What is Sveshnikov Sicilian? In chess, Sicilian Sveshnikov is the defense played by black pieces. This defense named after Evgeny Sveshnikov.

Many strong grandmasters joined him by playing Sveshnikov, like Garry Kasparov, Kramnik, Leko.

You will learn Sveshnikov’s opening and its games, and also you will learn the ideas behind this opening.

It’s a very interesting choice for a black player against e4 opening. The first question should arise that why black creates such a weakness in the opening? and what black player will get in return?

The answer is, Black gets the two bishops (if white captures the knight on f6).

The disadvantage of Sveshnikov Sicilian

Black can not fight in d file. The weakness will remain there, and if you are good at exploiting weakness then you deserve victory against Sveshnikov. But remember this at the highest level the game in Sveshnikov is totally different.

NOTE: The Sicilian Sveshnikov is for those players who like to play tactical and sharp openings.

Best Chess Players in Sveshnikov Sicilian

Here is the list of best chess players of Sveshnikov. These chess players have better scores than other players. If you want to play this defense, I strongly recommend that you must study and watch the games of these players. You will get ideas, plans, tactics, and many other things.

Vladimir Kramnik

Teimour Radjabov

Alexei Shirov

Peter Leko Result

Boris Gelfand Result

Veselin Topalov

Garry Kasparov

Alexander Grischuk

Vassily Ivanchuk

Other good chess players in Sveshnikov

Peter Horvath

Vasil Spasov

Sergei Zhigalko

Michal Krasenkow

Yuri Yakovich

Alexander Cherniaev

Sabrina Neide Vega Gutierrez

Miguel Angel Munoz Pantoja

IM Guillermo Baches (His Blog: https://www.guillembaches.com/chesstempo/ )

White’s ideas in Sveshnikov Sicilian

White’s main plan in Sveshnikov is that white should exchange his queenside bishop for Knight on f6. White should also maintain control of light squares. White also can push a2-a4 or c20-c4.

Black’s ideas in Sveshnikov Sicilian

Black should control d file weakens with black’s queen’s Knight and Bishop.

WARNING: If black is not in a hurry then black will need to defend his position at the whole game.

The general strategy in Sveshnikov opening

White has the advantage of weakness on d5. Black must control and counter-attack. Pawns structures are fixed in the center so both players will play according to it.

Here are some games to explore more ideas or plans in Sveshnikov. These games were played at the highest level so you should study and understand these games carefully if you are planning to play this opening. Let’s watch games in Sveshnikov.

Sveshnikov Chess Game 1:

[Event "Linares 19th"] [Site "Linares"] [Date "2002.03.10"] [Round "14"] [White "Shirov, Alexei"] [Black "Kasparov, Garry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B33"] [WhiteElo "2715"] [BlackElo "2838"] [PlyCount "56"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ra4 13. b4 Qh4 14. O-O Rg8 15. f4 Kd8 16. c3 Ra6 17. a4 fxe4 18. f5 Bb7 19. Ra2 e3 20. Nxe3 Qe4 21. Re1 Nxb4 22. cxb4 Bh6 23. Kh1 Bxe3 24. Qe2 Rc6 25. a5 Qxb4 26. Nxd6 Rxd6 27. Qxe3 Qd4 28. Qc1 Qd5 0-1 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Sveshnikov Chess Game 2:

***Flip the board to black



[Event "Linares 21st"] [Site "Linares"] [Date "2004.03.02"] [Round "11"] [White "Leko, Peter"] [Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B33"] [WhiteElo "2722"] [BlackElo "2777"] [PlyCount "72"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 14. Qh5 e4 15. Be2 Bg7 16. c3 Rc8 17. Nc2 Rc5 18. Ne3 f4 19. Nf5 O-O 20. a4 Nxf5 21. Qxf5 Qe7 22. axb5 axb5 23. Qxf4 Rxd5 24. Rfd1 Re5 25. Qe3 f5 26. Qb6 f4 27. Qxd6 Qg5 28. f3 e3 29. Ra7 Kh8 30. Qd7 Rg8 31. Qh3 Qg6 32. Rad7 Rh5 33. R7d6 Bf6 34. Rxf6 Qc2 35. Qxh5 Qxe2 36. g4 Qf2+ 0-1 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Sveshnikov Chess Game 3:

[Event "Corus"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "2005.01.16"] [Round "2"] [White "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Black "Leko, Peter"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B33"] [WhiteElo "2786"] [BlackElo "2749"] [PlyCount "114"] [EventDate "2005.01.15"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "13"] [EventCountry "NED"] [EventCategory "19"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. c3 Bg7 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 O-O 14. Nce3 Be6 15. Bd3 f5 16. O-O Ra7 17. a4 Ne7 18. Nxe7+ Rxe7 19. axb5 axb5 20. Bxb5 d5 21. Ra6 f4 22. Nc2 Bc8 23. Ra8 Qd6 24. Nb4 Bb7 25. Ra7 d4 26. Ba6 Bxg2 27. Bc4+ Kh8 28. Ra6 Qc5 29. Kxg2 f3+ 30. Kh1 Qxc4 31. Rc6 Qb5 32. Rd6 e4 33. Rxd4 Bxd4 34. Qxd4+ Qe5 35. Qxe5+ Rxe5 36. Nc2 Rb8 37. Ne3 Rc5 38. h3 Rxb2 39. c4 Rg5 40. Kh2 Kg8 41. h4 Rg6 42. Kh3 Kf7 43. Nf5 Rc2 44. Ne3 Rd2 45. c5 Ke6 46. c6 Rg8 47. c7 Rc8 48. Kg3 Rxc7 49. Kf4 Rd4 50. Ra1 Rf7+ 51. Kg3 Rd8 52. Ra6+ Ke5 53. Ng4+ Kd5 54. Nf6+ Rxf6 55. Rxf6 Ke5 56. Rh6 Rg8+ 57. Kh3 e3 0-1 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Sveshnikov Chess Game 4:

[Event "Wch Blitz 3rd"] [Site "Moscow"] [Date "2007.11.22"] [Round "34"] [White "Morozevich, Alexander"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B33"] [WhiteElo "2755"] [BlackElo "2714"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2007.11.21"] [EventType "tourn (blitz)"] [EventRounds "38"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c4 b4 12. Nc2 a5 13. Qf3 Bg5 14. h4 Bh6 15. g4 f6 16. Rg1 O-O 17. Qg3 g6 18. g5 fxg5 19. hxg5 Bg7 20. O-O-O a4 21. c5 b3 22. axb3 axb3 23. Qxb3 Be6 24. Bh3 Bf7 25. Qb6 Qxb6 26. Nxb6 dxc5 27. Nxa8 Rxa8 28. Rg3 Nd4 29. Ra3 Rb8 30. Bg4 h5 31. gxh6 Bxh6+ 32. Kb1 Bb3 33. Nxd4 Bxd1 34. Nc6 Bxg4 35. Nxb8 Bf4 36. Rc3 Be2 37. b3 Bd2 38. Rxc5 Bd3+ 39. Kb2 Bf4 40. Nd7 Bxe4 41. Nf6+ 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Sveshnikov Chess Game 5:

[Event "Hoogovens"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "1999.01.17"] [Round "2"] [White "Kasparov, Garry"] [Black "Van Wely, Loek"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B33"] [WhiteElo "2812"] [BlackElo "2636"] [PlyCount "85"] [EventDate "1999.01.16"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14. Rxa4 a5 15. Bb5 Bb7 16. Nce3 Bxe3 17. Nxe3 Ne7 18. O-O Rb8 19. Qd3 Qb6 20. Bc4 Bc6 21. Ra2 Rfd8 22. b3 Qc5 23. Rfa1 Ra8 24. h4 h6 25. h5 Bb7 26. Rd1 Bc6 27. Rda1 Bb7 28. Bd5 Bxd5 29. exd5 Rdc8 30. b4 Qxc3 31. Qxc3 Rxc3 32. Rxa5 Rb8 33. Ra7 Kf8 34. Rd7 Nc8 35. Rd8+ Ke7 36. Rg8 Rxb4 37. Ra8 Kd7 38. Rxg7 Rc1+ 39. Kh2 Rf4 40. Ng4 Ne7 41. Ra7+ Ke8 42. g3 Rf5 43. Rh7 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Sveshnikov Chess Game 6:

[Event "TCh-CAT Gp2 2020"] [Site "Barcelona ESP"] [Round "7.5"] [Date "2020.2.29"] [White "Baches Garcia, Guillermo"] [Black "Banos, Oscar"] [WhiteElo "2322"] [BlackElo "2227"] [Result "1-0"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c4 b4 12.Nc2 O-O 13.Be2 Bg5 14.O-O Qa5 15.Qd3 Rb8 16.h3 Qc5 17.Bg4 a5 18.b3 Rb7 19.Rad1 Be6 20.Qe2 Bh6 21.Rd3 Ne7 22.Nce3 Bxe3 23.Nxe3 Rb6 24.Rfd1 Qc7 25.R1d2 Rc6 26.Qd1 Nc8 27.Bf5 Kh8 28.Qg4 Re8 29.Qh4 Bxf5 30.Nxf5 f6 31.Rg3 Rg8 32.Rgd3 Rd8 33.Qg4 g6 34.Ne3 Qf7 35.Rd5 a4 36.Qd1 Rf8 37.g4 axb3 38.axb3 Rb6 39.Qf3 Rb7 40.Kg2 Qg7 41.Qg3 Qe7 42.R5d3 Ra7 43.Nd5 Qe6 44.Qe3 Rb7 45.Qh6 Qf7 46.Rf3 Qg7 47.Qxg7+ Kxg7 48.Rfd3 Rff7 49.Ra2 Rfd7 50.Ra6 Ra7 51.Rc6 Ra8 52.Nxb4 Ne7 53.Rcxd6 Rb7 54.Rd7 Raa7 55.Rxb7 Rxb7 56.Nd5 Kf7 57.b4 Ke6 58.b5 Nc8 59.Ne3 Nd6 60.Kf3 Rb8 61.Ra3 Rb7 62.Ra6 Kd7 63.Rc6 Rb8 64.Nd5 f5 65.Rc7+ Kd8 66.Rxh7 fxe4+ 67.Ke2 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Conclusion:

So in order to understand Sveshnikov you must-watch games of chess players which I mentioned above. And if we talk about the advantage for black in this defense. Black gets two bishops advantage.

If you know any other information about Sveshnikov, you can share it in the comments below so other players can benefit from you. In return, you will get praise :).

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