23. Kalashnikov Variation (4...e5 5.Nb5 d6)
The Kalashnikov pushes 4...e5 without having played ...Nf6. Against the Maróczy with 6.c4 Black develops ...Be7, kicks the knight to a3 with ...a6 and trades the dark-squared bishop with ...Be6 and ...Bg5.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Be7 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 Be6 9.Be2 Bg5
Move by move
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 2...Nc6 – Black develops the knight toward the center and controls d4: it is the move order of the Accelerated Dragon, which postpones ...d6.
- 3.d4 – White opens the center: it offers the d-pawn for the c-pawn trade to develop the pieces quickly.
- 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.
- 4.Nxd4 – White recaptures with the knight, which dominates the center from d4. Now Black chooses the type of Sicilian.
- 4...e5 – The Kalashnikov: Black kicks the d4-knight away without first playing ...Nf6. Compared with the Sveshnikov the g8-knight stays flexible (it can go to e7) and the f-pawn can advance to f5.
- 5.Nb5 – The knight jumps to b5 and threatens Nd6+: it is the most active retreat, as in the Sveshnikov.
- 5...d6 – Black takes the d6 square away from the b5-knight. The d6-pawn is backward but well defended, and controls e5 and c5.
- 6.c4 – White plays c4 to tighten the grip on d5 and prevent ...d5 forever: it is the Maróczy structure applied to the Kalashnikov.
- 6...Be7 – The bishop goes to e7, from where it can pass to g5 to trade with White's dark-squared bishop. Black is in no hurry to develop the g8-knight.
- 7.N1c3 – White's second knight goes to c3 to control d5. White prepares Be2 and O-O.
- 7...a6 – Black kicks the b5-knight away, which will have to return to a3, an off-center square.
- 8.Na3 – The knight retreats to a3: from here it can go to c2 and then to e3 to control d5.
- 8...Be6 – The bishop controls d5, the key square, and attacks the c4-pawn. Black continues development without touching the g8-knight yet.
- 9.Be2 – White develops the bishop, which from e2 keeps defending the c4-pawn, and prepares short castling.
- 9...Bg5 – The dark-squared bishop, limited by the d6 and e5 pawns, goes to g5 to trade with the c1-bishop, White's best defender of dark squares like d4 and f4.
How to exploit the position
A solid position for Black: after the trade of the dark-squared bishops the d4 and f4 squares become footholds for the black knights, while White tries to occupy d5.
- Trade the bishops with ...Bxc1 and bring the g8-knight to e7: from there it controls d5 and can go to g6 or c6-d4.
- Use the d4 square for the c6-knight: after the c1-bishop is traded White has no way left to kick it away with a dark-squared minor piece.
- Castle short and prepare ...f5 to attack the e4-pawn.
- Against Nc2-e3 or Nd5 keep ...Bxd5 ready: after cxd5 or exd5 the white knight has no strong squares left.
Master tips
Trading the bad bishop
With pawns on d6 and e5 Black's dark-squared bishop is not very active.