Nxd4/4...Nf6

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< Chess Opening Theory | 1. e4 | 1...c5 | 2. Nf3 | 2...d6 | 3. d4 | 3...cxd4 | 4. Nxd4
The latest reviewed version was checked on 7 January 2022. There are 2 pending changes awaiting review.
Open Sicilian
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black kingd7 black kinge7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black pawne6 black kingf6 black knightg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black kingf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 white knighte4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)

rnbqkb1r/pp2pppp/3p1n2/8/3NP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w

Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6

Open Sicilian

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White's pawn is under attack from the knight on f6. They must defend it or forestall Black's capture of it in some way. 5. Nc3 is almost universally played as it is the knight's natural square anyway. A knight on c3 increases White's influence of the d5 square, and forms a defensive bulwark against attacks on the c-file, to the extent that Black will often give up a rook to remove it.

Also played is 5. f3. At first glance White is attempting to reserve the option of moving the c-pawn to c4. However there is not usually time for this, because without a White knight on c3 Black is immediately threatening to play e5 and d5 and equalise in the centre. White is compelled to throw a spanner in the works, usually with Bb5+, and c4 gets forgotten in the ensuing complications.

5. Bc4, the Ginsberg Gambit, is a fine continuation, apparently dropping the e4 pawn, but intending Qh5; after which, if Black plays e6 to block the attack on f7, White has ideas of Bb5+ and Nxe6. Even trickier for Black, however, is for White to switch the move order and sacrifice the bishop with 6. Bxf7+; after 6. ...Kxf7 7. Qh5+ Kg8, 8. Qd5+ wins back the knight, and Black's king is uncastled and in danger. If Black tries to prevent this by instead going 7. ...Kf6, Black's king is completely exposed, and 8. Nc3! Nxc3? is already a forced mate for White.

5. Bb5+ is plausible and may transpose into common lines, but if White's plan is to simplify this way, why now and not two moves previously when White could have followed up by castling kingside with a useful defensive knight on f3? Bb5+ is a shade inconsistent.

5. Bd3 commits the bishop to a square on which it will have no future after the obvious e5. It also fails to prevent a subsequent d5.

Theory table

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For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation..

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6

5
Main line Nc3
-		 =
Prins Variation f3
-		 =
Bb5+
-		 =
Bd3
-		 =
Bc4
-		 =

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Wikipedia has related information at Sicilian Defence

References

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