Sicilian Defense

22. Four Knights Sicilian (5...e6 6.Ndb5 Bb4)

In the Four Knights Variation Black plays 5...e6 and against 6.Ndb5 pins the knight with 6...Bb4. After 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 d5 Black frees the center: White has the bishop pair, Black an isolated pawn but active pieces.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Ndb5 Bb4 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 d5 9.exd5 exd5 10.Bd3 O-O 11.O-O d4

Move by move

  1. 1.e4 – White occupies the center with the king's pawn, controls d5 and f5 and frees the queen and the f1-bishop. This is the move we answer with the Sicilian.
  2. 1...c5 – The Sicilian Defense: Black controls d4 with a flank pawn instead of occupying the center. If White plays d4, Black will trade c5 for d4 and have two central pawns against one and the half-open c-file.
  3. 2.Nf3 – White develops the knight toward the center and prepares d2-d4 to open the game: it is the road to the Open Sicilian, the most ambitious try against us.
  4. 2...Nc6 – Black develops the knight toward the center and controls d4: it is the move order of the Accelerated Dragon, which postpones ...d6.
  5. 3.d4 – White opens the center: it offers the d-pawn for the c-pawn trade to develop the pieces quickly.
  6. 3...cxd4 – Black trades and opens the c-file. With the knight already on c6, after Nxd4 it will be able to choose between the Accelerated Dragon (...g6), the Taimanov (...e6) or the lines with ...Nf6 and ...e5.
  7. 4.Nxd4 – White recaptures with the knight, which dominates the center from d4. Now Black chooses the type of Sicilian.
  8. 4...Nf6 – Black develops the knight attacking e4: White must defend it with Nc3. Now Black can choose between ...e5 (Sveshnikov), ...e6 (Four Knights) or ...d6 (Classical).
  9. 5.Nc3 – White defends e4 with the natural development. It is the position from which the Sveshnikov and the Four Knights Variation arise.
  10. 5...e6 – The Four Knights Variation: Black opens the diagonal for the f8-bishop, which will be able to go to b4 to pin the c3-knight, and prepares ...d5.
  11. 6.Ndb5 – The knight jumps to b5 and threatens Nd6+, taking advantage of the fact that Black has not played ...d6.
  12. 6...Bb4 – Black pins the c3-knight, which defends e4, and prepares ...Nxe4. It also develops the last kingside piece and gets ready to castle.
  13. 7.a3 – White asks the bishop to decide at once: after the trade on c3 it will recapture with the knight and have the bishop pair.
  14. 7...Bxc3+ – Black trades the bishop for the knight with check. If White recaptures with the b5-knight, it gives up the d6 square; in exchange White has the bishop pair.
  15. 8.Nxc3 – The knight recaptures on c3, from where it controls d5 and e4. White has the bishop pair and will try to open the position.
  16. 8...d5 – Black frees the center: it eliminates the e4-pawn and opens lines for its pieces before White can exploit the bishop pair.
  17. 9.exd5 – White trades in the center to open the diagonals for its own bishops.
  18. 9...exd5 – Black recaptures with the e-pawn: it will have an isolated pawn on d5, but active pieces and open lines for the c8-bishop and the rooks.
  19. 10.Bd3 – The bishop develops on d3, where it aims toward h7 and controls the light squares around the d5-pawn.
  20. 10...O-O – Black castles and puts the king in safety before activating the pieces against the isolated pawn.
  21. 11.O-O – White castles: now it will try to block the d5-pawn and use the bishop pair.
  22. 11...d4 – The isolated pawn advances with tempo, kicking the c3-knight away: on d4 it takes space away from White and closes the dark-squared bishop's diagonal.

How to exploit the position

White has the bishop pair, Black has an advanced pawn on d4 that takes space away and well-developed pieces. A balanced position.

Master tips

...d5 at the right moment

After the trade on c3 Black must open the center at once with ...d5, before White develops its two bishops.

Model games