Sicilian Defense

30. Paulsen Variation (5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nf6)

The Paulsen combines the ideas of the Kan and the Taimanov: Black plays ...a6 and ...Qc7, kicks the d4-knight away with ...Bc5 and then switches to the structure with ...d6. Against a4-a5 it reacts with ...b5 and en passant.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.O-O Bc5 8.Nb3 Be7 9.f4 d6 10.a4 Nc6 11.a5 b5 12.axb6 Qxb6+

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...e6 – Black plays ...e6: it controls d5, opens the diagonal for the f8-bishop and keeps many roads open (Kan, Taimanov, Scheveningen).
  5. 3.d4 – White opens the center with d4, as in all Open Sicilians.
  6. 3...cxd4 – Black trades and opens the c-file. With the pawn already on e6, after Nxd4 it will be able to choose between the Kan (...a6), the Taimanov (...Nc6) or the Scheveningen.
  7. 4.Nxd4 – White recaptures with the knight, which dominates the center from d4.
  8. 4...a6 – The Kan: Black takes the b5 square away from the white pieces and prepares ...Qc7 and ...b5, without yet developing the knights.
  9. 5.Nc3 – White develops the knight to c3 and controls d5 and b5. It is the most natural development against the Kan.
  10. 5...Qc7 – The queen goes to c7: it controls e5 and the c-file and prepares ...Nf6 and ...b5. It is the Paulsen, as flexible as the Taimanov but with the b8-knight still free.
  11. 6.Bd3 – The bishop develops to d3, where it defends e4 and prepares short castling.
  12. 6...Nf6 – The knight develops and attacks e4: Black prepares ...Bc5 to put pressure on the d4-knight.
  13. 7.O-O – White castles and leaves the d4-knight defended only by the queen: now ...Bc5 creates a threat at once.
  14. 7...Bc5 – The bishop attacks the d4-knight and forces it to move: after Nb3 the pressure in the center decreases.
  15. 8.Nb3 – The knight retreats to b3, attacking the c5-bishop. White prepares f4 and Qe2 or Qf3.
  16. 8...Be7 – The bishop returns to e7, where it defends the kingside and the d6 square. It has forced the white knight to leave the center.
  17. 9.f4 – White takes space with f4 and prepares e4-e5, which would kick the f6-knight away. It is the typical attacking plan against the Paulsen.
  18. 9...d6 – Black controls e5 and stops the e4-e5 push. Now the structure is that of the Scheveningen, with the b8-knight still to be developed.
  19. 10.a4 – White prevents ...b5 and prepares a5, which would fix the black queenside pawns.
  20. 10...Nc6 – The knight develops to c6, where it controls e5 and b4. Black prepares ...b6 or ...b5 so as not to be blocked by a5.
  21. 11.a5 – White pushes a5 to block the b7-pawn and take the b6 square. But now Black can answer with ...b5 and the en passant capture.
  22. 11...b5 – Black pushes ...b5 next to the a5-pawn: if White doesn't capture en passant, Black gets space and the b4 square. It is the most active way to react.
  23. 12.axb6 – White captures en passant: the a5-pawn captures on b6 as if the black pawn had stopped on b6.
  24. 12...Qxb6+ – The queen recaptures with check on the a7-g1 diagonal, opened by the f4 push. Black has the half-open b-file and an active queen, in exchange for an isolated a6-pawn.

How to exploit the position

Black has an active position: the queen on b6 gives check and controls the a7-g1 diagonal, the b-file is open for the rooks. The a6-pawn is isolated, but White cannot attack it easily.

Master tips

En passant as a resource

When White pushes a4-a5 to block the b7-pawn, the ...b5 push is possible even though the pawn has to pass next to a5.

Model games