Enjoy The Energetic Counterattacking
Game Of The Sicilian, Minus
The Theory Overwhelm
If you’d love to maximize your results against 1.e4, then the fighting Sicilian Defense is your best response.
“But isn’t 1…c5 too complex for the new player?”
Fortunately, the Taimanov Variation is an exception!
This brand of the Sicilian prioritizes king safety and flexible development. So you avoid the double-edged and theory-heavy positions found in the Najdorf, Sveshnikov, Dragon, and other Sicilians.
Plus, since your moves are grounded on positional principles…
You’ll be wrestling the initiative — not through unsound tactics and one-trick ponies — but from…
A Position Of Strength
Here’s how the opening works:
After
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3, you’ll secure the light squares, and prevent attacks on the f7-square with
2…e6. Then you’ll continue with
3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 to reach the flexible starting point of the Taimanov.
The starting position of
the Taimanov Sicilian
From here, developing the rest of your pieces is a breeze.
The other knight can go to f6 or e7. The dark-squared bishop may go to d6 to form a battery with the queen on c7…
While the light-squared bishop takes over the long diagonal after …a6 and …b5.
In many positions, you’ll break through with …d7-d5. An instant equalizer when played under the right conditions.
But if White goes out of their way to stop your d-pawn? You’ll switch gears with …d6 and …e5 to stabilize the center.
The Taimanov’s typical counterattack underway
The Taimanov Variation was invented by
Mark Taimanov.
He was a USSR champion and two-time world championship candidate. His playstyle strikes a balance between dynamism and harmony, which has carried onto his brand of the Sicilian.
Since its invention, many top players have relied on the Taimanov Variation’s aggressive but sound approach, including
Peter Svidler (7-time Russian champion),
Anish Giri (peak world #3), and
Viswanathan Anand (5-time World Champion).
And after just
31 MoveTrainer variations, you too will be ready to play this safe and flexible Sicilian.
Here’s a sneak peek into lines:
🏆 Against the universal fianchetto systems, you’ll negate White’s space advantage… while accelerating your development with a precise exchanging combination.
🏆 Against the slow 6.Be2, you’ll grab the lion’s share of the center by ganging up on the e4-pawn.
🏆 And in the main lines of the English Attack, you’ll exploit the exposed enemy queen. So that your pieces reach their ideal squares with tempo.
This
Short & Sweet also includes antidotes against the Alapin, King’s Indian Attack, Grand Prix Attack, and other Anti-Sicilians. All of which stay true to the Taimanov Sicilian’s sound but punchy strategies.
But don’t take our word for it.
See for yourself when you…
