Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation & Stoltz Attack

Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation

Definition

The Alapin Variation is an anti-Sicilian system that arises after the moves 1. e4 c5 2. c3. By playing the quiet pawn move c2–c3, White immediately prepares the central thrust d2–d4 while sidestepping the immense body of “Open Sicilian” theory that follows 2.Nf3 and 3.d4. It is classified under ECO codes B22–B23.

Typical Move Orders

• 1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 (the Two Knights System)
• 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 (the …d5 Main Line)
• 1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.e5 Nc6 (transposes to French-like structures)

Strategic Ideas

• White wants a solid pawn center: after d4, the e- and c-pawns support one another.
• Black seeks counterplay by striking at the center quickly—usually with …d5 or …Nf6 followed by …d6 and …cxd4.
• Because the position often resembles a French Defense with colors reversed, the typical plans (minority attack for Black on the queenside, kingside space for White) frequently appear.
• Piece activity is more important than pawn structure; many endings favor the player who seizes open lines first.

Usage

The Alapin is favored by players who wish to avoid the razor-sharp Najdorf, Dragon, and Sveshnikov main lines yet still aim for winning chances. It often appears in rapid and blitz, where forcing Black to think for himself from move 2 is especially valuable. In classical chess it is used by both professionals (e.g., Gata Kamsky, Michael Adams, Sergei Tiviakov) and club players for its strategic clarity.

Historical Significance

Named after the Russian master Semyon Alapin (1856-1923), who analyzed 2.c3 extensively in the 19th century, the line gained modern popularity in the 1980s when GM Evgeny Sveshnikov and others rehabilitated it against computer analysis. Its practical success at top level—Kamsky employed it against Anand in 1995 and Adams against Kasparov in 1999—cemented its reputation as a sound, if slightly off-beat, weapon.

Illustrative Mini-Game

The following fragment shows typical themes: rapid central clashes and piece play over memorized theory.

Interesting Facts

• The move 2.c3 is also the first step of the Saragossa Opening (1.c3), so some “Alapin” specialists play both colors of the structure.
• In several correspondence games the line 2…d5 3.e5 has yielded a French in reverse where Black (the Sicilian player) ends up suffering from the classic “bad light-squared bishop.”
• A critical computer approach vs. the Alapin is 2…Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 d6! 5.Nf3 g6, steering toward accelerated Dragon-like play, demonstrating the opening’s flexibility.

Stoltz Attack

Definition

The Stoltz Attack (often called the Stoltz Variation) is a branch of the Nimzo-Indian Defense that starts with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6. Black immediately develops the queen’s knight to c6—an uncommon square in the Nimzo—aiming for quick pressure on d4 and the possibility of …d5 or …e5. The name honors Swedish grandmaster Gösta Stoltz (1904-1963), who championed the idea in the 1930s and 40s.

How It Is Used in Chess

• Surprise Weapon: Because 4…Nc6 is less popular than 4…c5, 4…d5, or 4…O-O, it can take White players out of mainstream theory early.
• Flexible Pawn Structure: Black keeps options open—he may strike with …e5, transpose to a Queen’s Indian-style setup with …b6, or prepare …d5 supported by the knight on c6.
• Dynamic Piece Play: The knight on c6 pressures d4 but can also jump to b4 or a5, creating tactical possibilities around White’s queen on c2.

Strategic and Historical Significance

Historically, the variation illustrated that the Nimzo-Indian is not limited to the canonical plans with …c5 or …d5. Stoltz’s experiments showed that piece activity could substitute for immediate pawn breaks. Though never a mainline choice, it influenced later hyper-modern approaches in the Queen’s Indian and Bogo-Indian where pieces, rather than pawns, contest the center.

Typical Continuations

• 5.Nf3 d6 6.e4 e5 7.d5 Nb8 leading to a closed center where Black often reroutes the knight via d7.
• 5.a3 Nxd4 6.Qd1 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Nc6 with imbalanced pawn structure and two bishops for White against Black’s more harmonious pieces.
• 5.e3 e5 6.Nf3 exd4 7.exd4 d5 transposing into an Isolated Queen’s Pawn middlegame.

Example Position

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.e4 e5, the board features:
• White: Queen on c2, knights on c3 & f3, pawns on d4 e4 c4, bishop on c1.
• Black: Knight pair on f6 & c6, bishop on b4, pawns on d6 e5 c7, queen still on d8.
The tension in the center (e4/e5 and d4/d6) defines the upcoming battle; each side must choose carefully when to release it.

Famous Sample Game

Stoltz–Nimzowitsch, Stockholm 1930, is the classical reference. Stoltz (White) initially allowed his own line but later out-foxed Nimzowitsch in the middlegame. A short replayable snippet:

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• Gösta Stoltz was Sweden’s first grandmaster and a contemporary of Gideon Ståhlberg; his daring openings contrasted sharply with the positional style prevalent in Scandinavia at the time.
• The move 4…Nc6 violates the classical “don’t block the c-pawn” rule of many Queen’s Pawn openings—yet modern engines show it is fully playable.
• Top players such as Levon Aronian and Boris Gelfand have used the Stoltz Attack as an occasional surprise in elite events, proving its continued practical value.