2. a3!?

Howlingbanshee
| Jul 24, 2007 at 10:56 AM
| Posted in: howlingbanshee23's Blog
| 853 reads
| 12 comments

I hate that God awful opening when black decides to play 1. e4 c5. I just want to quit the game right there. The Sicilian has given me more grief than I need in my limited chess journey so far. I thought I would take chessiq's advice and just start grinding out some opening schemes and develop them. "I need to find some opening that suits my style", so I am going to give this one a shot (chessiq, i'd insert a link to your blog but I don't know how).

I plan to counter the Sicilian with 2. a3!? and see where that leads me. This opening seems very sharp to me and requires precision play on the part of black and sets white up for 3. b4.

My goal is to play 57 games using this opening to get a good concept and feel for this obscure opening. 20 blitz games and 37 long games. I will post my progress every once in a while. I am determined to perfect this opening so that it will confuse and demolish the player on the other side. I hope to have my final report on this opening in a month. Stay tuned or shoot me a message if you want to know how my results are coming along. Or if you want to play me so I can try out this opening on different players, by all means challenge away.

I realize there is ONE book dedicated to this opening, however I am a college student and therefore I would rather not spend $24 on a book. Plus, I think one of the best ways to study openings is to play, practice and try new variations to find out what works and what could lead to a potential loss. I am also studying the king's gambit, but that can be put on hold because the Sicilian is killing me (and i don't feel like playing the main lines of the Sicilian, not my style of play).

If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments please leave them.

And I will answer one question right now...

Why are you playing this opening?

: Because I can :

Comments

3 months ago
F3Knight

SIX YEARS AGO.

*BUMP*

WHERE ARE YOU WITH THIS?!
I am about to watch a game on youtube with this opening. Being puzzled, but not demolished ;), I googled it. I clicked the chess.com link expecting some raging article about 1.e4 c5 2. a3?!!??% and then I see it dated 6 years ago, with no follow up.

Where are you with your 20 blitz and 37 standard? What do you find to be strong/weak? I expect answers within 6 years.
6 years ago
Bonzlibir

The Sicilian, although not as fortified as the French is the "Fightingest" Black's reply to White's 1.e4. I'll be glad to konw the results of your experimentation regarding that 2.a3 move.
6 years ago
Howlingbanshee

Yes, I think that would help greatly. Thank you chessiq for the suggestion.
6 years ago
chessiq

Billwall, I hate to ask for the guy.. Can you share with him your games? (Personally, I really like your games and I think he would learn a lot from them... or just enjoy them.)
6 years ago
billwall

1.e4 c5 2.a3 is OK. Canadian masters Lawrence Day and Jonathan Berry play it alot. I have a few wins with it. You can follow up 2.a3 with 3.b4, r try 3.c3 or 3.d3. I like the 3.b4 4.Bb2 line myelf.
6 years ago
TheBishopsWife

I enjoy scillian would like a game against you. your plan sounds exciting.
6 years ago
anaxagoras

I like the Bb5 lines as alternatives to 'normal' sicilian lines. Give them a shot when a3 doesn't work out.
6 years ago
alec94x

Hi,
You might want to have a look at this...........
1.e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2

This is the Chamelon Sicilian white retains the possibility of playing either open lines (with d4) or closed lines (with d3). The move order has some sting because white, not black, can determine the character of the game. Should black choose an active defense, perhaps with ...Qc7 or ...Nf6, white can enter lines of the Closed Sicilian in which those moves have less meaning. Similarly, after an early commitment by black to play in a closed formation, with ...g6 for example, white can immediately open up the position with d4.

I'd also suggest the Keres variation 1.e4 c5 2.Ne2 named after Paul Keres similar idea to the Chameleon System white can follow up with 3.d4 with an Open Sicilian or 3.g3 with a Closed Sicilian.
6 years ago
chessiq

Hey Howlingbanshee, congrats on this exciting journey! I don't see how it cannot be exciting.
May be you can develop your own theory or line of play and post it here. I wonder if you can find a cheaper used book on ebay or amazon.
I suspect that you have searched the opening online and you have found a couple of links. Here is what I found - sorry if you have seen them already:
Hope you find them helpful:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?eco=B20&node=371816 (Some 63 games in which White used 2.a3 against the Sicilian Defense)

http://www.chessville.com/reviews/ChallengingSicilianWith2a3.htm (a review of the book and has some exciting info.

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hans101.pdf (you will find some info on page 2 of the pdf file)
6 years ago
erik

i love it! do it!
6 years ago
SonofPearl

The Sicilian is the most common reply and is strong, but there are lots of possible ways to counter it. If you want to avoid the main lines with 2.Nf3 you could try the Grand Prix attack with 2.f4 or the famous Morra Gambit 2.d4 exd4 3. c3.
6 years ago
jay

Good luck! :)