Sicilian Defence
Also called Sicilian.
Black fights for the centre from the side and unbalances the game to play for a win.
After 1.e4 c5, Black does not copy White. The c-pawn controls d4, and the game usually becomes sharp, with the two sides attacking on opposite wings.
It is the most popular answer to 1.e4 at the top level. It rewards study and punishes half-knowledge.
New to chess? The examples here use it. Play your first moves (five minutes), then learn chess from the beginning, one short lesson at a time.
Want more? Puzzles on this from real games, on Lichess, free and with no account. They are not counted in your progress here.
Learn and practise it
- Lesson: A map of the openings