e4 c5 Nf3 b6!

My main and favorite opening to play as black is e4 c5 Nf3 b6. It is rarely played, but I believe it has very tricky plans, which may confuse white. I will show a few of my own games playing this opening, where I got a big advantage in the opening.

My most recent tournament game. I played Yevgeniy Rozenfeld (1987).

Another game where I got a great position using my opening was round 7 at World Open, against Dominique Myers (2028). Dominique is a strong attacker who is used to castling queenside and attacking on the kingside. My opening confused him!

Puzzle!

Overall, e4 c5 Nf3 b6 opening is a playable and tricky opening. Usually, black puts his pawns on a6, b6, d6, and e6, but in some cases, if white is too passive, black can bring his bishop to b4 or d6. I hope you enjoyed these games and maybe try this opening in the future!