Sicilian Defense: Pelikan & Sveshnikov Novosibirsk
Sicilian Defense (Open) – Pelikan Variation
Definition
The Pelikan (or “Early …e5”) Variation of the Sicilian Defense arises after the moves
- e4 c5
- Nf3 Nc6
- d4 cxd4
- Nxd4 Nf6
- Nc3 e5
Black immediately strikes in the centre, kicking the knight from d4 and staking out space on e5. Until the late 1970s most theoreticians considered the move premature because it weakens the d5-square and creates a backward d-pawn, but the analysis and practical successes of the Russian GM Evgeny Sveshnikov and, earlier, the Uruguayan-Argentine master Luis Ramón Pelikán proved its soundness. In modern opening nomenclature “Pelikan” and “Sveshnikov” are often used interchangeably, though FIDE’s ECO codes list B33 (Pelikan) for positions reached after 5…e5 and B33/B34/B35 (Sveshnikov) for the main tabiya after 9.Bxf6.
How it is used in practice
- Dynamic counter-play – Black accepts structural weaknesses in exchange for rapid development and central control.
- Outpost vs Activity – White’s knight often plants itself on d5, while Black fights for piece activity, especially along the f-file and the a7–g1 diagonal.
- Thematic pawn breaks – Black aims for …d5 or …f5 to liberate the game; White looks at c4, Bxf6, and sometimes c3 & Nc2–e3.
- Theoretical battlefield – Because it is heavily analysed, both sides must be prepared for home-cooked novelties as early as move 10.
Strategic & historical significance
GM Sveshnikov began using the line in Soviet events around 1974, refining it with colleagues in Novosibirsk. Their analysis overturned earlier verdicts and inspired elite adoption in the 1980s. Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov, Fabiano Caruana, and Magnus Carlsen have all relied on the Pelikan/Sveshnikov in World-Championship play.
The opening typifies “modern” Sicilian philosophy: willingly accept a structural defect (weak d5 square, doubled f-pawns) for concrete piece activity and a clear plan to seize the initiative.
Illustrative miniature
The diagram (after move 22 in the pgn viewer) shows typical imbalances: Black’s shattered kingside pawns versus control of the long diagonal and open f-file, while White’s knight dominates d5.
Interesting facts & anecdotes
- When the variation first appeared in Western databases, British magazine “CHESS” mocked 5…e5 as “crudely anti-positional.” Two decades later Kasparov used it to defeat Anand in the 1995 PCA title match.
- Magnus Carlsen wheeled out the Sveshnikov in five consecutive games against Fabiano Caruana in the 2018 World Championship, surviving deep computer-backed preparation each time.
- Because the line often produces doubled f-pawns for Black, club players sometimes nickname it “The Shattered Kingside Sicilian.” Yet statistical databases show Black scoring almost 50 %—an excellent return for the second player.
Sveshnikov – Novosibirsk Variation
Definition
The Novosibirsk Variation is the sharpest branch of the Sveshnikov. From the main Pelikan moves we reach:
- e4 c5
- Nf3 Nc6
- d4 cxd4
- Nxd4 Nf6
- Nc3 e5
- Ndb5 d6
- Bg5 a6
- Na3 b5
- Bxf6 gxf6
- Nd5 f5!
The audacious pawn thrust 10…f5 – prepared by Sveshnikov, Tseitlin and others in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk – races to open the f-file before White consolidates the d5 outpost. The line often continues 11.Bd3 (or 11.exf5) Bg7 12.c3 0-0.
Strategic ideas
- King-side expansion – …f5–f4, …Qh4+, and sometimes …e4 create direct attacking chances.
- Structural gamble – Black accepts a permanently weakened pawn structure (d6 backward pawn, doubled f-pawns) in exchange for open files and rapid piece play.
- Critical choices for White – Should White grab material with exf5, challenge the f-file with Qh5+, or consolidate with Bd3 & 0-0? Each branch leads to vastly different middlegames.
Historical development
In the pre-computer era the move 10…f5 was viewed with suspicion; classical manuals advised 10…Bg7. However, Novosibirsk-based analysts showed that the tactical resources after …f5 hold up. The variation made its elite debut in the USSR Championship, Leningrad 1977, when Evgeny Sveshnikov defeated Vladimir Bagirov with it.
Notable game
Topalov vs. Kramnik, Dortmund 1996, featured the line and ended in a spectacular perpetual after both kings wandered into the centre. More recently, Ian Nepomniachtchi used the Novosibirsk to beat Ding Liren in the 2020 Candidates Tournament.
Trivia & anecdotes
- The variation’s nickname honors both its creators and the harsh Siberian winters: chess journalists joked that the “cold-blooded” …f5 defrosts Black’s kingside in one stroke.
- Theoretical duels in online blitz between Sveshnikov himself (well into his 60s) and the engine-assisted generation led to several published corrections in his 2014 monograph “The Complete Sveshnikov.”
- Because 10…f5 demands precise calculation, many top players prepare it with cloud-based engines; still, a single oversight can lead to mate in under 25 moves for either side.