Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Exchange Variation
Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Exchange Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code B45, part of the Sicilian Defense family. It goes 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxc6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... c5. After 11 moves it is Black to move. After the last move White is 3 points ahead in material. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... c5 – Black plays the pawn to c5
2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
2... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
3. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
3... cxd4 – Black captures on d4 with the c-pawn
4. Nxd4 – White takes on d4 with the knight
4... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
5. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
5... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
6. Nxc6 – White takes on c6 with the knight
About the Sicilian Defense
Black answers 1.e4 with 1...c5, fighting for the d4 square from the side. The game becomes unbalanced and sharp, with chances for both sides.
After d4 and ...cxd4, Black trades a side pawn for White's centre pawn and gets an extra centre pawn.
Black uses the half-open c-file: a rook on c8 and pressure on c3 and c2.
Kings often castle on opposite sides, so both players race to attack; every tempo counts.
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