I usually do the Open Variation as White (e4 c5 Nf3 Nc6 d4) or the Lasker Pelikan (e4 c5 Nf3 Nc6 d4 cxd4 Nxd4 Nf6 Nc3 e5) as Black. The KIA is a completely different opening setup with different theories behind it. The closest Sicilian variation would be the Dragon.
My elo is not much but whenever I face the Sicilian especially on Lichess I like to use the alappin which goes 1.e4, c5 2. c3 I know it's not the best variation but it's what I can manage on my own hope it helps!
The Canal Attack is also quite good as it leads to rapid development and castling swiftly (e4 c5 Nf3 d6 Bb5+).
I personally prefer the open sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 followed by 3.d4).I find it sharp and easier to play than other variations
play d4 you wont encounter the sicilian ez solution
open sicilian or alapin are both fine
KIA is hard to play for normal people like us (if you can call us people). white often wants to push pawns and sac pieces, but that is too scary.
this is cool thanks I am writing down the various recommendations and will be studying them thanks.
As sicilian player, i always struggle playing against Grand Prix attack, still cant find out how to defend, my king always got vulnerable
Open Sicilian without question, long castles if possible. I'm not turning my back on all that good fun!
As sicilian player, i always struggle playing against Grand Prix attack, still cant find out how to defend, my king always got vulnerable
I would recommend playing an early a6 against the Grand Prix. Prevent White's light-squared bishop from getting out. The light-squared bishop is a problem in the Grand Prix, when it's not traded off early or at least got out of the way. You can't play Nc3 Ne2 Ng3 with the bishop on e2. You can't block a potential discovered check from the queen on b6 with Be3, because the the bishop on e2 blocks the queen from protecting the e3-square. Etc. The light-squared bishop on e2 is just in the way for everything you want to do. It slows down White from getting a good attacking setup on the kingside. So, White needs to spend a lot of extra tempo to get a good setup. If White really wants to play the used stuff against an early a6, he'll need to play a4 in response and get the bishop to c4 early. From there it can be pushed back to a2. And that bishop isn't great on a2, White has some weaknesses on the queenside then and Black is objectively better. It still takes a little more time to start an attack than usual and White's position is worse than usual. That's still what I go for against an early a6. There are objectively better ways to approach an early a6 as White, but you won't get your typical kingside attack then, at least not early.
So, practically speaking, when you struggle with the kingside attack in the Grand Prix, IMO a6 (together with e6 and probably d6, but no g6) is the best approach or at least what I as a Grand Prix player don't want to see from Black.
Besides that you just always have to watch out for the key pawn breaks e5 and f5. You have to calculate them every single move. As long as you never allow a good e5 or f5, you're pretty safe. And then get counterplay on the queenside with your space advantage there.
Here's a Vote Chess game we played against the Grand Prix:
wow thank you so much, i'll check it out
I play the wing gambit against Nf6/e6 lines, and I playthe Be3 f3 Qd2 0-0-0 setup against the d6 lines
Alapin I will look at it some more. right now I am working with the KIA, and now the Smith Mora . Always a lot to learn about chess. I am also studying End games stuff. thanks everyone.
Read “my sixty memorable games” by Bobby Fischer, a third of the entire book is on the Sicilian and I think it’s just that you know that the Sicilian is the best opening for black so psychologically you are afraid of it. I don’t know tho cause I’m only a 1200 blitz😎😎😎
Thanks perhaps you are right it can be frustrating to play against. Thanks for the recommendation. Perhaps I should play the Sicilian that way I get a better understanding for it. thanks
I like the Grand Prix Attack. GothamChess made a video about it. I also like the Wing Gambit, Smith Morra Gambit, and the Open Sicilian.
There is also a crazy a3 sicilian.
I always play Reverse Dutch against the Sicilian as well, since I play 1. f4. Also known as the Grand Prix Attack once it's transposed. Unfortunately, my opponent usually plays the overdone and unimaginative 1 ... d5 (which I inevitably know better than my opponent does, since I play it always with white and against d4 with black), but on rare occasions, I get a transposition.
I have trouble playing against the Sicilian. Just wondering what the club members play.