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Sicilian: Taimanov Variation

A flexible Sicilian: ...e6, ...Nc6 and ...Qc7 keep many plans open, with the queen watching e5 and the c-file.

Intermediate · Sicilian Defence · 17 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Sicilian: Taimanov Variation (B48). You play Black. A flexible Sicilian: ...e6, ...Nc6 and ...Qc7 keep many plans open, with the queen watching e5 and the c-file.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...c5

Black plays pawn to c5. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 45% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 78% of 797k games.

Step 5

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 26% of 634k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 70% of 158k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...cxd4

Black plays pawn takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on f8. It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 117k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Nxd4

White plays knight takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 112k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 116k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 83% of 44k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Qc7

Black plays queen to c7. It controls the centre (e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 66% of 44k games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Be3

White plays bishop to e3. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 44% of 31k games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...a6

Black plays pawn to a6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 14k games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Qd2

White plays queen to d2. It controls the centre (d4). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 34% of 13k games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 93% of 4560 games.

Step 16

♜︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.O-O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 66% of 4311 games.

Step 17

♜︎♝︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Sicilian: Taimanov Variation. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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