411 REFERENCE · Wikibooks
Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. Nf3/2...e6/3. d4/3...cxd4/4. Nxd4/4...Nc6/5. Nb5/5...d6/6. c4/6...Nf6/7. N1c3/7...a6
Reference material by Wikibooks contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
Szén variation B45 Szén variation
7...a6
7...a6 kicks White's knight.
Its available squares are d4 or a3.
The most common move is 8. Na3. This places a knight on the rim, but at least it overdefends c4 in case Black hopes to make use of the half-open file and play ...Rc8 one day.
8. Nd4 reduces White's control of d5, and allows Black to untangle with 8...d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 (see diagram). The position is equal but now open, and White is no longer able to keep Black suffocating in their side of the board as they had hoped.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 Nf6 7. N1c3 a6 8. Nd4 d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 Position after 8. Nd4 d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6
Theory table
References
See also
Sicilian Defence
The Sicilian Taimanov Pavlidis Antonios Quality Chess UK 2019 978 1 78483-058 8 Glasgow