As white, the one defense that gives me real headaches is the sicilian. 

I adopted the Grand Prix defense, but it just isn't working out.  I find it is slow (especially the white bishop maneuvers), and my pieces end up tripping over one another on the kingside once they get there.

I need to seriously slot this one out, and replace it something else.

Any suggestions on a particular defense or set of defenses?  And in addition, do you know of any repertoire style books on the subject? 

I'm thinking either taking up the open (2. Nf3), or perhaps moving to another "shortcut" like 2.c3, but I'm worried additional shortcuts will just result in more of the same (beatings - harsh merciless beatings).  :-)

Hi Justin,

I hope one of these helps you. http://www.chessville.com/reviews/ChallengingSicilianWith2a3.htm

http://www.chess-poster.com/english/openings/chess_openings.htmhttp://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sicilian

Books from amazon:

Mastering the Sicilian Defense by Dr. Danny Kopec IM

Experts Vs. the Sicilian [Paperback]

How to Play the Sicilian Defense (The Macmillan Chess Library) 

Grandmaster Repertoire 6: The Sicilian Defence [Paperback]

Sicilian Defense: Taimanov System [Paperback]

Fritz Trainer Opening- Sergei Tiviakov: Sicilian Defense with 2.c3 (Alapin Variation)

The Sicilian Bb5 Revealed by Neil McDonald (Paperback

Play the Najdorf Sicilian by James Rizzitano (Paperback

The Complete Sveshnikov Sicilian by Yuri Yakovich (Paperback 

Beating the Sicilian Defense with the Short-Nunn Attack by Andrew Soltis (Paperback 

The Bb5 Sicilian: Detailed Coverage of a Thoroughly Modern System (Everyman Chess) by Richard Palliser (Paperback

Sicilian Defense, Velimirovic Attack by Bruce Leverett (Paperback

Sicilian Defense Classical Richter Rauzer by Eric A. Schiller (Paperback 

Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Fianchetto by Chess Digest

Good Luck....

Woah, what was Anand doing?  Did he mess up his opening?  Seems he was playing for a draw as soon as the opening ended.

And I wonder if he just missed 25.f4  White successfully opens things up and now the principal of two weaknesses makes the draw even harder for the black pieces.

Wait, why did Anand take on f4?  Did white have a win in any case?  This game leaves me with a lot of questions, I guess it'd be good for me to study or something.

Hmm, maybe a5 was coming to open the queenside?

Here's the link to the group for the Bb5 sicilians. Below are two decent books on them:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bb5-Sicilian-Detailed-Thoroughly/dp/1857443977

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sicilian-Revealed-Neil-McDonald/dp/0713489804

I hope these 2 books would help you. Happy hunting!

@NachtWulf, what an interesting group you had in there.

If you're interested in the open, there are some good choices out there.

Tim Taylor's fairly new Slay the Sicilian book focuses on classical Be2 lines.

Jesus De la Villa's Dismantling the Sicilian is based on English Attack/Yugoslav lines.

And the classic Experts vs. the Sicilian is a survey of what the pros think are the best, most critical lines against all black's major defenses.  Not exactly thematic, but if you're super ambitious, it might be an option.

Stop playing 1) e4.  Q.E.D.  Your problem is your rating, not your openings.

Do you really want to buy "one book" for every (major) black opening to 1) e4 ?

Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman.

I was just reading about that the other day on one of those freebie chess sites and he was saying how he hated playing the sicilian although he loved playing E4 suggested the smith morra gambit saying it was a simple opening to learn that completely avoids the sicilian.

I kind of like the black side of the sicilian so I read through it and was pretty good.

Thanks for the feedback everyone - especially Knightspawn.  Much appreciated.  I will give the Moscow/Rossolimo a few dozen blitz matches and see if it fits my style better.

First study classical games in the major lines, e.g. Richter-Rauzer, Velimirovic Attack, Najdorf Bg5, Keres Attack vs Schveningen etc. 

Esp. Michail Tal's games are very instructive.

Then decide which lines to play and which books to read. 

GM John Emms has a repertoire book, Attacking with 1.e4, which recommends White play the Closed Sicilian. It's slower than the open lines and the Grand Prix, but it has a grandmaster pedigree and it does give White pressure on the kingside. I'll never forget how Spassky dismantled Geller with the Closed Sicilian in the 1968 Candidate Matches.

The Closed Sicilian, more than most Sicilian variations, is amenable to getting the basic ideas and playing from there.

Emms' other repertoire suggestions are interesting too and Emms played these lines himself.