Chess: Learn to Play the Sicilian Defense

The Accelerated Dragon is a slight change of move order from the Classic Dragon Variation, which can often confuse your opponent. Despite the name, the Accelerated Dragon actually tends to lead to a slightly more positional game of chess than the Classic Dragon, which also may catch an unprepared opponent by surprise. In this lesson, you will learn how to get an advantage out of the opening with the Accelerated Dragon.

The Chinese Dragon is another variation that most opponents will not be prepared for, which makes it an excellent weapon for the serious Sicilian Defense player to use as black. In this lesson, you will learn how to build a successful attack in the Chinese Dragon Variation that is sure to confuse your unprepared opponent. 

The Yugoslav Attack is one of the most effective opening attack formations in all of chess. It is therefore critical that the Sicilian Defense player know how to defend against it. For the serious Dragon player, defending against the Yugoslav Attack is a simple matter of knowing a few key moves that will neutralize this dangerous weapon, and lead to a powerful counter-attack on the opponent's king. In this lesson, you will learn these all-important key moves.

The Classic Najdorf was a favorite choice of both Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov, two of the game's most celebrated world champions. There are many reasons for this, not least of which is the fact that the Najdorf is a very flexible opening that allows Black to transpose into many different Sicilian Defense variations. It is this flexibility that gives it its power, and provides the Sicilian player with many ways to win the game.

The English Attack is the same general formation as the Yugoslav Attack in the Dragon Variation applied to the Najdorf. However, it is important to note that in chess, even a slight variation in the position leads to drastically different outcomes, so it is extremely important to study as many lines as possible. In this lesson, you will learn  how to attack using, as well as play against, the very strong English Attack.

The Adams Attack has become very popular among Grandmasters as a refutation to the ever powerful Sicilian Najdorf. The Variation starts with a very subtle pawn move, but leads to a very different position, which makes understanding this line critical for the serious Sicilian Najdorf player. In this lesson, you will learn the key moves and ideas to play the Adams Attack successfully.

The Fischer-Sozin attack has been used by Grandmasters throughout chess history. But it was only when the opening was revived in the 1950s and 60s by Bobby Fischer that it gained mainstream popularity as an effective weapon against the solid Najdorf and Scheveningen Variations of the Sicilian Defense. In this lesson, you will learn the key lines of the opening for both the white and black pieces.

The Fischer-Sozin attack has been used by Grandmasters throughout chess history. But it was only when the opening was revived in the 1950s and 60s by Bobby Fischer that it gained mainstream popularity as an effective weapon against the solid Najdorf and Scheveningen Variations of the Sicilian Defense. In this lesson, you will learn the key lines of the opening for both the white and black pieces.

The English Attack is the same general formation as the Yugoslav Attack in the Dragon Variation applied to the Scheveningen. However, it is important to note that in chess, even a slight variation in the position leads to drastically different outcomes, so it is extremely important to study as many lines as possible. In this lesson, you will learn  how to attack using, as well as play against, the very strong English Attack.

The Keres Attack is a powerful weapon against the strong defensive formation of the Scheveningen. In this lesson, you will learn how to aggressively attack black's castled position as white, while also learning all of the key defensive moves for black to fend off the attack. Since most Scheveningen players will not be well versed in the relatively obscure Keres Attack, it serves as a very nice surprise weapon that works particularly well in faster time-control blitz games.

The Fischer-Sozin attack has been used by Grandmasters throughout chess history. But it was only when the opening was revived in the 1950s and 60s by Bobby Fischer that it gained mainstream popularity as an effective weapon against the solid Najdorf and Scheveningen Variations of the Sicilian Defense. In this lesson, you will learn the key lines of the opening for both the white and black pieces.

The Closed Sicilian is a great option to use against the Sicilian Defense when playing with the white pieces as it avoids a lot of the most popular lines that lead to favorable outcomes for black. In this lesson, you will learn how to play this strong alternative to the most popular lines with both the white and black pieces.

There's non getting around it, the Sicilian Defense is a must know opening for the aspiring strong chess player. But the greatest part is that it's arguably the most fun and dynamic opening in all of chess for both the black and white pieces. Fluency in the Sicilian Defense will lead to many great victories, whether you're a lower rated beginner or quickly rising tournament player. By practicing daily and playing consistently, you will become a master at the Sicilian Defense and enjoy the game of chess more deeply than ever before!