As black, moving second is a fundamental disadvantage in the game of chess. Moving the king’s pawn to e4 is one of the most common opening moves for white.
The Sicilian Defense attempts to throw the white off guard and turn black’s disadvantage into an advantage through white’s mistakes. However, this opening is considered to be “sharp,” which means it is dependent on good technique and tactics.
Yet, the Sicilian defense is the most popular and statistically more successful in response to the pawn on e4. Thus, it is a great opening to understand even for beginners.
If you are following along with the chess.com computer board, the instructions on how to use the buttons on the page can be found in the Tips section in Figure 1.
The game will start out with white moving the king’s pawn to e4.
1. Move the pawn on c7 to c5
Note: This is considered an effective opening because black’s pawn on c5 does not allow white to take control of the center with its pawn on d4.
The simple move of the pawn to c5 is the basis of the Sicilian Defense. Then, there are many different variations of moves afterward. However, I will cover the Najdorf variation for the Sicilian.
Najdorf Variation
This is one of the most studied variations of the Sicilian Defense and is used by the top players, such as Bobby Fischer and Gary Kasparov. It is very popular because it is reliable and flexible opening.
2. Move the queen’s pawn to d6 in response to white’s knight move
Usually, white will still attempt to take control of the center of the board and force an exchange with the pawns.
3. Take the pawn on d4 with your pawn on c5
Note: You want to go with the exchange to maintain your pawn structure on the queen’s side.
4. Move knight on g8 to f6
Note: This move adds to the develop of your minor pieces and puts pressure on the e4 pawn.
5. Move pawn on a7 to a6
Note: This move prevents the knights from getting deep into your ranks and causing issues in the future.
Analysis of the Position
The position at this point is basically even as it is difficult to gain an early advantage as black. However, the advantage of the Sicilian and Najdorf is to keep the game open and flexible to bait for a mistake. Please watch the video below to see some moves beyond the opening and other lines within the Sicilian defense.
Chess Game Examples vs. Computer
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