What is your favorite variation (ie paulsen, dragon, najdorf) of the Sicilian Defense?

Alapin

Rosolimo sicilian

I enjoy playing the Najdorf as black

Najdorf/Scheveningen Style

sstteevveenn wrote:

Alapin

I think he was asking if you play it as black...

BTW, I am in love with the dragon. It is always an exciting game, with both expertise and creativity being absolutely necessary.

Yeah, I think so too, hence the  

Najdorf and Ritcher-Rauzer tie.

I dont see why white plays  d4 ?

The idea for white is exchanging pawns and giving white a lead and development.

I personally throw in the Sveshnikov from time to time to win if I need to.  Sometimes I will play the Najdorf for surprise value.  But other than that, I am in love with the French.  Gives me a good game no matter what.

but a center pawn for a side?

yes I also thought that, theres something rare in d4, but it seems that white gets at least an open file in -d- with the Q pressurizing, a knight dominating the center on d4, if the knight is to be dislodged with a pawn black needs to weaken d6, because it can only be done with e5, if it's exchanged with the queen knight, white gets his queen well posted on the very center at d4, so at least at the opening white have some advantage. After that black slowly can build a counterattack with the aid of the open c-file, and so go the sicilian wars.

sstteevveenn wrote:

Yeah, I think so too, hence the  

Yes, I understood. Sorry I wasn't as obvious with a weird little smiley thing.

Mebeme wrote:

but a center pawn for a side?

Where the pawns start is not important. Controlling the center is important. After the first move, black's wing pawn on c5 is doing this, and white's center pawn on d2 is not. White's direct challenge of black's control of the d4 square with Nf3 and d2-d4 is his best try for the advantage. The important point is not who has more pawns on the central files, but who is controlling the central squares.

Najdorf as white

and mostly because most people think its good for black but its actually good for white.

I favor the Scheveningen as Black and the Richter-Rauzer as White.

Granted, like KillaBeez, I usually play the French instead of the Sicilian.

I would say my favorite variation of the sicilian is the dragon and the najdorf.

Najdorf than the accelerated dragon.