Beating the Alapin with 2...g6

My Black opening book, Chess Openings for Black, Explained recommends g6 vs the Alapin. This seems like an error to me. In fact in one of the resulting positions, it feels like I'm down a pawn. (1. e4 c5 2. c3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. cxd4 d5 5. exd5 Nf6 6. Bb5+ Nbd7 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. d6 exd6 9. Qe2+ Kf8 10. Nf3 Nb6 11. O-O h6)

White to move

What do you think about this kind of line and what do you recommend against the Alapin? I've already looked in some databases and Nf6 or d5 seem to be the better responses.

Is this as bad as it seems? (I'm really dissapointed.)

i wish i could help you but i don't read any chess stuff just play and try to learn from my mistakes not books but i'll look at this for a while to see if a can see what your talking about.

edit: it took you 4 edits to write that 🙂

I was messing around with the FEN and then I decided to add the actual line as well.

if i was playing this game as black i would be trying to break up the pawns around his king. maybe start with kh4, kf5 then work from there knowing that if he moves his g pawn my light bishop can go to h6, then just start moving the pawns down.

Sorry, I don't see how your moves are possible. Kh4?

Anyway, it seems that this position can also arise from the Caro-Kann.

1.e4 c6
2.c4 d5
3.exd5 cxd5
4.cxd5 Nf6
5.Nc3 g6
6.Bb5+ Nbd7
7.d4 Bg7
8.d6 exd6

Please someone help me out a little. What do you think about this position compared to the mainline Alapin?

Originally posted by exigentsky
Please someone help me out a little. What do you think about this position compared to the mainline Alapin?

Personally, I think it looks pretty bad for Black. The pawn structure in the centre and on the kingside is nullified. I would be more than happy to play from this position with the White pieces.

Why not try 2...d5? Leaves White with an isolated pawn while you don't, which will give you an endgame advantage (the point of playing the Sicilian anyway).

Edit: A couple of ideas in it: The main lines goes like

1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.Nc3, when you could look at playing Qa5-c7, a6, Bf5 and e6. The dark-squared bishop development is up to you but I would be inclined to play it to b4.

White's goal will be to develop quickly and try to use his d-pawn as a battering ram, so that is why Balck plays ...e6. Black will try to stop the d-pawn and seek counterplay down the c-file. He will caslte short and put the rooks on c8 and d8.

Hope that helps.