Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation
1.e4 c5 2.c3
What Is The Alapin Variation?
2.c3 refuses the Open Sicilian. Instead of trading the d-pawn for Black's c-pawn, White prepares d4 and builds a broad centre on d4 and e4 that pushes Black's pieces back. The cost is that c3 robs the b1 knight of its natural square, so White's queenside lags and Black gets time to strike at the centre at once.
That explains 2...d5 3.exd5 Qxd5: the queen sits safely because Nc3 is unavailable, unlike the Scandinavian. The other main try, 2...Nf6 3.e5 Nd5, concedes space for a secure knight. Games are decided by the pawn structure that follows: after ...cxd4 cxd4 White owns an isolated d-pawn with active pieces, and Black blockades d5 and heads for the endgame.
How Do You Play Against The Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation?
2.c3 prepares d4 without allowing the knight recapture, and 32% of Black players answer 2...Nc6. The two principled replies are 2...d5 and 2...Nf6, both of which attack the plan directly instead of granting White the full centre.
2.c3 costs White a tempo and takes the natural square away from the b1 knight, so play to make both of those matter. After 2...d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 your queen is exposed to Nf3 but never to Nc3, which is exactly the point: White cannot win the tempo the Scandinavian hands over. 2...Nf6 provokes 3.e5 and then attacks the pawn. White scores 50% to 46% over 4,868 games, an ordinary edge rather than a punishment.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 50% | 45,591 | |
| Nc3 | 11% | 10,245 | |
| d4 | 9% | 8,277 | |
| Bc4 | 9% | 8,119 |
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nc6 | 32% | 1,897 | |
| e6 | 16% | 945 | |
| d5 | 15% | 905 | |
| d6 | 14% | 811 |
The Named Lines Of The Alapin Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Anti-Alapin Gambit | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Nf6 |
| Barmen Defense | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 |
| Smith-Morra Declined | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 |
| Sherzer Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 Nc6 |
| Barmen Defense, Modern Line | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 |
| Stoltz Attack | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 |
| Barmen Defense, Central Exchange | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 |
| Barmen Defense, Milner-Barry Attack | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 cxd4 6.cxd4 e5 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Be2 |
| Stoltz Attack, Ivanchuk Line | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 c4 7.Bc2 Qc7 8.Qe2 g5 |
| Barmen Defense, Endgame Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Nc3 Bxf3 8.gxf3 Qxd4 9.Qxd4 Nxd4 |