Sicilian Defence, Chekhover Variation to: Evgeni Vasiukov vs Loek van Wely, 2002 Mikhail Tal vs Robert Eugene Byrne, 1976 Sicilian Defence, Chekhover Variation The Sicilian Defence, Chekhover Variation (also sometimes called the Szily Variation or Hungarian Variation) is a chess opening named after Vitaly Chekhover, from the game Chekhover–Lisitsin, Leningrad 1938. It is defined by the moves: On move four White ignores the standard opening principle to not develop the queen too early in the game. Although the Chekhover Variation is somewhat rare at grandmaster level, it is not uncommon among amateurs. The "Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings" (ECO) assigns code B53 to this opening.
Sicilian Defence Closed Sicilian is 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 (diagram), when White's main options are 6.Be3 followed by Qd2 and possibly 0-0-0, and 6.f4 followed by Nf3 and 0-0. Other moves besides 2.Nf3 and 2.Nc3 are popular. 2.c3 is the Alapin Variation or c3 Sicilian. Originally championed by Semyon Alapin at the end of the 19th century, it was revived in the late 1960s by Evgeny Sveshnikov and Evgeny Vasiukov. Nowadays its strongest practitioners include grandmasters Sergei Tiviakov and Eduardas Rozentalis. White aims to set up a classical pawn centre with 3.d4, so Black should counter immediately in