The Taimanov Variation can refer to variations of four different
chess opening
A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the "Sicilian Defens ...
s, all
named after
Mark Taimanov
Mark Evgenievich Taimanov (russian: Марк Евгеньевич Тайманов; 7 February 1926 – 28 November 2016) was one of the leading Soviet and Russian chess players, among the world's top 20 players from 1946 to 1971. A prolific ch ...
:
*In the
Sicilian Defense
The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves:
:1. e4 c5
The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White b ...
, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6
*In the
Nimzo-Indian Defense
The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
:1. d4 Nf6
:2. c4 e6
:3. Nc3 Bb4
Other move orders, such as 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 Bb4, are also feasible. In the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'', the Nimzo-Indian ...
, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 Nc6
*In the
Modern Benoni
The Modern Benoni is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6. It is classified under the ECO codes A60–A79. After the initial moves, Black proceeds to capture on d5, creating a majority of black pawns on th ...
, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+
*In the
Grünfeld Defense, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5
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