A Bust to the Sicilian Defense - Chess Forums - Page 27

staples13 · 2018-08-27T00:56:48-07:00

In my opinion the Sicilian Defense is busted. It loses by force. The opening move of the Sicilian Defense violates just about every opening principle. It fails to develop a piece, fails to put a pawn in the center, and fails to open up a bishop for development. It allows white to immediately open up

HolographWars

Oct 25, 2018

0

#521

kindaspongey wrote:

HolographWars wrote:

Who cares about grandmaster's games when no one here is a GM? The crucial thing is that it works against Staples13's opposition.

Crucial for deciding whether or not White has a forced win after 1 e4 c5 2 c3 ?

You don't need no master games. If its a forced win 4 u then it is. For some people it's a forced win for black because "there is no remedy to d5" lol

kindaspongey

Oct 25, 2018

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#522

HolographWars wrote:

kindaspongey wrote:

HolographWars wrote:

Who cares about grandmaster's games when no one here is a GM? The crucial thing is that it works against Staples13's opposition.

Crucial for deciding whether or not White has a forced win after 1 e4 c5 2 c3 ?

You don't need no master games. If its a forced win 4 u then it is. For some people it's a forced win for black because "there is no remedy to d5" lol

"... with best play in my opinion black loses to the Alapin." - staples13

Seems to me that investigation is appropriately done by trying to look at best play.

staples13

Oct 25, 2018

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#523

Thank you to everyone who joined my Sicilian Alapin Open. I’m happy to inform you all that I have survived and advanced to round 2!

Frank604

Oct 25, 2018

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#524

Thanks for the article

Optimissed

Oct 26, 2018

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#525

pfren wrote:

staples13 έγραψε:

Black does have a slight development advantage in the game you posted. But Yeah I absolutely prefer the white pieces in the position you have posted.

Would you rather have black there?

Black has no development advantage whatsoever here.

Normally I wouldn't mind, but I think that reading and largely memorizing 616 pages of dense theory on this defence is time not well spent. Usually I'm bothered finding the tiniest of advantages against this thing as white, but so far I have nothing convincing.>>>

Which is why I play the Russian variation or, sometimes, offbeat lines that might take black out of his book. Like 4. e3 or 4. Bf4.

Optimissed

Oct 26, 2018

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#526

For those who are unaware of the inference, the Grunfeld Exchange gives white a massive presence in the centre but it's about even.

Although c3 prepares to stake a claim in the centre for white, it's also slow. Unnecessary pawn moves give both advantages and compensating disadvantages. The advantage is in space and centre control and the disadvantage is lack of development and pawns getting in the way of pieces.

In the Sicilian in general, black is prepared to allow white an advantage in both space and development. But black remains solid and controls vital squares. It's important for black to be able and willing to strike back tactically at any stage. Provided black can prepare for white's possible combinations and positional attacks, black is usually fine. The Alapin slows white's development and 2. ...Nf6 is known to be solid .... I avoid it because it's rather too theoretical and also drawish. The 2. ...e6 3. ...d5 line is rather drawish but maybe difficult to play for players of lesser ability.

All in all, the Alapin only seems like a forced win to some players because they are playing people who don't really know how to handle it even though they might be thought to be strong players. I prefer ...d5 because I think it's the best way to play for a win. Occasionally I get it wrong and come unstuck. Often I win. I quite enjoy playing against the Alapin and don't consider it particularly threatening. It just provides a different set of problems for black to consider .... one which black may not have prepared himself for properly.

staples13

Nov 4, 2018

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#527

John0137 wrote:

At the begining you tend to think the same, as the person who opened this discussion, that the sicilian defense is not a great defense, that allows white a big and comfortable development, that black lack of space and that the threats that black makes are not that much dangerous because is a minority attack and on the queen side; but as more as you master the game, and comprehend deep ideas, you notice that is not such as the case... remember that most of us are very lower rated player and dont know much how to really make and effective attack whitout blundering pieces, or getting into strategically lost positions. The sicilian defense is a complicated defense to hold and to prove advantage for lower rated people; It is an opening that for this reasons is not teach to begginners if you have those ideas maybe you need to improve in the understanding of this defense... Just my opinion

Great post. Beginners do struggle mightlily against the Alapin, since white's moves are much more natural and easy to find.

HolographWars

Nov 4, 2018

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#528

Alapin is great to defeat players sub 1000 for me

staples13

Nov 4, 2018

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#529

Here is a game from the Sicilian Alapin open. Round 1 is wrapping up and we'll be moving on to round 2 in the next few weeks I suspect.

kindaspongey

Nov 4, 2018

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#530

"... d5 and nf6 do provide much stiffer resistance than any of black's other responses. I, however, believe black is still lost even after these moves. I will post an analysis shortly." - staples13 (August 27, 2018)

littlesoldier123

Nov 4, 2018

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#531

I hereby challenge staples13 to play Sicilian Alapin vs Stockfish. As staples13 had difficulty in running Stockfish, I will run Stockfish on my PC and respond to staples13's moves. @staples13, please let me know here if you accept this challenge!

staples13

Nov 4, 2018

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#532

All right I’ll play stockfish

HolographWars

Nov 4, 2018

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#533

staples13 wrote:

Here is a game from the Sicilian Alapin open. Round 1 is wrapping up and we'll be moving on to round 2 in the next few weeks I suspect.

Qd5 immediately wins a piece. You got a bit lucky with Bc4 since your opponent did h6?

staples13

Nov 4, 2018

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#534

HolographWars wrote:

Qd5 immediately wins a piece. You got a bit lucky with Bc4 since your opponent did h6?

I didn’t even notice that. That’s a little embarrassing. Good catch

littlesoldier123

Nov 4, 2018

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#535

staples13 wrote:

All right I’ll play stockfish

OK, at depth 39, Stockfish picked 2... Nf6 (0.00) as its favorite, followed by 2... e6 (+0.12) and 2... d5 (+0.20). In fact, Stockfish believes 2... e6 and 2... d5 reaches the same position after 2... e6 3. d4 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 and 2... d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 e6 respectively, although the lines somehow diverge after move 9.

The game is now as follows:

1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6

And it's now @staples13 's turn!

staples13

Nov 4, 2018

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#536

3. e5

littlesoldier123

Nov 4, 2018

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#537

1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5

3... Nd5 is probably the only sensible move.

3... Ng8 is pointless; 3... Ne4 loses the knight after 4. d3 traps it.

littlesoldier123

Nov 4, 2018

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#538

By the way followers of this post may be interested in the following webpage which lists all of staples13's loss with Sicilian Alapin as white:

https://www.chess.com/games/archive?gameOwner=other_game&username=staples13&gameType=live&gameTypeslive%5B%5D=blitz&gameResult=lost&opponent=&opening=Sicilian+Alapin+Variation&color=white&gameTourTeam=&gameTitle=&timeSort=desc&rated=rated&startDate%5Bdate%5D=&endDate%5Bdate%5D=&fen=&ratingFrom=&ratingTo=&search=

Especially this game in which staples13 loses in merely 18 moves after the so-called "staples13 variation" of castling queen side.

https://www.chess.com/live/game/2985251287?username=staples13

staples13

Nov 4, 2018

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#539

4. d4.

Ive never seen anyone play anything other than 3. Nd5

staples13

Nov 4, 2018

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#540

Wow I have so few losses against the Alapin