Bird Opening – Christmas Tree Sicilian 2..e6

029 - updated 13 November 2019

Against 2..e6 I think White has to show restraint and not play 3 e4, since 3..d5 forces White to make an unpleasant choice, e5 or exd5, giving Black counterplay.

I have played both 3 e3 and 3 b3 equally, and I do not think one is better than the other. In this variation I like the Christmas Tree formation with a queenside fianchetto included. Notice c4 in the main line, this move can be critical in stopping Black’s queenside counterplay.

Good Chess! Keith