The basic idea is to develop the King's side pieces quickly, and play c3 and d4 (very much the same plan as the normal 1. e4 e5 openings).
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3
Now Black has a basic choice between 2...d6, 2...Nc6 and 2...e6. Alternatives are less strong, e.g. 2...a6 3. c4 or 2...Nf6 3. e5. These should not be scorned - GMs have played each line - but are less good for Black than normal lines.
2...d6
[after 2... e6 White can play an interesting gambit, borrowed from a variation of the English Opening: 3. Be2 Nc6 4. b4 Nxb4
[4... cxb4 5. d4]
5. c3 Nc6 6. d4;
(compare the line 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 b5)]
3. Be2 Nf6
[3... e6 4. c3 Nc6 5. d4 Nf6 6. Nbd2]
4. c3 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 Qa5+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. d5
...with interesting gambit play in each line.
Now the most common line is
3...g6
Alternatives:
[3... Nf6 e.g. 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nc3 Nc7 6. a4 Nxb5 7. axb5]
[3... e6 e.g. 4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 d5 6. exd5]
4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Qb6 6. Na3 Nf6 7. Re1
[or 7. e5 Nd5 8. Bc4 Nc7 9. d4]
...when White has good play.
This is a complex line. After 3...Bd7 White will often
play 4. Bxd7+ and
5.c4, placing the pawns on light squares to complement the
dark-squared
bishop.
One example in another line:
3... Nd7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 Ngf6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. O-O a6 9. Bxd7+ Bxd7 10. Rad1 Bc6 11. Rfe1 O-O 12. Bxf6 gxf6
Again, White has good piece play, although the bishops may
be dangerous
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Be2 Nf6 4. c3 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 Nxe4 7. d5 Qa5+ 8. Nc3 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Ne5
[9... Nd8 may be better]
10. Nxe5 Qxc3+ 11. Bd2 Qxe5 12. O-O Qxd5
[The main alternative is 12... a6
Nikolenko-Obukhov 1991
13. Rb1 g6 14. Rxb7 Bg7
[14... Bxb7 15. Qa4+ Kd8 16. Ba5+ Kc8 17. Qe8#]
15. Qa4+ Kf8 16. Rc7 Bf5
[16... Qxe2 17.Qc6 Bb7 18. Qxb7 Re8 19. Rc8 Qb5 20. Rxe8+ Qxe8 21. Rc1]
17. Qc6 Rd8 18. Bxa6
idea Re1 - Gallagher]
The game as it goes is a rout.
13. Rb1 e6 14. Bb5+ Bd7 15. Bxd7+ Kxd7 16. Qa4+ Kd8 17. Rb5 Qc6 18. Rc1 Qa6 19. Ra5 Qd3 20. Be3 d5 21. Rxa7 Rxa7 22. Qxa7 Ba3 23. Qb8+ Ke7 24. Bg5+ f6 25. Qxb7+ Kd6 26. Qc7#
White is miles ahead in development, so breaks with d4.
10. d4 cxd4 11. Nxd4
Black now grabs a hot pawn while behind in development.
(Kids! Don't try this at home!)
11... Qxe4 12. Re1 Qf4 13. Nb6 Rb8 14. Nd5
Almost inevitable
14... f6 1-0
10... h4 11. Nd5
A very typical Sicilian sacrifice.
11...exd5 12. exd5 Nd4 13. Nxd4 cxd4 14. Ba3 Qa5 15. Bxe7 Nxe7 16. Qe2 Qa3
White threatens Qe5 and d6, winning the knight. Black
keeps the Knight, but
loses the King.
17. Qe5 Kf8 18. d6 Ng6 19. Qf6 Qa5 20. Bc4 Rg7 21. Re7 1-0
A neat move making use of the extra space and mobility.
16... Re8
[If 16...Bxc3, 17. Qd3!]
17. Qd3 g6 18. Rad1 Ne5 19. Qg3 Qa5 20. Ne4 Bg7 21. b4 Qc7 22. Nd6 Red8 23. Bb2 Nc6
White is obviously winning. He finds a neat unmasking
(Nf5)
24. Bxg7 1-0
Back to Sicilian Index
This document (sic7.txt.html) was last modified on 25 Jan 1996 by
Dr. Dave