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Sicilian (B44)
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6

Number of games in database: 3473
Years covered: 1843 to 2023
Overall record:
   White wins 29.1%
   Black wins 36.4%
   Draws 34.5%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Ljubomir Ljubojevic  27 games
Thomas Ernst  26 games
A Rodriguez Cespedes  21 games
Mark Taimanov  57 games
Pia Cramling  36 games
Kick Langeweg  33 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Morphy vs Anderssen, 1858
Fischer vs Taimanov, 1971
Fischer vs Petrosian, 1971
Karpov vs Kasparov, 1985
Karpov vs Andersson, 1975
D Mardle vs N Gaprindashvili, 1965
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 page 1 of 139; games 1-25 of 3,473  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Staunton vs Saint-Amant 1-0521843Staunton - Saint-AmantB44 Sicilian
2. Staunton vs Saint-Amant 1-0611843Staunton - Saint-AmantB44 Sicilian
3. A Shishmanovich vs Zytogorski 1-0231844RousseB44 Sicilian
4. Nijmegen vs Gouda  1-0451851correspondenceB44 Sicilian
5. Szen vs S Newham 1-0641851LondonB44 Sicilian
6. E S Kennedy vs J S Mucklow 0-1431851LondonB44 Sicilian
7. Szen vs Anderssen 0-1301851LondonB44 Sicilian
8. Szen vs Anderssen 1-0311851LondonB44 Sicilian
9. Anderssen vs M Wyvill 0-1401851LondonB44 Sicilian
10. Horwitz vs Bird 1-0631851Bird - HorwitzB44 Sicilian
11. E Williams vs Staunton 0-1531851Staunton - WilliamsB44 Sicilian
12. Gouda vs Nijmegen  ½-½431852City MatchB44 Sicilian
13. Loewenthal vs Harrwitz ½-½611853Harrwitz - Loewenthal mB44 Sicilian
14. C Kenny vs F G Janssens 1-0461855MatchB44 Sicilian
15. Cochrane vs Somacarana  1-0251856CalcuttaB44 Sicilian
16. F Perrin vs N Marache 0-1561856New York Chess Club ChampionshipB44 Sicilian
17. Loewenthal vs Anderssen 1-0501857ManchesterB44 Sicilian
18. F Perrin vs T Lichtenhein  0-12918571st American Chess Congress, New YorkB44 Sicilian
19. Paulsen vs B Raphael  1-0251857Blindfold simul, 3bB44 Sicilian
20. Morphy vs F Perrin 1-0261857Casual gameB44 Sicilian
21. N Marache vs D W Fiske 0-14818571st American Chess Congress, New YorkB44 Sicilian
22. Morphy vs J Thompson 1-04818571st American Chess Congress, New YorkB44 Sicilian
23. H Kennicott vs B Raphael 0-12418571st American Chess Congress, New YorkB44 Sicilian
24. N Marache vs D W Fiske  1-06018571st American Chess Congress, New YorkB44 Sicilian
25. N Marache vs B Raphael 1-07018571st American Chess Congress, New YorkB44 Sicilian
 page 1 of 139; games 1-25 of 3,473  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
May-12-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  waddayaplay: If white plays 5.Nb5, can't black play ...d5?
May-12-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: <Waddayaplay> Because of the weakness on Black's dark squares (c7 and d6). For example:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 <d5> 6.exd5 exd5 7.Bf4 Bb4+ 8.c3 Ba5 9.Nd6+ Kf8 10.Qxd5

May-12-04  Phoenix: He can't. 5.♘b5 d5 6.exd5 exd5 7.♕xd5! ♕xd5 8.♘c7+ wins a pawn. In fact, I played a game that went like that online not too far back :-))
May-12-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: <Phoenix> I think <7.Bf4> is even more destructive to Black.
May-12-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  waddayaplay: That was quick! Cool.

Interesting you've played it. It seems obvious, but it has never been played in chessgames' games.

A pawn is a pawn...
7.Bf4 might be more uncertain: ...e5 8.exd exf4 9.dxc6 bxc6 , more equal?

May-12-04  acirce: 7...e5 is impossible after 7. Bf4. 6. exd5 exd5 has already happened. I agree that 7. Bf4 is more destructive.
May-12-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  waddayaplay: Thanks for replying. I was confusing it with 6.Bf4 of course.

What about 7.♗f4 ♕e7+ 8.♗e2 ♕b4+
Threatening Qxf4 and Qxb2.

May-12-04  acirce: That is interesting, I guess 8. Qe2 may be better, as after 8...Qxe2+ 9. Bxe2 there is still pressure on the weak squares c7/d6, White has a large development advantage, and there is of course the isolated pawn that must be considered another weakness.... Still very big advantage in my opinion, while 8. Be2 Qb4+ 9. Qd2 Qxb2 is less clear.
May-12-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: <Waddayaplay> The Q check does not help:

<7.Bf4 Qe7+> 8.Be2 Qb4+ 9.N1c3 Qxf4 10.Nxd5 winning

May-13-04  acirce: True, <Chessical>. I should be quiet. :)
May-13-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  waddayaplay: Another option instead of 7...Qe7+ is
7...Bb4+ 8.c3/Nc3 Ba5.
Then 9.Nd6+ Kmove 10.Qxd5 wins a pawn. It's not good but it's better.
Jun-30-06  DeepBlade: [White "DeepBlade"]
[Black "NN"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Event "InstantChess"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4
cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3
Be7 7.f4 Nf6 8.e5 Nxd4
9.Bxd4 Ng8 10.Bd3 Nh6 11.g4 d5
12.Qf3 Bb4 13.O-O-O b5 14.Ne2
Qa5 15.Kb1 Bb7 16.g5 Nf5
17.Bxf5 exf5 18.Bf2 g6 19.Nd4
Qc7 20.e6 Bc5 21.Rhe1 O-O
22.exf7+ Rxf7 23.Ne6 d4 24.Qb3
Qd6 25.Nxc5 Qxc5 26.Bxd4 Qc4
27.Qe3 Be4 28.Re2 Rd8 29.Rdd2
Re8 30.Qf2 Rd7 31.Bc3 Rxd2
32.Rxd2 Qc6 33.Qa7 Qb7 34.Qd4
Qa7 35.Qh8+ Kf7 36.Qg7+ 1-0

Jun-30-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  WTHarvey: Here are some puzzles from B44 miniatures: http://www.wtharvey.com/b44.html
Jan-16-10  timhortons: is this the kasparov gambit?

my game against computer jsbach at icc

[Event "GambitGuide"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2010.01.16"]
[Round "1"]
[White "JSBach"]
[Black "timhortonsknigt"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ICCResult "Game drawn by repetition"]
[WhiteElo "1621"]
[BlackElo "1670"]
[Opening "Sicilian, Szén variation, Dely-Kasparov gambit"] [ECO "B44"]
[NIC "SI.39"]
[Time "14:27:53"]
[TimeControl "120+12"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 Nf6 7. N1c3 a6 8. Na3 d5 9. exd5 Bxa3 10. dxc6 Be7 11. Qxd8+ Bxd8 12. cxb7 Bxb7 13. b3 O-O 14. Ba3 Re8 15. Bd6 Be7 16. Rd1 Bxd6 17. Rxd6 Rad8 18. c5 Rxd6 19. cxd6 Rd8 20. Be2 Rxd6 21. Rg1 Ne4 22. Nb1 Rc6 23. Bc4 Nd6 24. Nd2 Rc5 25. Ke2 Nxc4 26. Nxc4 Bd5 27. Ne3 Be4 28. b4 Rb5 29. a3 a5 30. Rd1 g6 31. Rd8+ Kg7 32. bxa5 Rxa5 33. f3 Bc6 34. Nc2 Ba4 35. Kd3 Bxc2+ 36. Kxc2 Rxa3 37. Kb2 Re3 38. Rd2 Re5 39. Kc1 Rc5+ 40. Kb1 Rb5+ 41. Ka2 Ra5+ 42. Kb3 Rb5+ 43. Kc4 Ra5 44. g3 Ra4+ 45. Kb5 Ra1 46. Kb4 Rb1+ 47. Ka5 Ra1+ 48. Kb5 Rb1+ 49. Ka4 Ra1+ 50. Kb3 Rc1 51. Rd7 Re1 52. Kb4 Rb1+ 53. Kc4 Rc1+ 54. Kb3 Re1 55. Kb4 Rb1+ 56. Ka3 Re1 57. Kb4 Rb1+ 58. Ka4 Re1 59. Kb4 Rb1+ 60. Kc3 Re1 61. f4 Re3+ 62. Kc4 Re1 63. Kc3 Re3+ 64. Kd4 Re2 65. Rc7 Rxh2 66. Ke3 Rh1 67. Rd7 Re1+ 68. Kf2 Ra1 69. Ke3 Ra3+ 70. Kf2 Ra2+ 71. Kf3 Ra3+ 72. Kg2 Ra2+ 73. Kf3 Ra3+ 74. Kf2 Ra2+ 75. Kf3 Ra3+ 76. Kf2 Ra2+ 77. Kf3 Ra3+ 78. Kg2 Rb3 79. Kh2 Rb2+ 80. Kh3 Ra2 81. g4 Ra3+ 82. Kh4 Ra1 83. Rc7 Rh1+ 84. Kg3 Rg1+ 85. Kh4 Rh1+ 86. Kg3 Rg1+ 87. Kh4 Rh1+ Game drawn by repetition 1/2-1/2

Jan-16-10  timhortons: GM Boris Alterman's "Gambit Guide": Kasparov gambit Jan 14, 2009

In his weekly Gambit Guide series on ICC, Boris investigates gambits old and new and show that, while some may not be actively played on the grandmaster circuit these days, they are all exciting to play and at the same time instructive as they teach us all about natural development of the pieces and tactics in chess. GM Boris Alterman has an official blog where, among other things, he'll be discussing some of his choices for his Gambit Guide.

These day's there's not many world championship games ultimately decided on the strength of a gambit for black - but in his quest to become the youngest world champion in 1985, Garry Kasparov refined one as he demolished old foe Anatoly Karpov's Sicilian Szen variation (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 Nf6 7. Nb1c3 a6 8. Na3) with 8...d5!? - a move that totally flummoxed Karpov and his team of analysts'.

The idea is simple: You sacrifice the d5 pawn for active piece play. It was thus reborn the 'Kasparov gambit' after Kasparov scored 1.5/2 with the black pieces during that world championship tussle - and the game he won, game 16, is hailed by many to be one of the best-ever world championship games.

Since then though, refinements have been found that give White an edge. But in his latest Gambit Guide series, GM Boris Alterman believes that despite this, the Kasparov gambit it is still a good surprise weapon for Black to have in his arsenal.

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