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The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: . 1. e4 c5. The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. The opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White because of the high success rate of the Sicilian defence against 1.e4.
In chess, the Scheveningen Variation [1] of the Sicilian Defence is an opening that is a line of the Open Sicilian characterised by Black setting up a "small centre" with pawns on d6 and e6. There are numerous move orders that reach the Scheveningen; a common one is: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6
The Sicilian Defence. 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3. White's 3.c3 introduces the Smith–Morra Gambit. Black accepts the gambit pawn. 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Qe2. White prepares e4–e5. This move is playable if White is careful on the next move. After 8.Re1 Bc5 Black has a good game as White's f2-square is sensitive.
Black may also exchange knights with ...Nxd4 to free up their pieces, so White can consider retreating their knight from d4 to avoid exchanges and keep Black's position cramped. One possible plan for White is to expand on the queenside by moving the a1 rook off the long diagonal and playing for the pawn push b2-b4, perhaps prepared by a2-a3.
For example, White retains a slight plus after 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bb7 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bd3 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 d6 9.0–0 Nf6 10.Qe1 0–0 11.Qh4 Nbd7 12.Bd2. [ 2 ] The opening is a favorite of French GM Christian Bauer , with which he managed to draw a game in 2005 against currently top-ranked GM Magnus Carlsen . [ 3 ]
Kaufman further makes the point that if White starts without the c-pawn, engine tests suggest that Black is only barely winning (roughly a 0.75 advantage for Black, because White has compensation from moving first and having an open diagonal for the queen), supporting his contention that "White's initial advantage in chess is way too small to ...
In chess, the Smith–Morra Gambit (or simply Morra Gambit) is an opening gambit against the Sicilian Defence distinguished by the moves: . 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3. White sacrifices a pawn to develop quickly and create attacking chances.
White tries to break open the black kingside and deliver checkmate down the h-file, while Black seeks counterplay on the queenside with sacrificial attacks.Typical white strategies are exchanging dark squared bishops by Be3–h6, sacrificing a pawn and sometimes an exchange on h5, exploiting pressure on the a2–g8 diagonal, and the weakness of the d5-square.