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Can you get into a Maroczy Bind safely from every variation of the Sicilian?

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FizzyBand
Optimissed wrote:

The Kan/Paulsen is superior to the Taimanov.

No it’s really not they are pretty equal Black can hold with best play just fine in both lines and has good counterplay in both lines

king5minblitz119147

there is a move order to avoid the prins vs d6 sicilians. 1 e4 c5 2 nf3 d6 3 d4 nf6!?. i use it myself as i play the najdorf and sometimes the dragon. it does allow other lines but white never gets any positional bind anywhere so i'm fine with it. you can try to be clever as white and go for a pseudo smith morra gambit, starting with 2 d4!? which is annoying for black if he plays d6 types and wants to avoid the prins, but after 2..cd4 3 nf3 e5!? prevents you from getting in nxd4 and f3 and is also good enough to diffuse the entire smith morra. you could then think maybe 2 c4 to insist on a bind, but then black can try to exploit d4 here and he does not have to concede d5.

Mikeysgambit

The easiest way to win is to play better than your opponent

WSama

If it doesn't bind, turn up the heat.

Daarzyn7

Against Paulsen's variation with Nf6 (e6,a6,Nf6) you can put a Bd3 instead of Nc3 and then go with c4.

Laskersnephew

"Gaping hole on d5, no thanks!"

Only Patzers play the Sveshnikov! 

Optimissed
AyoDub wrote:

I actually found the prins variation: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.f3!? very effective.

The best variation 5..e5 followed by 6..d5 (from memory) is fairly unnatural and not often played, even if it is you will just have an equal position.

Meanwhile, the majority of people who play 2..d6 do not have good knowledge of the maroczy and just continue their play, assuming it will transpose to an english/yugoslav attack. Upon reaching the maroczy they simply do not know how to acheive the required counterplay and usually get crushed.

Obviously the accelerated/hyper dragon you can get a maroczy, I think 3.c4 is generally accepted as quite good against the O'kelly (2..a6). The big problem I think will be reaching a good maroczy against the taimanov, where black can play for the ..d5 break with ..e6 and ..Bb4 and so on.
Is there a maroczyish variant of the taimanov?

I play the O'Kelly move order exclusively as black. 3. c4 is ok but best if white plays it as a waiting move and doesn't play d4. Then it turns into a struggle to find who can play the biggest number of useful waiting moves and if black plays Nc6, d6 or Be7 then probably white has won that competition and can play d4. But the normal lines after 4. d4 are completely fine for black in the 3. c4 O'Kelly.

Optimissed
FizzyBand wrote:
Optimissed wrote:

The Kan/Paulsen is superior to the Taimanov.

No it’s really not they are pretty equal Black can hold with best play just fine in both lines and has good counterplay in both lines

That doesn't mean that the Kan/Paulsen isn't superior, although any recognised Sicilian line is fine if black only wants a draw. However, people play the Sicilian to try to win.

MisterOakwood

The main variation for black to prevent a maroczy is by playing the 2.Nc6 move order. The problem for the maroczy lovers is that this move is quite flexible and may transpose into most sicilians. Therefore if we choose to play open sicilian against this, we will also need to know the main-line theory of the open sicilian. This does not sound attractive so we will need to find a sideline.

The Rossolimo is probably the best objective option.

 

Optimissed
Nckchrls wrote:

I'm not sure if it's officially classified a Taimanov defense but Fischer-Taimanov 1970 Interzonal maybe was an effective bind.

I had read somewhere that the Black KB on the h8 diagonal was maybe an good spot vs the Maroczy bind. One interesting review game where Black might have had decent defensive possibilities but went wrong badly was Portisch-Reshevsky 73 Interzonal.  


Generally the Bind was something preferred by white against a black system with a B on g7. It may be that one or two people explored this and thought they found counter-chances for black. However, in some positions a quick Bb4 is good for black and can be followed up by a pawn sac b5 or d5 at the right time, especially with black's Q on c7 pressurising c3. A B on g7 is passive in such positions and doesn't do much. The Maroczy is known to be fairly effective against a Paulsen setup where Black's first moves are c5, e6, dc, a6, Qc7, which is slow. White defends e4 with Bd3 and not Nc3 and can play c4. That's really main line for white against that setup.

Chuck639
Ultimate-trashtalker wrote:

Guys what Sicilian would u suggest me if i don't want to memorize hundreds of lines but play mostly based on understanding and a little memorization of 2 or more lines?

I recently switched over to the Kan with immediate success in preparation for the 1500-2000 bracket of rapid players. Mainly, e6 is most flexible, versatile, and practical for club level play (especially where anti-Sicilians occur most frequently). Yes, less theory than the d6 Sicilians but you have to learn how to deal with square weaknesses that would not be present in d6 Sicilians.

The game plans and strategies are more straight forward as well.

When you do understand about square weaknesses, piece placement for both sides, and tempo, there are opportunities to transpose to d6 Sicilians like the Najdorf and Schevenigan, so I don’t feel like I am missing out; I just don’t force it because I counter play  accordingly to whites plans.

Optimissed

Yes, e6 lines. I play 2. ... a6 mainly but it's to get into e6 lines.