How to Play the Sicilian Opening in Chess

To play the Sicilian Opening in chess is to engage in moves going back to 1594, when Giulio Polerio is documented as having used it in a game against Gioachino Greco. In the Sicilian Opening, Black is defending against White taking a challenging position in the center of the board.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chess board and pieces

1. Move White's pawn to e4 (also known as King 4) on the chessboard, and Black counters by moving his pawn to c5 (Queen's Bishop 4),

2. Jump White's knight over the pawn to f3 (King's Bishop 3). Black moves his pawn to d6 (Queen 3).

3. Slide White's pawn to d4 (Queen 4). Black then captures White's pawn by moving to d4.

4. Counter with White's knight by capturing Black's pawn on d4. Black moves his knight to f6 (King's Bishop 3).

Tips & Warnings

• The moves above are common to the Najdorf and Dragon variations of the Sicilian Opening.
• For a time, the Sicilian Opening fell into disfavor during the early 20th century. It came back later in the century because it is a more aggressive opening for Black, giving him an immediate counter to White's moves.
• The Sicilian Opening is less passive for Black than the Ruy Lopez.
• Most of the recent World Champions have used variations of the Sicilian Opening. Among them have been Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov.
• Rather than memorizing all of them, it's best to understand the thinking behind the Sicilian. The idea is for Black to control the center of the board from a distance.