16 Feb 07
Hello, I am attempting to gain a deeper understanding of the siciilian defence and would like people to post their favourite lines of the sicillian and a brief description of the line and/or why you like it. They can be for either white or black.
For white I like playing the gambit: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 for the reason that I enjoy playing The Scotch gambit which can be similar, the main difference being that black still has an e-pawn afterwards. I find that this line is often difficult to play, leading to black attempting to cut off my minor pieces and begin a pawnstorm while white attempts to open the board and gain attacking chances.
Another line I have played against the sicillian defence is The Marcozy Bind: 1. e4 c5. 2. Nf3 Nc6. 3. d4 cxd4. 4. Nxd4 g6. 5. c4
Sometimes I have played 1.e4 c5 2.c4 but I think that this is bad and so I haven't played it recently. (I've been playing alot of D-pawn openigns)
For black, the line I almost always play is The Dragon, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc6 g6 and then fianchetto the king bishop. But I sometimes play lines with elements of the najdorf because playing a6 can often have great strategical value depending on what white plays.
I am looking to expand my knowledge of the lines available to white, if you know the sharpest ones, please post.
16 Feb 07
Originally posted by ChessJesterMy favorite Sicilian?
Hello, I am attempting to gain a deeper understanding of the siciilian defence and would like people to post their favourite lines of the sicillian and a brief description of the line and/or why you like it. They can be for either white or black.
For white I like playing the gambit: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 for the reason that I enjoy playin ...[text shortened]... pand my knowledge of the lines available to white, if you know the sharpest ones, please post.
Vito Carleone of course.
The G
p.s. Check "Site Ideas" under Voting of Rec' Points Count
for my revolutionary pole. Please make sure you vote.
16 Feb 07
Originally posted by ih8sensCM can't rate openings - don't go by what it says.
The Alapin variation is very sharp.. makes games very difficult... i rarely use it in OTB because of time problems it causes, every move takes a ton of thought... CM10th rates this opening very highly.
16 Feb 07
Originally posted by GinoJOne - stop adding that to every post - 2 it's Poll - 3 Openings have more effect on the game than you may think.
IMHO, openings ain't matter so much if you are below Class A strength.
The G
p.s. Check "Site Ideas" under [b]Voting of Rec' Points Count
for my revolutionary pole. Please make sure you vote.[/b]
16 Feb 07
1 edit
Originally posted by cmsMasterYes, but when you miss big tactics it does not matter.
One - stop adding that to every post - 2 it's Poll - 3 Openings have more effect on the game than you may think.
This is an ongoing game of mine.
Game 3146876
My opponent played from the book for so long but one blunder and missing a simple tactic changed the whole game.
The G
p.s. Did you vote my friend?
16 Feb 07
Originally posted by GinoJPlease stay on topic! I did not ask your opinion on what areas of the game require more study. This thread is about opening lines beginning with 1.e4 c5. Thanks.
Yes, but when you miss big tactics it does not matter.
This is an [b]ongoing game of mine.
Game 3146876
My opponent played from the book for so long but one blunder and missing a simple tactic changed the whole game.
The G
p.s. Did you vote my friend?[/b]
16 Feb 07
1 edit
Originally posted by ChessJesterIf you want a sharp sideline you might as well try the Grand Prix Attack with 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 or you could play the older way allowing d5 1.e4 c5 2.f4!? d5.
Please stay on topic! I did not ask your opinion on what areas of the game require more study. This thread is about opening lines beginning with 1.e4 c5. Thanks.
16 Feb 07
Originally posted by ih8sensThat's odd. Yasser Seirawan describes it as "harmless" in his book Winning Chess Openings.
The Alapin variation is very sharp.. makes games very difficult... i rarely use it in OTB because of time problems it causes, every move takes a ton of thought... CM10th rates this opening very highly.
16 Feb 07
1 edit
Originally posted by ChessJester1. e4 c5
Please stay on topic! I did not ask your opinion on what areas of the game require more study. This thread is about opening lines beginning with 1.e4 c5. Thanks.
The Sicilian, a very deep and often tactical opening, is the most common reply to 1. e4. Note that already there are imbalances in the pawn structure.
2. Nf3
2. Nc3 could be a Closed Sicilian or a Grand Prix Attack, or possibly an Open Sicilian.
2...d6
Black also can play 2...Nc6, 2...e6, 2...a6, 2...g6, or even 2...Nf6, but not if he wants to play a Dragon! FYI, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 is the Accelerated Dragon, only a related beast.
3. d4
The Open Sicilian. Often White players who either do not like these complicated positions or do not wish to study the many possible lines for Black play a sideline here, such as 3. Bb5+. Such lines are okay for white, but are not nearly as deep and interesting as the main lines with 3. d4. Note that if White plays 3. d4, it will be Black calling the shots as to which variation of the Open Sicilian will be played (as I will discuss later), so White must be prepared for everything.
3...cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3
Guarding the e-pawn. Now we reach a major branch:
5...Nc6 is the Classical
5...a6 is the Najdorf (a favorite of Kasparov’s)
5...e6 is the Scheveningen
5...g6 is the Dragon
All of these are strong and sound defenses for Black, and they each contain their own nuances. We will examine the Dragon.
5...g6 6. Be3
The beginnings of the Yugoslav Attack. Again, there are other common moves, such as 6. Be2 (the Classical). For example, a typical line is 6...Bg7 7. Nb3 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Be3, with many branches on each move. The Yugoslav Attack, however, is certainly White’s most testing line
6...Bg7
Black cannot play 6...Ng4 because 7. Bb5+ is strong: the check cannot be blocked as 7...Bd7 8. Qxg4 wins a piece.
7. f3
Now, with 7. f3, we certainly have a Yugoslav Attack, one of the most tactical and “bookish” openings in all of chess (7. Be2 would have transposed back into a Classical Dragon). The main point of 7. f3 is to prevent Black’s knight from harassing the Be3 with ...Ng4. If White were to lose his dark squared bishop, Black’s “Dragon Bishop” would become a monster, standing unopposed on the long diagonal and serving the dual purpose of defending his King and attacking the White queenside. For example, 7.Qd2 Ng4! is correct, as 8.Bb5+ can now be met with 8...Bd7. So, after 7. f3, White’s idea is simple; play Qd2, Bc4 (optional), O-O-O, and attack the Black King.
7...O-O
The King is certainly not staying in the center! (although there is a very rare line where Black delays castling).
8. Qd2
As planned...
8...Nc6
This ends the main tabiya; there are many choices for both sides after this point. This position should give you an idea of the type of imbalanced positions you get into when playing the Dragon. However, this is just the beginning of the book. For example, in the 9. Bc4 lines, the significant branches do not occur until move 16, although either side can deviate earlier.
9. Bc4 or 9. O-O-O (or the rarer 9. g4)
This is the major branch in the Yugoslav Attack. At first glance you might be wondering what the big deal is, because in the 9. Bc4 line white just castles a move later, 10. O-O-O. However, the two moves lead to completely different games. Do you know why? Think about it. What does 9. Bc4 prevent that 9. O-O-O does not?
The answer is 9. Bc4 prevents Black from playing 9...d5, whereas on 9. O-O-O black normally plays 9...d5. This is not to say that it is not okay for White to allow 9...d5 with 9. O-O-O, but as you might imagine, lines with 9...d5 are very different from lines without. Both 9. Bc4 and 9. O-O-O are perfectly acceptable, but I will focus only on 9. Bc4 lines on my next post.