Chekhover Variation

The Chekhover Variation (also sometimes called the Szily Variation or Hungarian Variation) is a chess opening named after Vitaly Chekhover, from the game Chekhover–Lisitsin, Leningrad 1938. It occurs in the Sicilian Defence and is defined by the moves:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4

On move four White ignores the standard opening principle to not develop the queen too early in the game. Although the Chekhover Variation is somewhat rare at grandmaster level, it is not uncommon among amateurs.