2.a3!?

2.a3!? is a new variation against the Sicilian Defence wich I has used in Tournaments with a score of 3 out of 3.

The thing about it is to after Nc6 or e6 sacrifice the b/a pawn just as in the 2.b4?! gambit but also getting an open a-file.

The aproch suggest by most players will be 2...g6 wich is the best move i think. (Maybe 2...d6 followed by b6 and just ignoring the white b pawn on b4 is just as good)I did not like the positions after 3.b4!? Bg7 4.Nc3 so I had to find something better for white against the g6 variation.

I did.

In the book about the a3 variation the author mentioned the gambit line: 1.e4 c5 2.a3!? g6! 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3!?

First it looked really bad, it will be the Morra Gambit but with the moves a3 and g6 played.
That has to be bad for white I thought.
But no, after analysing the position I found that that was not the case.
It was bad for Black! (;P)
The fact that the Bishop is almost forced to go to g7 to cover the weak spots around the Black kingside blacks defence against to forecoming attack becomes really hard.

With the g6 variation out of the way I find no way for Black to get a better position or at leats a position where white can´t crush him in 20 moves.

But as said, i´m no GM so please prove me wrong. I see no masters playing it. Just us in our club and one of our best Juniors with a rating of 2300, he has even said: "a3 wins for White!"

Might not be tha case but still... Its a variation I fear to meeat as Black!

FixarN

Chesslab online database gives these stats:
White won 29%, Black won 48%, Drawn 23%

Those stats could be somewhat skewed because not all the players are masters. You can download the games from there though if you want to study this variation.

I have already studied it.

Statistics is 1 thing, practis is 1.

If you really think it´so bad be happy to challenge me.

Then what would you play?

FixarN

Originally posted by FixarN
I have already studied it.

Statistics is 1 thing, practis is 1.

If you really think it´so bad be happy to challenge me.

Then what would you play?

FixarN

I'm a Caro-Kann (& 1....e5 when I'm feeling aggressive) player. I don't know much about Sicilian setups. The couple of times I played the Sicilian, I went for the Scheveningen so, in reality, I would probably ignore 2.a3 and play play something like that. From the Chesslab games it looks like 2...g6 is most popular with the stronger players though.

yeah I know, its the best move i think.

But what about the Gambit after d4?

FixarN

Originally posted by FixarN
yeah I know, its the best move i think.

But what about the Gambit after d4?

FixarN

Fixarn, why are you against playing the open sicilian?

Originally posted by FixarN
yeah I know, its the best move i think.

But what about the Gambit after d4?

FixarN

It looks like it has good possibilities. I'm not faliliar with the Sicilian, but it looks something a side line of the Smith-Morra to me which means it could be dangerous. Does White ever play a3 in the S-M?

You NEVER play g6 against the Smith-Morra!

e6 is the move, otherwise the bishop coming to c4 will just be 2 powerful.

The fact that a3 is played is a price White is willing to pay for getting black to play the weak g6 move.

Ex variation: 1.e4 c5 2.a3!? g6! 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3!? dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bg7 6.Bc4 Nc6
7.Nf3 Nf6!? 8.e5! Ng4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Ng5+ Kg8!? 11.Qxg4 Nx5 11.Qd1!!

When the Q might just get to d5. White has not got his pawn back but I think that anyone with an eye for attacking is just loving this position.

This is not forced but still.

FixarN

The Fianchetto Variation has the following moves: 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 g6 6. Bc4
Black has the intention to develop his pieces without making structural concessions in the center with the moves d6 or e6. This line has drawbacks in the weakness of the f7 square and it can be difficult to develop his KN, but it has been tried.

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 g6 4.cxd4 d5 5.exd5 transposes to the Panov Attack

If you get a playable middle game any opening is OK. If you like this opening, then there’s nothing wrong with playing it. However, moves like a3, which have nothing to do with development or pressure on the center (two elementary opening principles), cannot be theoretically “good.” This would appear to be born out in database statistics. If you want to know what constitutes a "good variation", see what the Grandmasters play. If you don't see top-flight players employing a system, it PROBABLY has little value. That said, most of us won't be playing any GM's, so we have a wider choice of openings. If you like this system, then by all means, play it.

a3 does have with the centre to do.
White plans to sacrafice the a/b pawn with the centre in mind, and as well developing the Qside quickly.

And after d5 white does not have to take on d5, Nc3 or e5! will do fine.

FixarN

I guess Grandmasters don't understand the position.

Yeah that might be the case xD

FixarN