Sicilian Taimanov Szen: 6.Bf4 e5 7.Be3 Nf6

Sicilian

Definition

The Sicilian Defence is the family of openings beginning with the moves 1. e4 c5. Black immediately fights for the centre from the flank, creating an unbalanced pawn structure (half-open c-file for Black, d-file for White) and rich tactical possibilities.

How It Is Used

• Counter-attacking weapon – Black aims for asymmetric positions and counterplay rather than strict symmetry.
• Move-order jungle – Dozens of major subsystems (Najdorf, Dragon, Scheveningen, Taimanov, Classical, Sveshnikov, &c.).
• Favourite at every level – From scholastic chess to world-championship matches.

Strategic Significance

• Open c-file: Black often places a rook on c8 and pressures c4/c2.
• e-pawn thrust: …e6 or …e5 breaks White’s centre and frees Black’s minor pieces.
• Minor-piece imbalances: Black frequently owns the dark-squared bishop and a knight on d5/f5; White hunts for kingside attacks or d5-breaks.

Historical Notes

Giulio Polerio and later Sicilian theoretician Gioachino Greco mentioned 1…c5 in the 16^th/17^th centuries. The opening’s modern popularity exploded after the 1950s, largely thanks to players like Mikhail Botvinnik, Bobby Fischer, and Garry Kasparov.

Examples

• Kasparov – Anand, World Championship 1995 (Games 10 & 12) – Najdorf and Dragon set-ups led to two of the match’s most combative struggles.
• Fischer – Spassky, Reykjavík 1972, Game 13 – Fischer’s instructive Anti-Sicilian with 2.c3 (Alapin), showing White’s alternative approaches.

Interesting Facts

• The Sicilian is the most frequently played opening in major databases, edging out 1…e5.
• Grandmasters occasionally specialize in one branch for their entire careers (e.g., Najdorf devotees like Anand or Gelfand).
• The opening produced the first computer victory over a reigning World Champion: Deep Blue vs. Kasparov, 1997 (Accelerated Dragon).

Taimanov

Definition

The Taimanov Variation of the Sicilian Defence arises after:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6

It is named for Soviet grandmaster and concert pianist Mark Taimanov, who developed and popularised the line in the 1950–60s.

Main Ideas

• Flexible Setup – Black refrains from early …d6 or …a6, keeping options to transpose into Scheveningen, Paulsen, or Kan structures.
• Rapid Development – …Nc6, …Qc7, …a6, …Nf6, and a later …d6 hit White’s e4-pawn while preparing …b5.
• Pawn Breaks – Central strike …d5 is often possible in one move, a key selling point for Taimanov players.

Typical Position

Historical & Practical Importance

• Used by Garry Kasparov in his youth and later by elite stars such as Fabiano Caruana and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
• Taimanov himself famously defeated Fischer with the line in Zürich 1959, years before their Candidates clash.
• Its theoretical reputation alternates between “sound and solid” to “razor-sharp,” depending on current fashion.

Sample Game

Caruana – Vachier-Lagrave, London 2019 featured a modern poisoned-pawn line where Black’s queen ventured to b2 but survived a fierce attack, illustrating the opening’s double-edged nature.

Trivia

• Because of the pianist GM’s dual career, some jokingly call 5…Qc7 “the concerto move.”
• The variation often transposes: after 5.Nc3 a6 we reach the Kan; after 5…d6 it is closer to the Scheveningen.

Szen

Definition

The Szén Position (pronounced “sen”) is a celebrated fortress setup that allows the defender to draw the rook-and-pawn versus rook end-game when the strong side’s pawn is a bishop pawn (c- or f-file) on the 7^th rank. It is named after the Hungarian master József Szén (1805-1857), who analysed it in correspondence with Kieseritzky.

The Position

One classical form (White to move, draw):

[[Pgn| 1.Kg6|Rg8+|2.Kf7|Rb8|3.e7|Rb7|4.Kf8|Rxe7|5.Kxe7 |fen|6k1/4P3/8/8/8/8/8/6K1 w - - 0 1|arrows|e7e8 e7e8|squares|e7 f7]]

• The defending king blocks the pawn’s promotion square.
• The defending rook attacks from the side but is far enough to give perpetual checks.
• If the attacking king steps away, checks drive it back; if the pawn advances, the rook sacrifices itself with a theoretical draw.

Practical Rules for Reaching the Szén Position

1. Place your king in front of the pawn on the 8^th rank or adjacent corner.
2. Keep the rook on the long side (the side opposite the defending king) with at least three files separation.
3. Deliver lateral checks; if forced back, return to the checking zone at the first chance.

Historical Significance

Long before end-game tablebases, Szén’s analysis served as a cornerstone of defensive technique. Modern engines confirm his conclusions: the position is indeed a theoretical draw.

Interesting Anecdotes

• World champions from Lasker to Carlsen have saved half-points by steering into Szén positions instead of trying riskier lines.
• Szen’s study reportedly impressed Paul Morphy, who praised it as “the poetry of defensive play.”

6.Bf4 e5 7.Be3 Nf6

Definition

This move sequence is a branch of the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defence:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bf4 e5 7. Be3 Nf6

The line is often dubbed the Bogoljubov or Polugaevsky Variation, but modern literature simply calls it 6.Bf4.

Strategic Ideas

• White (6.Bf4) – Vacates the d1-square and prepares a rapid Qd2, 0-0-0, and sometimes f3–g4-h4 launching a kingside pawn storm.
• Black (…e5 7…Nf6) – Hits the knight on d4, gains space in the centre, and reroutes the knight to d7/b6/c4 depending on circumstances.
• Imbalance – Black weakens d5 but seizes the initiative; White enjoys a central outpost and long-term kingside chances.

Theory Snapshot

After 8.Nb3 Be6 9.Qd2 Nbd7, both sides castle on opposite wings in many main lines, leading to classic “race” positions where moves like g4-g5 (White) and …b5-b4 (Black) decide whose attack lands first.

Model Game

Kasparov – Short, Tilburg 1991 showed White’s attacking potential: after 12.g4! Kasparov sacrificed a pawn and later an exchange to rip open the g-file, scoring a memorable win.

[[Pgn| 1.e4|c5|2.Nf3|d6|3.d4|cxd4|4.Nxd4|Nf6|5.Nc3|a6|6.Bf4|e5|7.Be3|Nf6|8.Nb3|Be6|9.f3|d5|10.exd5|Nxd5 ]]

Interesting Facts

• The move 6.Bf4 was once considered harmless; Veselin Topalov revived it in the 2000s, scoring several crushing victories.
• Computers show a near-perfect equilibrium, yet practical results favour the player with better preparation because of the razor-sharp nature.