A Bust to the Sicilian Defense

Alapin is neutralized by e6!

Black can always play differently. I’m which case he merely loses differently 

“Both 2...Nf6 and 2...d5 are fine against the Alapin, and some players may also like 2...e6 or 2...g6.“ - IM pfren (September 4, 2018)

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/a-bust-to-the-sicilian-defense?page=6

If you say so.

The Closed Sicilian allows 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3?! e5!, binding the d4-square, and Black is nominally better.

As for the Alapin, after 1. e4 c5 2. c3?! d5! 3. exd5 Qxd5, the c3-pawn takes up the square, where now a white knight from b1 can't land to drive away the queen.

Black is more than comfortable, playing Black.

Nuances, so to say, I learned all that when I reached 3100, lo-ool.

2...Nf6 is not so fine, as white has 3. e4-e5!, gaining tempo.

Why give away a free tempo?

It does that but would you say the same to Alekhines defense? The knight merely goes to something of an outpost on d5. The point is to make white push e4-e5.

"... 1.e4 c5 2.c3 ... after 2...d5 White has a small opening advantage for quite a long time, and his play is rather simple. To my mind 2...Nf6! is the most fundamental option; if White plays inaccurately Black may take over the initiative very quickly. …" - GM Evgeny Sveshnikov (2014)

True, I showed how White can get a solid advantage. Do you not remember? 

Please show more evidence than 5 blitz games @staples13

You’re in luck!! I’ve posted like 30 blitz games, a half dozen bullet games, and a classical game between Kasparov and Deep Blue

I wouldn’t know. I’m not a chess genius, just a person with an immense knowledge of the Sicilian Alapin

It feels good though. It’s nice to be able to share my knowledge

oh really. 

You know what I find interesting. After getting crushed in game 1 by Deep Blue’s Alapin, and after drawing in a previously lost position in game 3 against the Alapin Kasparov gave up in game 5 and played 1. e5 instead. Note this was in 1996 when Kasparov easily won the match, so it’s safe to say he was much stronger than Deep Blue overall, but even Kasparov had to admit by game 5 that he could not survive Deep Blue’s Alapin. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If Kasparov, the greatest Sicilian player of all time has given up hope of beating the Alapin then there’s no hope for the rest of us

Just stop arguing. The Sicilian isn’t flawed if you play correctly. Let’s just stop. If you really want to prove it, make stockfish play Sicilian against you

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1070874

"... I'm sure you want to see a master level game so here we have Deep Blue vs. Kasparov (1996). For a little historical context this was the first match between them and Kasparov annihilated Deep Blue +3 -1=2. Deep Blue's lone victory came as you might guess playing the Alapin Variation. Kasparov faced a horrible position straight out of the opening and Deep Blue wasted no time converting it. Notice that the most powerful chess player of all time got destroyed playing against a computer much weaker than him. … [After 11. a3,] White's position is better … [After 14. Ne5,] White's position is still already much better … [After 17. Bg5,] White's position is just crushing as this pin on the knight can never be broken without exposing black's king … [After 18...gxf6,] Black's king is completely exposed. From here white's win is just a matter of technique … [After 37. Rxh7+,] Kasparov resigns because Mate in 1 follows ..." - staples13 (August 27, 2018)

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/a-bust-to-the-sicilian-defense?

"... look at the Kasparov Deep Blue game I posted.Kasparov was a lifelong Sicilian player. He knew more about the Sicilian than anyone who's ever lived, and he immediately reached a position straight out of the opening that is just completely lost for black by move 17. This was in the 1996 match when Kasparov was still much stronger than Deep Blue by the way, but he still got destroyed by the Alapin against an opponent much weaker than himself." - staples13 (August 27, 2018)

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/a-bust-to-the-sicilian-defense?page=2

"... as Kasparov learned in the game against Deep Blue shown in the original post, eventually white will play Be3, at which point black has no choice but to take on d4. As I already demonstrated earlier, and as Deep Blue demonstrated to Kasparov once black takes on d4 white's superior development, spatial advantage, and piece activity in the ensuing extremely sharp IQP game ultimately wins the game." - staples13 (August 29, 2018)

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/a-bust-to-the-sicilian-defense?page=3

"... Up to [the point of 27. Qc5], the game was basically dead even. 27... d4?! (27... Qg5 28. g3 f4 29. Nd6 Qh5 30. Kg2 fxg3 31. fxg3 Qg6 32. Rc3 d4 33. Rf3 f6 34. Qf5 Qxf5 35. Rxf5 d3 36. Rd5 Ra8

White has the better pawn structure here, but the game is roughly even.) ... [With 32...Re8??,] Kasparov demonstrates that he is human. He was in a slightly worse position due to some minor inaccuracies in the few moves prior, but this is a blunder. (32... Rg5 33. Qxf7 Qxf7 34. Rxf7 Rd5 35. Kf1 Nc1

White is still better, but there is still a lot of work to do here.) 33. Nd6 Of course, even with Deep Blue being significantly weaker than today's engines, it still found these tactics (though, likely did not find the mate in 32 from here) ... 27 moves before he makes an inaccuracy that gives white any sort of advantage - and you think that refutes the opening? ..." - BobbyTalparov (August 29, 2019)

"... I disagree that Kasparov is better until move 27. His knight is put in a brutal pin on move 17 that he can never break without exposing his king and in fact his kingside paw structure does get completely destroyed on move 18. …" - staples13 (August 29, 2018)

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/a-bust-to-the-sicilian-defense?page=3

"... The game was dead even until Kasparov made a mistake on move 27.  He needed to play Qg5 to maintain the balance, and instead played d4, which gave white a strong initiative.  Then he blundered completely on move 32 (which he later admitted was partly due to fatigue and partly due to frustration that he was in a worse position of his own making).  And opening up the g-file is double-edged.  Yes, black loses part of his pawn shield; however, his king will tuck in nicely on h8 and the rook moves over to the g-file staring at white's king.  That is why 27...Qg5 was necessary (it was a mate threat). …" - BobbyTalparov

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/a-bust-to-the-sicilian-defense?page=5

wooooooooooooooooooow