Answers.Body: <p>First of all we must admit that it is a miracle that it works! Magnus mentioned in an interview in a chess960 tournament that it is special (for the lack of better word) that we have found non-symmetric defenses in standard chess.</p>
  <p>By playing 1…c5 Black avoids giving white a clear target — a pawn on e5 to attack — and build pressure. At the same time it puts an end to white’s hopes to set up a big pawn center — like they ultimately do in Ruy Lopez. Because if 2.c3 then black immediately attacks the pawn on e4, by …d5 or Nf6. A slow build up with d3 and c3 is possible but unlike ruy lopez, the white LSB will have to remain behind this pawn chain as if it goes to c4 it gets harrased and encourages a …d5 soon. With Bishop behind the pawn chain and N denied of c3 square and black having no pawn weaknesses, in particular no pawn on e5, white exerts zero pressure on black position. Hence Black gets to develop freely.</p>
  <p>This would be a refutation of 1.e4 except that white has found a solution. And a great one to be fair: the heck with big pawn center, I will not let your pesky pawn on c5 cramp down my position and disturb my piece paly. I will play d4 anyway and claim the d4 square — with pieces (Queen from d1, N from b3 or f3, and possibly B from e3, etc). My N will be nice on d4 and you must weaken your d5 with …e5 if you want to kick it away. With my N off f3, my kingside pawns will be ready to move forward, etc.</p>
  <p>There is more to the story of course, but that is a good starting answer to how Sicilian works!</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-06-25T03:42:08.737Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-06-25T03:42:08.737Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Behnam Esmayli
Answers.Body: <p>1.e4 e5 is played to stop white from playing yet another pawn to the center with 2.d4. Sicilian Defense (1...c5) also accomplishes this with the c pawn. This way if you end up trading on d4 you can still have both of your central pawns unlike your opponent and have an advantage in the center.</p>
  
  <p>Symmetric positions like 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 usually don't give much of a winning chance to black and tend to be drawish. Sicilian on the other hand creates imbalance in the first move and shows black is here for the win! Imbalance creating openings (Sicilian, Nimzo Indian) become popular for black, otherwise it's hard to get the advantage. White tends to get the initiative early on but the pawn structure suggests black is better if he can survive the early middlegame.</p>
  
  <p>I realize this is a basic explanation and misses lots of exceptions but.. it is just move 1, don't expect too much from me!</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-07-06T18:36:37.717Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-07-06T18:36:37.717Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: user3421485
Body: <p>Having just discovered this move (I'm new to all the terms and strategies, being just a beginner hobbyist), I was wondering how the move works.</p>
  
  <p>Don't get me wrong, I understand what it is (in terms of the movement), but I don't understand what it accomplishes (i.e. how it counters white's move).</p>
  
  <p>I hope this made sense, and thanks in advance for the responses!</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-07-07T00:40:06.677Z
Comments.Text: Wikipedia has a decent explanation on this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Defence
Comments.UserDisplayName: NM Wesley Falcao
Tags: <sicilian-defense>
Title: How Does The Sicilian Defense Work?
ThreadText: # How Does The Sicilian Defense Work?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-06)
  
  Having just discovered this move (I'm new to all the terms and strategies, being just a beginner hobbyist), I was wondering how the move works.
  
  Don't get me wrong, I understand what it is (in terms of the movement), but I don't understand what it accomplishes (i.e. how it counters white's move).
  
  I hope this made sense, and thanks in advance for the responses!
  
  **Tags:** sicilian-defense
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Wikipedia has a decent explanation on this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Defence  
  
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  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2014-07-06. Score: 7 | Accepted answer
  
  1.e4 e5 is played to stop white from playing yet another pawn to the center with 2.d4. Sicilian Defense (1...c5) also accomplishes this with the c pawn. This way if you end up trading on d4 you can still have both of your central pawns unlike your opponent and have an advantage in the center.
  
  Symmetric positions like 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 usually don't give much of a winning chance to black and tend to be drawish. Sicilian on the other hand creates imbalance in the first move and shows black is here for the win! Imbalance creating openings (Sicilian, Nimzo Indian) become popular for black, otherwise it's hard to get the advantage. White tends to get the initiative early on but the pawn structure suggests black is better if he can survive the early middlegame.
  
  I realize this is a basic explanation and misses lots of exceptions but.. it is just move 1, don't expect too much from me!
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_2 on 2024-06-25. Score: 2
  
  First of all we must admit that it is a miracle that it works! Magnus mentioned in an interview in a chess960 tournament that it is special (for the lack of better word) that we have found non-symmetric defenses in standard chess.
  
  By playing 1…c5 Black avoids giving white a clear target — a pawn on e5 to attack — and build pressure. At the same time it puts an end to white’s hopes to set up a big pawn center — like they ultimately do in Ruy Lopez. Because if 2.c3 then black immediately attacks the pawn on e4, by …d5 or Nf6. A slow build up with d3 and c3 is possible but unlike ruy lopez, the white LSB will have to remain behind this pawn chain as if it goes to c4 it gets harrased and encourages a …d5 soon. With Bishop behind the pawn chain and N denied of c3 square and black having no pawn weaknesses, in particular no pawn on e5, white exerts zero pressure on black position. Hence Black gets to develop freely.
  
  This would be a refutation of 1.e4 except that white has found a solution. And a great one to be fair: the heck with big pawn center, I will not let your pesky pawn on c5 cramp down my position and disturb my piece paly. I will play d4 anyway and claim the d4 square — with pieces (Queen from d1, N from b3 or f3, and possibly B from e3, etc). My N will be nice on d4 and you must weaken your d5 with …e5 if you want to kick it away. With my N off f3, my kingside pawns will be ready to move forward, etc.
  
  There is more to the story of course, but that is a good starting answer to how Sicilian works!
  
  
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