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Final position — Black delivers mate

Sicilian Defence

Sicilian Defence: Mate in 6

Black wins in 6 moves by checkmate. (Marjanovic - Zhivanov, Panchev 1946)

The moves

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nge2 g6 4.d3 Bg7 5.Be3 Nd4 6.g3 Nf3#
1.e4c5
2.Nc3Nc6
3.Nge2g6
4.d3Bg7
5.Be3Nd4
6.g3Nf3#

How the Sicilian Defence: Mate in 6 works

The Sicilian Defence: Mate in 6 is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Sicilian Defence. In this line Black delivers checkmate on move 6, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nge2 g6 4.d3 Bg7 5.Be3 Nd4 6.g3 Nf3#. Each move looks reasonable, which is exactly why the trap is so effective over the board — White walks into it while trying to play "normal" developing moves.

This pattern is well known from master and correspondence play (Marjanovic - Zhivanov, Panchev 1946). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Sicilian Defence: Mate in 6 in the Trapsterapp to play it out on a live board, drill it in practice mode, and learn how to avoid it when it's set for you — along with the full library of chess traps and gambits, fully offline.

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