During my time OTB and my more recently time on RHP I have found my favourite defence to 1.e4 to be the Sicilian!
I first learned chess by playing through the Karpov-Kasparov WCh matches. Particularly the first two from 1984-1985.
The following game inspired me to take up the Sicilian Defence.
Karpov,Anatoly (2720) - Kasparov,Garry (2700) [B85]
World Championship 32th-KK2 Moscow (24), 09.11.1985
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 (Obviously 6...e5 is a pure Najdorf)
7.0-0 Be7 8.f4 0-0 9.Kh1 Qc7 10.a4 Nc6 11.Be3 Re8 (I prefer 11.Bd7 here)
12.Bf3 Rb8 13.Qd2 Bd7 14.Nb3 b6 15.g4 Bc8 16.g5 Nd7 17.Qf2 Bf8 18.Bg2 Bb7 19.Rad1 g6 20.Bc1 Rbc8 21.Rd3 Nb4 22.Rh3 Bg7 23.Be3 Re7 24.Kg1 Rce8 25.Rd1 f5 26.gxf6 Nxf6 27.Rg3 Rf7 28.Bxb6 Qb8 29.Be3 Nh5 30.Rg4 Nf6 31.Rh4 g5 32.fxg5 Ng4 33.Qd2 Nxe3 34.Qxe3 Nxc2 35.Qb6 Ba8 36.Rxd6 Rb7 37.Qxa6 Rxb3 38.Rxe6 Rxb2 39.Qc4 Kh8 40.e5 Qa7+ 41.Kh1 Bxg2+ 42.Kxg2 Nd4+ 0-1
From this I learned the Najdorf Sicilian, whilst always choosing to transpose into a Scheveningen. (For a good book on this system see "Play the Najdorf Scheveningen Style" by John Emms).
Whilst learning it with Black I also became pretty adapt at slaying this variation.
Me playing White against Doncaster in the
Woodhouse Cup, 25.09.2004
1.Nf3 d6 2.e4 c5 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.
Be2 Nbd7 8.f4 Nc5 9.Bf3 Qc7 10.0-0 Be7 11.Qe1 Rb8 12.Qg3
0-0 13.Rad1 b5 14.e5 Nd5 15.Bxd5 dxe5 16.fxe5 exd5 17.Nxd5 1-0
Whilst I was learning the Najdorf/Scheveningen the guy who I learned chess with became obssessed with the Dragon.
Hence I got LOTS of practice playing against the Dragon. Particularly the Yugoslav Attack with 9.Bc4
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4
I really enjoyed the positions that arose and I also dabbled into playing this as Black achieving 1.5/2, but found it hard to keep up with the theory. (My friend still plays it however).
My views on the Sicilian are
Playing the Najdorf -
I enjoy all moves excpet 6.Bc4 & 6.Bg5 as I can play my Scheveningen system.
However I don't particularly enjoy playing against 6.Bg5 (common on this site - not so much OTB in my experience) I originally played the Old Main line with 7...Be7 etc. Also dabbled with 7...Qc7 and 7...Qb6 (The Poisoned Pawn) something I wouldn't dare play OTB only with my comfort blanket of books 😉
So how can I combine my enjoyment of these positions!!
Mmmm......
OTB last season I started playing the Classical Sicilian
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6
Here White has similar ways to attack this set as he would against the Najdorf.
OTB I found 6.Bc4 by far the most common, with the odd 6.Bg5 and 6.Be2.
Here Black remains very flexible. This means that Black can adopt a Boleslavsky set up with d6 & e5, a Scheveningen set up with e6 & d6 or play a Dragon set up with g6. It all depends on what White plays
After 6.Bg5 (The Richter-Rauzer) by far the most challenging move
As I see it there are 3 or 4 ways Black can play against it.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2
(i) 7...Be7
(ii) 7...a6 and after 8.0-0-0 Black plays either
8...h6, 8...Bd7 (preparing ...b5) or 8...Nxd4.
I'm not sure which is best and think White does okay in each, but I am looking currently at the 8...Bd7 lines. Advice Welcomed
After 6.Bc4 I really like Benko's 6...Qb6 where White finds himself playing positions he doesn't want to play. Many times the positions that arise are Scheveningen like. As in the game below
Game 4801193
After 6.Be2, 6.f4, 6.g3 Back simply plays 6...g6 Transposing into non-theoretical lines of the Dragon. Classical, Levenfish and 6.g3 respectively.
However because of the flexibility 6...e6 and6...e5 are also good options.
6.Be3 I think is effectively delt with by 6...Ng4 (A move that is also played in the 6.Be3 Najdorf) however Nc6 is a more useful move than a6.
6.f3 can be answered by 6...g6, 6...e6 or 6...e5 (I prefer the latter as other moves allow White to transpose into very theoretical lines of the Dragon or Scheveningen).
Originally posted by najdorfslayerWhat do you play against the Morra Gambit?
During my time OTB and my more recently time on RHP I have found my favourite defence to 1.e4 to be the Sicilian!
I first learned chess by playing through the Karpov-Kasparov WCh matches. Particularly the first two from 1984-1985.
The following game inspired me to take up the Sicilian Defence.
Karpov,Anatoly (2720) - Kasparov,Garry (2700) [B85 ...[text shortened]... 10.0-0 Be7 11.Qe1 Rb8 12.Qg3
0-0 13.Rad1 b5 14.e5 Nd5 15.Bxd5 dxe5 16.fxe5 exd5 17.Nxd5 1-0