Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra & Paulsen
Sicilian Defense
Definition
The Sicilian Defense is the full-blooded reply 1…c5 to White’s king-pawn opening 1. e4. By immediately contesting the center from the flank rather than mirroring 1…e5, Black creates an asymmetrical pawn structure that promises rich, dynamic play for both sides.
Typical Move Order & Key Ideas
After 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3, Black can adopt one of dozens of set-ups:
- Open Sicilian (3.d4) – leads to systems such as the Najdorf, Dragon, Sveshnikov, Classical, Scheveningen, & Kan/Paulsen.
- Closed Sicilian (2…Nc6 3.g3) – White avoids 3.d4 and plays for a kingside expansion.
- Alapin (2.c3) – White tries to build a broad pawn center.
Strategically Black accepts an isolated d-pawn or backward d-pawn in exchange for:
- A half-open c-file for counterplay.
- Queenside space (…a6, …b5).
- Unbalanced pawn structure encouraging tactical opportunities.
Strategic & Historical Notes
The opening was analyzed as early as 1594 by Italian master Giulio Polerio, but it received its modern name because players from Sicily championed it in cafés of the 1700s. Louis Paulsen and Carl Jaenisch gave the defense a theoretical foundation in the 19th century; later it became the weapon of choice for World Champions Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov, who popularized the Najdorf and Scheveningen structures.
Statistically the Sicilian is the most common and most successful defense to 1.e4 in master play; databases show Black scoring roughly 49 %—an unusually high figure compared with symmetrical 1…e5.
Illustrative Game
This attacking master-class from Kasparov – Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999 illustrates many Sicilian hallmarks: opposite-side castling, the half-open c-file, and razor-sharp tactics.
Interesting Tidbits
- During the 1972 Fischer–Spassky title match, Fischer surprised Spassky with the Sicilian Defense in Game 6, switching from 1…e5 and winning a masterpiece.
- There are more than 2.5 million Sicilian games in the Mega 2024 database—roughly one out of every four games that starts 1.e4.
- Hardly any other opening has as many named sub-variations as the Sicilian; the ECO codes B20–B99 are devoted entirely to it.
Smith-Morra Accepted
Definition
The Smith-Morra Gambit arises after 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3, where White offers a pawn for rapid development. If Black accepts the pawn with 3…dxc3 4.Nxc3, the line is called the Smith-Morra Accepted.
Main Line & Plans
White’s most common set-up is:
- Bishop to c4, knight to f3, castles short.
- Rooks to c1 and d1 targeting the semi-open files.
- Typical sacrificial ideas: Bxf7+, Nd5, Nxb5, or a quick e5 break.
Black has several robust antidotes:
- …Nc6, …e6, …d6 transposing to Scheveningen structures with an extra pawn.
- …g6 setups aiming for a Dragon-like fianchetto.
- …e6 …a6 …b5 (Paulsen/Kan) expanding on the queenside.
Strategic & Historical Significance
The gambit was first explored seriously by French correspondence master Pierre Morra (1899–1958) in the 1930s. Dallas master and chess author Ken Smith devoted dozens of pamphlets to it in the 1970s, popularizing the name “Smith-Morra.” While engines show Black can equalize with accurate play, the gambit continues to score well at club level because many Sicilian players underestimate the attacking momentum White receives.
Illustrative Game
The game Short – Yusupov, Groningen 1991 shows how even elite players can come under ferocious pressure if they misjudge the initiative.
Interesting Tidbits
- Ken Smith once played the gambit in the U.S. Open 1972 and defeated GM Larry Evans in just 17 moves—instantly boosting its popularity.
- The accepted line is so forcing that some grandmasters prefer to decline with 3…Nf6, transposing into an Alapin-style Sicilian where the gambit pawn never leaves c3.
- Because the pawn on c3 rarely survives long in accepted lines, many amateurs remember the mnemonic “A pawn is worth three tempi.”
Paulsen Formation
Definition
The Paulsen Formation (also called the Paulsen System) is a flexible Sicilian structure characterized by Black’s pawns on …e6 and …a6, knights on c6 and f6, and a restrained central pawn on d7 (often held back to keep the d-file half-open). It can arise from the Paulsen Variation (ECO B40 – B49), the Kan, the Taimanov, or even accelerated move orders like 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6.
Typical Setup
One common tabiya appears after:
Key positional themes:
- Control of d5: By delaying …d6 or …d5, Black keeps the d-square under observation; if White prematurely plants a knight on d5, …exd5 can remove it.
- Flexible light-square bishop: It may emerge to e7, c5, or even b4 depending on White’s setup.
- Queenside expansion: …b5 often follows …a6 to seize space and discourage Nb5.
Strategic & Historical Context
Named after Louis Paulsen (1833–1891), a German-American pioneer of opening theory and an early advocate of prophylaxis. Paulsen’s idea of keeping the position elastic and preventing opponent counterplay foreshadowed concepts later associated with the Hypermodern school.
Modern grandmasters who employ the formation include Vishy Anand, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Its soundness is backed by engines, which appreciate Black’s near-faultless pawn structure and latent queenside activity.
Example Game
In Anand – Mamedyarov, Tal Memorial Blitz 2018 (a rapid example), Anand exploited the Paulsen piece placement to launch a kingside mating attack after Black loosened with …exf5.
Interesting Tidbits
- The Paulsen Formation is a frequent gateway to the famous “Hedgehog” structure once Black plays …d6 and …b6, tucking the bishops on b7 and e7 behind a spiky pawn wall.
- Bobby Fischer experimented with the Paulsen early in his career before adopting the Najdorf; he defeated Bent Larsen with it at Zürich 1959.
- Because the formation often omits an early …d6, White’s thematic sacrifice Bxb5 (after …a6) can be surprisingly dangerous—an echo of Paulsen’s own games vs. Anderssen in the 1860s.