Tree path 4 levels King's Pawn Game › Sicilian Defense › McDonnell Attack › Tal Gambit
- Chess Codex
- King's Pawn Game B00
- Sicilian Defense B20
- McDonnell Attack B21
- Tal Gambit B21 you are here
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack, Tal Gambit
Overview
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack, Tal Gambit is a sacrificial opening line filed under ECO B21 in the Semi-Open Games group. The defining idea is the early concession of material to seize the initiative and unbalance the position.
The Semi-Open Games group covers semi-open games — replies to 1.e4 where Black declines the symmetrical 1…e5 in favour of an asymmetric pawn structure.
It is reached after 6 plies of play, with the move sequence 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 Nf6.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack, part of the broader King's Pawn Game system.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- B21
- Group
- Semi-Open Games (B)
- Plies
- 6
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
281,299 games · White 42.3% / Draw 4.6% / Black 53.1%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| c4 | 112,662 | |
| Nf3 | 77,098 | |
| Nc3 | 47,876 | |
| Bb5+ | 26,725 | |
| Bc4 | 9,236 | |
| d4 | 2,977 | |
| d6 | 1,715 | |
| d3 | 1,181 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 01:20:32
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Submissions are reviewed before publishing.