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Train this openingAbout this opening
Black has traded a wing pawn's future for a center pawn, and that asymmetry runs through the entire game. Nf3 is the most played reply here. It prepares d4, which is the standard plan: trade in the center, get a free hand there, and attack on the kingside. Bc4 looks natural but scores badly, because the bishop ends up exposed once Black plays b5 and d5. c3 prepares to meet d4 with a pawn recapture, keeping a broad center rather than trading it. Look at how well Black does from here overall. The Sicilian is the one defense that plays for a win rather than for equality.
Plans
- Play Nf3 and then d4, trading to open the center.
- Play c3 to recapture on d4 with a pawn and keep a big center.
- Castle short and push f4 for a kingside attack.
- Watch the d5 square, where Black's counterplay starts.
Where the pieces belong
- Knight: f3, preparing d4
- Knight: c3, covering d5 and e4
- Bishop: e3, supporting d4 and the queenside
- Pawn: f4, gaining space before the attack
- King: castled short, or long in the sharpest lines
Opposite plans. You attack on the kingside, Black plays on the queenside down the c-file. The race is decided by whoever opens a line at the enemy king first.
Variations
Sicilian Defense
2. Nf3
Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation
2. d3 Nc6 3. c3 d6 4. f4
Sicilian Defense: Closed
2. Nc3