Sicilian: Hungarian Variation, 3.d4 cxd4
Sicilian Defense: Hungarian Variation, 3.d4 cxd4
Definition
The Hungarian Variation of the Sicilian Defense arises after the moves 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4. The name “Hungarian” is traditionally linked to a group of 20th-century Hungarian players (e.g., Lajos Portisch, András Adorján, Péter Lékó) who helped popularize the early …g6 as a flexible answer to the Open Sicilian. In modern opening manuals it carries the ECO code B27.
Move-order & Typical Position
After Black’s fianchetto step 2…g6, White challenges the center with 3.d4. Black accepts the challenge with 3…cxd4, yielding the characteristic diagram (after the usual recapture 4.Nxd4):
Key features are:
- The e4–pawn is centralized but not yet supported by f3 or c3.
- Black’s kingside fianchetto (…g6, …Bg7) pressures the center and prepares …Nf6 and a possible …d5 break in a single move (made easier because …d6 has not been played).
- The structure can transpose to an Accelerated Dragon if Black plays …Nc6, …Bg7, and …Nf6, or to other Sicilian set-ups depending on how Black handles the d- and e-pawns.
Strategic Ideas
- For White
- Rapid development with Nc3, Be3, Bc4/Bb5, and long castling, echoing Yugoslav-Attack motifs.
- Clamp down on the d5-square (Be3, Qd2, f3) so Black cannot free the position easily.
- Leverage the half-open c-file after cxd4 to create pressure against c7 or c5.
- For Black
- Exploit the omission of …d6 by striking in the center with …d5 in one go (often after …Nc6 and …Nf6).
- Employ typical Dragon counterplay: pressure on the long diagonal (…Bg7, …Qc7, …b5).
- Maintain flexibility: Black can steer the game into Hedgehog-type structures (…e6, …d6, …Ne7) or pure Accelerated Dragon lines.
Historical & Theoretical Notes
• The earliest known game with the line is Staunton – Horwitz, London 1843, decades before it obtained its current name.
• Lajos Portisch wielded the system extensively in the 1960s–1980s, inspiring many Hungarian juniors; hence the label “Hungarian.”
• In the computer era the variation evolved into the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon
(2…g6 without 2…Nc6), a favourite of blitz specialists because it dodges a huge body of Najdorf theory.
• Current elite practice shows the variation remains a sound, albeit less fashionable, option; Magnus Carlsen has adopted it in rapid events.
Illustrative Game
Alexei Shirov – Péter Lékó, Linares 2000
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 d6 9.f3 Bd7 10.Qd2 Rc8 11.O-O-O Ne5 ≈
Lékó equalised comfortably and later won, showcasing the solidity of Black’s set-up.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Because 2…g6 is played before …Nc6, practitioners sometimes call it the “hyper-accelerated” Dragon. The humorous quip is that it’s “so accelerated it skips the accelerator”—the knight on c6!
- Grandmaster András Adorján, author of the book series “Black is OK!”, recommended the Hungarian Variation as proof that Black can seize the initiative even after conceding the center early.
- The line appeals to chess chameleons: by delaying …Nc6 and …d6, Black can transpose into the Modern Defense, a King’s Indian versus e4, or a classical Sicilian depending on White’s replies.
Practical Tips
- If you play White, be ready for the immediate central break …d5; keep c2–c4, Be3, and Qd2 in mind to restrain it.
- If you play Black, study the typical pawn-sacrifice …d5 exd5 Qxd5, which often yields dynamic piece activity.
- Both sides should master the tactical themes on the long a1–h8 diagonal; a lub dub of the dark-squared bishops frequently decides the middlegame.