A Bust to the Sicilian Defense

ok but then? If black doens't play e5, it will transpose to "normal" lines, so this gambit has no real value.

this thread helped me to understand better the alapin thanks.

but the sicilian is not busted alapin is intresting to play but is not winning

Agreed.  Players who don't like playing against the Sicilian have been searching for the "Holy Grail" answer to it for a long time; Alapin, Smith Morra, closed...etc.  If the Sicilian were inherently bustable; none of the players rated over 2400 would play it; yet they do; often.

I play e5 against 1. e4 so I dont play the Sicilian as black, so my question to Sicilian Defense players is how often do you run into the Alapin?

Over the past two months daily games; Alapin and Bowdler Attack 3 out of 15 each.  I threw in Bowdler because that is also popular

Many bad openings are popular at beginners level or low level...

Bowdler attack (where is the attack? Maybe for black?) is never seen at high level for some reasons.

Maybe playable but black should be happy facing it.

From a practical point of view, for players who don't want too much theory, Alapin and/or Smith-Morra gambit are fine (note that playing SMith Morra asks to play alapin in most cases...).

Personnally, i advocate closed sicilian because it is educational and it is a great weapon when handled well.

Grand Prix Attack is another practical weapon, but it demands some skills and needs some knowledge because move orders are tricky.

The Bowdler attack has never caused me problems; you're right, the Grand Prix Attack is more bothersome.  I'd much rather face an Alapin than a Grand Prix.

Why not?

KIA set up is not to good is black didn't commit Ng8 : for instance a set up i recommend for black in french defence against KIA :

Now imagine this when black didnt play e6, and Nf6 :

Black will be a tempo ahead, because he/she played e5 in 1 move and not 2.

But in your line, black commited with Nf6, which gives an entire different position. Black cannot play f5, and black "block" Bg7.

The lines i gave above are probably better for black, but now, we have a "normal" position : probably equal and here we go for a chess game!

This kind of set up is good for KIA/KID players, many theory avoided and white is more likely to understand the positions better than black.

Don't be mistaken, this kind of system has been played by great players, like Larsen, Smyslov, Geller...

Clearly not the most troublesome system for black, but at least u have the kind of play u want.

I crushed a pair of 2100’s today in the Alapin. You will be excited to know that I will be posting the games shortly

Alapin is trash, unless you are totally playing for an easy draw. I have games in which I crushed my opponent's Alapin. Against me, they have 20% chance of winning unless they are 2000+. And 50% chance of draw sadly. I don't like to face it as a fan of the Romantic era style. (Instant king annihilation NOW! I still sack on f7/f2 a lot even as a borderline class A player.)

2. c3 is a good alternative to the usual sicilian lines. A bust of it? Hardly. But highly playable and covered by gms on many youtube videos.

lol, the result of the last game had nothing to do with the opening, and everything to do with playing KxR  instead of NxR.

White got a big advantage in the opening though. Then white blundered a few times and then black blundered and white won

Or instead you could look at any of the two dozen games (many of which were master level ) that I posted and analyzed in depth on this thread 

I looked at the title of this forum and thought it would be a joke or farce, but after reading it, I have a different outlook on the Sicilian.  No, I do not think Black is busted, but yes, I do think the Alapin is yet one more new weapon against the Sicilian.  Thank you, Staples.  Well worth reading!

I agree. Even if the Alapin was +.3, still not enough to win by far.

Maybe what you're trying to say is that the c3 Sicilian is hard to find adequate defense against with no preparation in a blitz game, and that, when black is clueless, it gives good attacking chances to white for the sorts of cheap tactics that are hard to defend in blitz games.