Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4
Sozin Attack
1.2.3.4.5.6.
What Is The Sozin Attack?
The Sozin Attack points the bishop at f7 instead of the quiet Be2. Against Black's e6 and d6 the bishop is not blunted by the wall in front of it: it freezes the ...d5 break and makes e6 a target. Black gains time with ...a6 and ...b5, but the bishop steps back to b3 and keeps the same diagonal.
Short castling with f4 is the Main Line; the Velimirovic Attack plays Be3 and Qe2, castles long and storms with g4. Both aim at sacrifices on e6 and d5, where the bishop on b3 and the knight on d4 turn a pawn break into a direct attack on the king. Speed decides everything: Black's queenside counterplay runs as fast as White's attack, so one lost tempo loses the race.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bg5 | 25% | 57 | |
| Be3 | 25% | 57 | |
| Bd3 | 9% | 21 | |
| g4 | 8% | 19 |
The Named Lines Of The Sozin Attack
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Leonhardt Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 |
| Main Line | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 |
| Flank Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 |
| Fischer Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.Be3 O-O 9.f4 |
| Main Line, Sherbakov Variation | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Bb3 O-O 9.O-O Na5 10.f4 b6 |