Library/Openings/Sicilian Defense/Scheveningen Variation/Tal Variation ECO B82
Opening· 15 plies

Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Tal Variation

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO B82), reached after 15 half-moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. f4 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qf3.

Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Tal Variation ECO B82
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About this opening

Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Tal Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code B82. ECO group B (B00–B99) covers semi-open games (1.e4 with Black playing anything other than 1…e5), with the Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann and Pirc/Modern at its heart. This particular variation is reached after 15 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. f4 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qf3.

It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family. Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Scheveningen Variation → Tal Variation line). The immediate parent line is Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, transitioned via 8.Qf3.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.e4 c5, 2.Nf3 e6, 3.d4 cxd4, 4.Nxd4 Nf6, 5.Nc3 d6, 6.f4 Nc6. From this position the encyclopaedia records no further canonical continuations — practical play branches into unnamed transpositions or returns to the parent line for alternative ideas.

Use the interactive board above to walk through the moves position-by-position. Click any move in the navigation to step backwards, or use the keyboard arrow keys. For statistical data — how often master-level players have reached this position, White's win-rate, draw frequency, Black's score — see the panel in the right column.

Caissly's coverage of B82 extends through every named sub-variation in this line and across all four locales (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian). Where editorial commentary exists for a specific variation it appears as the page body; otherwise the page presents the structural data, board, and statistics as shown here.