19. Sveshnikov: 7.Nd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8
With 7.Nd5 White avoids the complications of 7.Bg5. Black trades 7...Nxd5 8.exd5 and brings the knight back to b8 to develop it on d7; after ...Be7 and ...O-O it prepares the ...f5 push.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.a4 Be7 10.Be2 O-O 11.O-O Nd7
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...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).
- 5.Nc3 – White defends e4 with the natural development. It is the position from which the Sveshnikov and the Four Knights Variation arise.
- 5...e5 – The Sveshnikov: Black kicks the d4-knight away with tempo and takes space in the center. In exchange it accepts the hole on d5 and the backward d6-pawn, which it compensates with piece activity.
- 6.Ndb5 – The knight jumps to b5, the most active retreat: it threatens Nd6+, which would be an annoying check, and prepares Bg5 and Nd5 to conquer d5.
- 6...d6 – Black takes the d6 square away from the b5-knight. The d6-pawn will be backward, but it is well defended and controls c5 and e5.
- 7.Nd5 – White occupies d5 right away without preparing Bg5: it avoids the complications of the main line and looks for a positional game.
- 7...Nxd5 – Black trades the dominant knight: after exd5 the d5-pawn closes the center and the c6-knight will have to move.
- 8.exd5 – White recaptures with the pawn, which attacks the c6-knight. The center closes: the d5 square is no longer a hole, but the d5-pawn becomes a target.
- 8...Nb8 – The knight, attacked by the d5-pawn, returns to b8 to reappear on d7, from where it can go to c5 or f6.
- 9.a4 – White takes the ...b5 push away from Black and prepares a5. After ...a6 the b5-knight will have to retreat to c3 or a3 anyway, because ...axb5 axb5 would cost a piece.
- 9...Be7 – Black develops the bishop and prepares to castle: with the center closed there is no hurry to break.
- 10.Be2 – The bishop develops on e2, where it supports g4 and prepares castling. White plays on the queenside with c4 and a5.
- 10...O-O – Black castles: with the center closed the plan will be ...f5 on the kingside.
- 11.O-O – White castles in turn. The center is closed: White will play on the queenside with c4-c5, Black on the kingside with ...f5.
- 11...Nd7 – The knight arrives on d7, from where it can go to c5, where it attacks a4, or to f6 to press on d5. Black also prepares ...f5.
How to exploit the position
A closed, balanced position: White has space on the queenside, Black has a majority in the center and plays on the kingside.
- Play ...f5, supported by ...Nf6 or ...Bf6, and push ...e4 to take space: the d5-pawn will stay isolated in front of the black pieces.
- Kick the b5-knight away with ...a6: it has to return to a3 or c3, far from the center.
- The d7-knight goes to c5 (against a4) or to f6 (against d5).
- Trade the dark-squared bishop with ...Bg5: it is Black's least active piece, shut in by the d6 and e5 pawns.
Master tips
Repositioning the knight
After 8.exd5 the c6-knight is attacked: the best square is b8, to then go to d7.