Sicilian Open Pelikan and Sveshnikov Schlechter Variation
Sicilian Defense – Open, Pelikan (a.k.a. Lasker-Pelikan or Chelyabinsk) Variation
Definition
The Pelikan Variation is an aggressive branch of the Open Sicilian that arises after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5. Black immediately hits the d4-knight and stakes central space with …e5, accepting a backward d-pawn and a weakened d5-square in return for rapid piece play and long-term structural pressure on White’s center.
Typical move-order
- e4 c5
- Nf3 Nc6
- d4 cxd4
- Nxd4 Nf6
- Nc3 e5 (the Pelikan moment)
- Ndb5 d6
- Bg5 a6
- Na3 b5
- Nd5 … (transposes to many Sveshnikov systems)
Strategic themes
- Square complexes: Black voluntarily weakens d5 and d6; White aims to install knights there. Black counters via …b5, …Bb7 and kingside activity.
- Tension vs. structure: White often gains the two bishops and a potential queenside outpost; Black relies on dynamic pawn breaks (…d5 or …f5) before structural inferiority is felt.
- Piece activity over pawns: The early …e5 lets Black’s pieces develop on active squares at the cost of a slightly loose pawn formation.
Historical notes
Although Emanuel Lasker essayed 5…e5 as early as 1910, its systematic development is credited to Yugoslav GM Jiri Pelikan in the 1950s. Soviet analysts from Chelyabinsk—especially Evgeny Sveshnikov and Gennady Timoshchenko—refined the line in the 1970s, hence the dual names Pelikan and Chelyabinsk/Sveshnikov. The variation rocketed to elite status when Garry Kasparov adopted it as his main weapon in his 1985–86 World-Championship matches against Anatoly Karpov.
Illustrative game
Kasparov–Karpov, World Ch. (12), Moscow 1985
Interesting facts
- Modern engines view the Pelikan/Sveshnikov as one of Black’s soundest answers to 1.e4, rating it roughly equal—an impressive feat for such an imbalanced system.
- Because of the sharp pawn structure, many classical “opening principles” (e.g., do not move the same piece twice in the opening) are happily ignored by both sides.
- Magnus Carlsen used the Pelikan in his very first Classical World-Championship game (vs. Anand, Chennai 2013), underscoring its enduring relevance.
Sveshnikov, Schlechter Variation (Sicilian Defense – Open, ECO B33)
Definition
The Schlechter sub-variation is a branch of the Sveshnikov that appears after Black plays …Be7 on move 9 instead of the immediate capture on d5. The critical sequence is
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7.
The line is named after the Austrian grandmaster Carl Schlechter, who employed the early …Be7 idea in the pre-World-War-I era. In the modern era it forms one of Black’s most solid ways to navigate the ultra-sharp Sveshnikov jungle.
How the variation is used
- Black defers deciding the tension on f6 (…gxf6 or …exf6) and instead calmly develops, hoping to complete kingside castling swiftly.
- White can try to punish the modest bishop move with 10.Bxf6 or 10.Nxe7; the resulting positions are tactically charged but very well-analysed.
- If Black survives the opening, the structural defects (isolated f-pawns or doubled d-pawns) are often offset by the bishops and space.
Main continuations
- 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 Bg5 – White grabs the bishop pair; Black banks on central control.
- 10.Nxe7 Nxe7 11.Bxf6 gxf6 – Black accepts doubled f-pawns but gains the open g-file.
- 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.c3 f5 – the razor-sharp “Pawn-Storm” path favoured by Volokitin and Gelfand.
Strategic & historical significance
- The Schlechter line often leads to semi-closed middlegames (as opposed to the wide-open main-line Sveshnikov) where manoeuvring skills trump raw calculation.
- It gained fresh momentum after Vladimir Kramnik used it against Veselin Topalov in the 2006 “Toilet Match,” steering the struggle into calmer channels he felt easier to control.
- In engine age, the variation remains topical; Stockfish and Leela frequently recommend …Be7 as a low-risk equalising tool.
Model encounter
Kramnik–Topalov, World Ch. (8), Elista 2006
Curiosities & anecdotes
- The quiet-looking move 9…Be7 baffled computers until the mid-2010s; early engines preferred flashier options, while humans already knew the line’s practical resilience.
- Ironically, Schlechter himself used the idea long before 5…e5 was fashionable—so modern “Sveshnikov” theory partly rediscovered a century-old concept.
- Because Black’s king often castles short while the rook stays on h8, many games feature an unusual rook lift Rh8–g8–g5, a route that has produced several brilliancies.