ecocodes
Volume B · Semi-open games‹ B55B57 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · White to move

B56 Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation

B56 holds five named lines, all under the name Sicilian Defense. It leaves B54 (Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line) with 5.Nc3 Nc6. That final move, by the knight, opens a line for the rook on a8 and attacks the knight on d4. Of all other reference positions, the board of B57 (Classical Variation, Sozin Attack) comes closest, two squares apart.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1e4c5
2Nf3d6
3d4cxd4
4Nxd4Nf6
5Nc3Nc6

Lines filed under B56

All five share the start 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 and then split two ways at Black’s move 2.

NameAfter the shared startPliesAt the end
Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc610
Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bd710
Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, Fianchetto Variation2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.g311
Sicilian Defense: Spielmann Variation2...Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nde211
Sicilian Defense: Venice Attack2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Bb5+11check

The road to B56

  1. 1.e4 … 3.d4five earlier stops: B00, B20, B27, B50
  2. 3...cxd4B50 Sicilian Defense
  3. 4...Nf6B54 Main Line
  4. 5...Nc6B56

The position after 5...Nc6

White has brought out the knight on c3 and knight on d4; Black the knight on c6 and knight on f6. White has a half-open d-file; Black a half-open c-file. White could capture with Nxc6. White is to move and has 43 legal moves.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3838Minor pieces developed22Moves spent on pawns23Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e510Squares attacked in the other half95not castlednot castled

Codes that branch off from B56

The reference lines of three other codes leave B56 from the position after 5...Nc6, each with its own moves.

CodeMovesReference line
B576.Bc4Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, Sozin Attack
B586.Be2Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation
B606.Bg5Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
B33Sicilian Defense: Openfour squares: b1, c3, d6, d7
B62Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variationfour squares: c1, g5, e6, e7
B70Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variationfour squares: c6, g6, g7, b8
B80Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variationfour squares: c6, e6, e7, b8
B88Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Leonhardt Variationfour squares: f1, c4, e6, e7
B90Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variationfour squares: a6, c6, a7, b8
B45Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variationsix squares: d6, e6, f6, d7, e7, g8

Where lines continue from here

Thirty-six named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 5...Nc6. Besides the codes above, they belong to B59, B61, B62, B63, B64, B65, B66, B67, B68, B69, B72, B88, B89.

Volume B

  1. 00
  2. 01
  3. 02
  4. 03
  5. 04
  6. 05
  7. 06
  8. 07
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  11. 10
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  55. 54
  56. 55
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  96. 95
  97. 96
  98. 97
  99. 98
  100. 99

Open this line in the finderAll Sicilian Defense codes