WIN WITH 1. C5 | The Sicilian Defense

Hello everyone! This is another installment of my opening series, and today I have my complete guide to the sicilian defense. This opening comes after white plays E4 and we respond with C5. This is largely regarded as the best opening against king's pawn, reason being it is very counterrattacking. In the majority of lines, black gets full equality and is fighting for an advantageous endgame. I mainly show the Najdorf Sicilian which is mainline, but I also show how to beat all the most common sidelines. Subscribe for more videos like this, and have a great day!
0:00 Intro
1:02 Reaching the Najdorf
2:39 Main Setup
4:09 Poisoned Pawn Variation
13:27 English Attack
18:33 Lipnitsky Attack
19:47 Opočenský Variation
21:48 Bd3 Variation
23:13 f3 Variation
25:31 Closed Sicilian / Grand Prix Attack
27:47 Alapin Variation / Smith-Morra Gambit
30:05 Bowdler Variation (Bc4)
31:28 Wing Gambit
32:50 Delayed Alapin
33:41 Outro
PGN if you'd like to self-study:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 (2. Nc3 d6 3. f4 (3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6) 3... a6 4.
Nf3 Nf6 5. a4 (5. Bc4 b5 6. Bd5 (6. Bb3 c4) 6... Nxd5 7. Nxd5 e6 8. Nc3 Bb7)
5... e6 6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 exd5 8. Ba2 Nc6 9. O-O Be7) (2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4
cxd4 5. cxd4 (5. Nf3 dxc3 6. Qxd5) 5... d6 6. Nf3 (6. exd6 e6 7. Nf3 Bxd6 8. Nc3
O-O) 6... Nc6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bb5 dxe5 9. Nxe5 Bd7 10. Nxd7 Qxd7 11. O-O e6) (2.
d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. cxd4 d6) (2. Bc4 a6 3. Nf3 e6 4. O-O
(4. a4 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Be2 Be6) 4... d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Re1+ Be7 7. Bf1 Nf6)
(2. b4 cxb4 3. a3 d5 (3... bxa3 4. Bxa3) 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nf3 (5. axb4 Qe5+ 6.
Be2 Qxa1) 5... e5 6. axb4 Bxb4 7. c3 (7. Nc3 Bxc3) 7... Be7 8. d4 exd4 9. cxd4
Nf6) 2... d6 (2... d6 3. d4 (3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2 e6 (4... Nxe4 5. Qa4+) 5. O-O Nc6
6. Qc2 Be7 7. d4 O-O) 3... cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 (6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5
(7. Bc1 Nc6 (7... Nf6) 8. f3 (8. Nxc6 bxc6) 8... Qb6 9. h3 (9. fxg4 Qxd4) (9.
Nxc6 Qf2#) 9... Nf6) (7. Qd2 Nxe3 8. Qxe3 e6 9. O-O-O Be7) 7... h6 8. Bh4 g5 9.
Bg3 Bg7 10. Be2 (10. f3 Ne3 11. Qd2 Bxd4 12. Qxd4 Nxc2+) (10. h3 Ne5 11. Be2
Nbc6 12. Nxc6 bxc6) 10... h5 11. h4 (11. h3 h4 12. hxg4 hxg3 13. Rxh8+ Bxh8 14.
fxg3 Nc6) (11. Bxg4 Bxg4) 11... gxh4 12. Bxh4 Nc6 13. Nb3 (13. Nxc6 bxc6) 13...
Be6 14. f3 Nge5 15. Qd2 Rc8 16. O-O-O Na5 17. Qe1) (6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O Be7 8. Bg5
b5 9. Bb3 O-O 10. a3 Bb7 11. Re1 Nbd7 12. f3 (12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. Nxe6 Qb6 14.
Nxf8 Rxf8) 12... Rc8 13. Qe2 Qc7) (6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Be7 8. Be3 O-O 9. f4 (9. Qd2
b5 10. a3 Bb7 11. f3 Nbd7) 9... Qc7 (9... b5 10. e5) 10. Bf3 Nc6 11. Kh1 Nxd4
12. Bxd4 e5 13. Be3 (13. fxe5 dxe5) 13... exf4 14. Bxf4 Be6 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16.
exd5 Nd7 17. Qd2 Bf6) (6. Bd3 e6 7. O-O Be7 8. f4 Nbd7 9. Be3 (9. f5 Qb6 10. Be3
e5) 9... Qc7 10. Qf3 b5 11. a3 Bb7 12. Rae1 Rc8 13. Qg3 O-O) (6. f3 e6 7. Be3 b5
8. Qd2 Bb7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. g4 Nb6 11. h4 (11. g5 Nfd7 12. h4 b4 13. Nb1 d5)
11... b4 12. Nb1 d5 13. e5 Nfd7 14. f4 Nc4 15. Bxc4 dxc4) (6. Rb1 e6 7. Ra1 Be7
8. Rb1 Nbd7 9. Ra1 Qc7 10. Rb1 b5 11. Ra1 Bb7 12. Rb1 O-O 13. Ra1 Rac8) 6... e6
7. f4 (7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O b5 9. f3 Bb7 10. g4 Nbd7 11. h4 b4 12. Nce2 d5 13.
exd5 Nxd5) 7... Qb6 8. Qd2 (8. Nb3 Be7 9. Qf3 Nbd7 10. O-O-O Qc7 11. Bd3 b5 12.
Rhe1 b4 13. Ne2 Bb7 14. Kb1 O-O) (8. a3 Be7 (8... Qxb2 9. Na4) 9. Be2 Nbd7) 8...
Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. f5 (10. e5 dxe5 11. fxe5 h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. exf6 gxh4 14. Be2
Nd7 15. O-O Qa5 16. Kh1 Qg5 17. Qd3 (17. Qxg5 hxg5) 17... Nc5 18. Qc4 Bd7 19.
Bf3 Rc8) (10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Be2 Nc6 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. O-O Be7 14. Kh1 Qa5 15. f5
h5 16. fxe6 Bxe6 17. Rb7 Qg5 18. Qd3 h4) 10... b5 11. fxe6 fxe6 12. Bxf6 gxf6
13. Be2 Qc5 14. Nb3 Qg5 15. Qxg5 fxg5 16. Bh5+ Kd8 17. O-O Nc6) *

[@anirudhv2215]

I want to let you know as a GM aspirant your videos are a godsend. I literally can't ask for more. Thank you so so much!

[@justahuman5342]

toilet gang GM

[@gameryl3900]

33:06 "You get forked, and you also cry" -Volclus, 2023

[@RyanSmith-qh7sr]

Wow, always a good feeling when volclus uploads👍🏻

[@DauntlessTony]

I like the terms "annoying moves" and "kryptonite"! I learned to appreciate the Sicilian defence so much from your video. From now on, I shall use this "annoying defense" more frequently. Thank you so very much! 🙏😊💗🎉

[@Italijan93]

You'r a freakin legend bro!!! Love it

[@ashoksafaya5397]

Thanks for complete Sicilian defence.

[@wateryfellow]

I was actually just looking for a sicilian defense video, thank you so much!

[@ZDTF]

Hey pretty lady!

[@aditiballal9]

Great Guide! Can you make a guide on the Catalan and Nimzo-Indian? They are 2 great openings used in the top level and even the World Championship. Thanks for the Sicilian Guide!

[@rayladeojen1594]

You are a good teacher :)

[@user-pr6qg5dk3t]

ive been studying sicilian for 6 years and I would say your guide is good for begginers

[@lavatrex6736]

i know you get it a lot but this is such an amazing video. i just played 4 games after this and won them all. and thanks SO much i love your vids

[@tiny_frost8]

Perfect, thanks!! Could you also maybe cover the pirc?

[@AD-do7ub]

Thanks a lot,, perfect video!

[@BloontoniumWizard]

Lets goooo thanks 😊

[@TweetyFam]

Finally!

[@pirate.96]

Beautiful

[@BloontoniumWizard]

Can you make a video on the pirc defense since it works against both e4 and d4?

[@paradoxx639]

You have a lot of pirc videos on youtube like from nm robert ramires and chess giant. So i would rather see a video on the modern, cuz there is a lack of content for it.

[@anthonyjosephcortez6748]

LETTTTSSSSS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@GrandmasterMartin534]

AMAZING I love your videos you alwys make so understandable not like these gms on their stupid chessable courses. At this point youre opnening videos are the best on youtube

[@AverageBishop-]

Time to learn the Sicilian

[@literallysweden]

You should make a video on the kan variation of the Sicilian

[@SVNTHR737]

You should make a vid on scotch and scotch gambit

[@user-cw6dt5ut1h]

🌟 Can you summarize for us the dragon sicilian with the accelerated dragon and hyperaccelerated dragon, please It would be of great help 💯

[@Noah-eh7fz]

wow it‘s like a hedgehog but with b5 instead of b6

[@CosmicVelocityChess]

can we have one for the slav, but also cover catalan and londo and tromp, basically a complete 1.d4 repertoire

[@parico4489]

How do i use the pgn in the description

[@Willy-xu8fe]

Awsome video👍 but im more of a sveshnikov player. Could you do a video on the sveshnikov sicilian, where you can put a cool thumbnail like "Play the sicilian like Magnus Carlsen", "Magnus Carlsen's Sicilian" or something like that😅

[@gameryl3900]

sizzling defence** jokes aside great vid, tysm

[@ingogoldbeck2886]

After months playing stafford gambit im looking for a new reply to e4. This looks much more advanced.

[@user-zt4hf2eu6g]

Guide for king's indian defence please?

[@Elipsis150]

My problem is that I'm watching this video and everything makes sense. But then I go to play an actual game and my brain goes "404 Not Found"

[@zasbirrahmanzayan8648]

me: * *looks at how the video quality is* huh, this must have like 1 million views HOW DOES IT ONLY HAVE 15K VIEWS WAT

[@Rares-ConstantinMihaila]

This video miss a couple of sidelines from white like 2.a3(Mengarini Variation) or 2.b3(Snyder Attack),2.g3(Lasker-Dunne Attack)

[@drewpaiva93]

17:34 here actually black wins bro... After white plays F3 attacking the knight, you can play Ke3 forking the queen and the pawn, the capture of the pawn on G2 comes with check, stopping white's castle, and black can play Bishop to H6, attacking across white's position and giving the Knight on G2 two squares to scape safely and rotate. Black is winning at least on pawn.

[@jameshorrigan6264]

what if after e4 c5 d4 cxd Qxd4

[@Volclus]

Then a simple Nc6, developing and attacking the queen, and white is wasting their time.

[@jameshorrigan6264]

@@Volclus thank you

[@geographynonsensical5003]

how good is this for 1000 rated

[@Volclus]

This is very much overboard at 1000, I’d recommend a much simpler opening

[@ZDTF]

Imma give u a shoutout Cutie patootie when I become a gm

[@_Listen_to_Solar_Kama_Sutra]

It good man but you said "quite well" wayyyy too much