Sicillian defence with g3?!

I was playing in a game at my local club earlier when some young kid played g3 followed by the fianchetto of the kingside bishop against my normal sicillian. It is actually the first time I recall someone taking this line against me. I won the game by standard means - piling up down the c file and cracking the queenside- but was intigued by the line. It does give white added control of the centre and counter attacking chances on teh q side at somepoint, especially in variations where black plays b5 or b6 opening up that diagonal further. 

I must confess I have some problems playing this opening from the white side and thought I might try this approach. Can someone who understands this system write me a quick strategic overview so I have a better idea of whats going on? Or anyone at all give me any opinions or ideas they have?

NOTE: This was not a closed sicillian it was after the exchange on d4. The exact move order from the game is posted below (2 or 3 comments down).

Its called the closed sicilian and is very common at the club level.  If you play a sicilian you'll be seeing alot of it along with your smith morra's , alapines, and other anti sicilians.  Occasionally a prepared and/or aggresive player will venture the open sicilian.  But you'll probably be seeing more of it in the future.  White doesn't try to get in d4 , where the black c pawn is traded for the white d pawn so the fireworks don't explode as soon as they do in the open sicilian.

Nigel Davies wrote Taming the Sicilian put out by Everyman Books. It advocates an early g3 line against almost all main lines of the Sicilian.

The Closed Sicilian starts with 2 Nc3, stopping the d5 break. g3 can also come about after regular lines have begun.

Ha ha! This was not a closed siciallian. It came after the exchange on d4

Is Nigel Davies not the same GM that was once quoted as saying "I always open g3 for white and g6 for black" hardly suprising he advocates a sysetem with the bishop fianchettod :)

samredway,

I play the Kan Sicilian also.  You are correct that after g3 and Bg2 white is making life difficult for black on b7.

John Emms says 6 or 7...Bb4 is good from the sequence you posted.  Do you know the book Sicilian Kan by John Emms from Everyman Chess?

I believe David Norwood is the one who always opened with g3 or ...g6.

Yeah I have looked too, and at master level perhaps it is. Im a lowly 1500 player and I play Kan every single day and never get this played at me. Mostly people can't tell the diference between the Kan and the Nadjord and try to use the same move order as white which really gets them in trouble with the nimzo style Bb4 pin which puts massive pressure on their center, or Bc5 hitting and in somelines pining their d4 knight. Its a great line with a lot of subtleties and pitfalls and people rarely play the opening perfectly at my level. And if they do it does often transpose into a kind of Nadjorf (with teh pawns at e6 and d6 rather than e5 and d6) - at least it does the way I play it with the a6 b5 wing push.

But the g3 line is not common at all at my level - short answer.

I think you are right on all counts there. I shall have to look out for that book. Was kind of interested more from whites point of view. As I say I have trouble playing the white side of siciallian and quite liked this line. I think I may give it a trial - just wondered if anyone had any pointers for me for the white side.

Hey guys. I've been using this opening religously against sicilian for the last few days and am having excellent results. I strongly recommend it as it is easy to learn. Requires little theory, especially as people dont generally know it well and is very easy to play. Time and again I have won with this sexy little kingside attack I will display in this game which I think typifies the opening: (I'm in love with it a little)

Ok so this was a live game with 15 min time control, so not so accurate in the moves, also my opponent was slightly lower rated than me being about 1500 while I am closer 1600 at this time control, but I feel that this whole attack was pretty typical of the oppening. Over and again I have played this with f4 g4 g5 etc. like a funky semi open KIA and have like I say had some nice wins. 

   Wanted to show you guys this partly to show of of course, but also in case you might feel like giving it a try.

Yes it is a really strong line for white and I love it, Errm a little update for anyone that may want to play it and I really do recommend it. Move order is important and yes I guess it is a form of closed siciallian.

This is the best move order against the d6 variations(although the above move order is fine against the e6 ones):