What is Maróczy Bind?

The Maróczy Bind is a pawn structure that arises in chess, named after the Hungarian grandmaster Géza Maróczy. It is a specific formation that occurs primarily in the Sicilian Defence, particularly in the Open Sicilian and the Closed Sicilian. The structure involves white pawns on c4 and e4, and black pawns on d6 and e6. The Maróczy Bind aims to restrict the opponent's pawn breaks and limit their mobility, giving one player a spatial advantage and greater control over the center of the board.