White does not have to go to a MB position.He can play Bc4 instead of the usual closed Sicilian K-side fianchetto. It just looks dreadful.
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e5?!
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I recommend for you to have a plan to play moves like Bc4, nd5, c3, d3, f4, and nf3 in some order. White will have an excellent position, and black's pawn on c5 doesn't accomplish much. You should be able to prepare a kingside attack with the open f-file.
Don't look for an immediate punishment.It is bad but it doesn't lose.Moves like this need patience and prove bad in the long run.Don't expect any kind of decisive advantage, playing simple is your best bet.For example:
Maybe White should transpose to a King's Gambit (3.f4!), where ...c5 is not supposed to help Black.
Example game:
Seems to be a very strong version of King's Gambit, where ...c5 is typically bad enough for Black to lose the game.
I do thing 3.f4 is good but I don't think Black's position is lost after 3.f4.
In your example Black helped white a lot.
p.s. It isn't King's Gambit with ...c5 , it's Vienna game with ...c5
pfren wrote:
Bc4, d3, f4, Nf3 gives white a very safe positional advantage.
The ...c5 and ...e5 wall has more punch if White has committed himself to either Nge2 or Nf3 before moving his f-pawn.
Fianchettoing the f1 bishop does not constitute a threat to Black's wall- the bishop is much better placed on the natural a2-g8 diagonal.
And in fact the Nf3 is exactly what I had already committed to before moving the f-pawn (3. Nf3 see above my posting on the line, the 1st 10 moves). And his position did have "more punch" indeed!
P.S. Re: your 2nd post and in particular this last: "Black can't stop f4 by white". I don't understand what you mean here. You say don't play f4 early, but now you are back to f4 and Black cannot stop. Can you explain this last to someone of little knowledge?
To Michael-G. and Kullat_Nuna: many thanks for weighing in! I am studying your remarks and moves just as I am with IM pfren. Thanks to all for taking this question of mine seriously. I do wonder though, if it isn't better to play Nf3 on move 2 rather than Nc3? It prevents 2...e5 at that point at least. Of course "who knew" that he was going to play that odd 2nd move, e5 eh?
You should probably play Bc4 and d3 before f4. There is no need to sacrifice a pawn. Also, the purpose of Nf3 is not to prevent e5, since that is a mistake after Nc3. Usually you play Nf3 if you intend to play d4 on the next move to lead to an open Sicilian. If you don't want to push the pawn to d4, then you will usually play Nc3, although there are other moves such as c3.
You can't stop e5.If he wants to play it , he will play it , even after d4, so don't worry about that.I would say that you should beg for ...e5 , not try to prevent it.
Now as pfren's personal student() I can explain you what he means by saying "Black can't stop f4 by white".
That was an answer to Kullat_Nunu who suggested a very early (3rd move) f4.A so early f4 would have a meaning if Black could do something to prevent it later but since Black can do nothing to prevent it , White has the luxury to prepare it with Bc4 and d3.So there is no reason for white to play f4 so early.
My opinion though is that you worry too much for the opening.At your rating it isn't important at all.If you don't improve your middle game understanding don't expect to be saved by the opening.
xitvono wrote:
You should probably play Bc4 and d3 before f4. There is no need to sacrifice a pawn. Also, the purpose of Nf3 is not to prevent e5, since that is a mistake after Nc3. Usually you play Nf3 if you intend to play d4 on the next move to lead to an open Sicilian. If you don't want to push the pawn to d4, then you will usually play Nc3, although there are other moves such as c3.
I trust that you talking more to the others now than me? Because you basically have already lost me! LOL. Looking at the actual game's first 10 moves as I gave above, can you tell me how I should have done differently with regard to my Knights? as they seem to be the first bone of contention.
Michael-G wrote:
You can't stop e5.If he wants to play it , he will play it , even after d4, so don't worry about that.I would say that you should beg for ...e5 , not try to prevent it.
Now as pfren's personal student() I can explain you what he means by saying "Black can't stop f4 by white".
That was an answer to Kullat_Nunu who suggested a very early (3rd move) f4.A so early f4 would have a meaning if Black could do something to prevent it later but since Black can do nothing to prevent it , White has the luxury to prepare it with Bc4 and d3.So there is no reason for white to play f4 so early.
My opinion though is that you worry too much for the opening.At your rating it isn't important at all.If you don't improve your middle game understanding don't expect to be saved by the opening.
Michael many thanks once again. You explained alot. Now I begin to see. As for the last comment (in italics above), I agree, and esp. if 3. d5 is considered maybe not a blunder but certainly the next level of mistake below. I think I should have played 3. b3 to support the light B.
It's just that I was homing in on this opening because it seemed to me as the middle game commenced, with my attendent uncomfortableness, that much of this stemmed from the opening and my quasi-mishandling of it.
Actually, in general, my middle game has really progressed well all things considered.
I would not recommend to play 3. b3 you generally want to give the bishop a chance to move back to b3 or a2 instead of trying to support it.
OKay....
I know I sound like a broken record, but I am still new to this website and I've been dealing with a "learning curve" on how to use it. I'm still not sure if there really is a search function for these forums. Before I posted this query I did go to the Chess Openings page, where Chess Openings is the default in the forum category and above that is what looks like a box to type into your search words, etc.
I typed into this search box (if that is what it is) my topic title above, i.e. 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e5 and got no relevant responses.
I also found the general search function for the whole site and typed the same two moves in and that did bring up some articles others have written on the Sicilian. My problem is that only one commentator tackled 2...e5. He called it bizarre and suggested Bc4 and left it at that.
Anyway, I'd like to get some help here if anyone will be so kind. I just played a game here where my opponent played 2...e5 and it set up a game that tied me in knots. What is the best way to deal with this opening by Black?
After he plays 2...e5 he has two pawns controlling d4, and after he plays 3...d6 he has a pawn to protect either the c or e pawn. I've looked at this position alot this evening. And I am still not sure how to break down this center position of Black. Or does White even try to break it down? Does he just "go around it" somehow? And if so, how?
Here's the line that I and my opponent had: 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bc4 Be6 5. d3 Bxc4 6. dxc4 Nc6 7. O-O Nd4 8. Nxd4 exd4 9. Nd5 Be7 10. c3 Nf6. (I suspect but don't yet know for sure that one has to be a Premium member to include in a forum question those neat little example chess boards with all the moves, yes?).
Anyway, after looking at the "book moves" on this opening I never found a 2...e5. It just isn't played. This must mean it is bad but it sure as heck wasn't for my opponent in this game!
Thanks, SP