A Bust to the Sicilian Defense

Listen to GM Daniel Naroditsky.

https://youtu.be/KwU9YZOZkQU

He actually specialises in the Alapin but admits that it's typically a very dry, equal position and allows black a lot of good opportunities for counterplay.

Personally I have no problems against the Alapin. I like playing against it because white is just being passive and not playing for an advantage. The move c3 takes away the most natural square from the knight so e4 is actually vulnerable. It also weakens the queenside so white doesn't have good prospects of castling long and playing aggressively with the pawn storm like in the Open Sicilian.

This is a super comfortable game for black.

White literally has nothing to play for. This is not even the best line against the Alapin but black's development is just super natural and is totally fine anyway.

I believe the main line there is 6.Be3, but it is still very good for black.

Yeah to be fair it was a bit of a cheapy lol. Na3 is just a common mistake from this position as in some lines it's a decent idea for white but in this case it's just losing. This line has a lot of traps like that which white can fall into.

Here’s a classic  Englund gambit game. This is my most recent game. It’s 3 minute no increment blitz like all my  other games. My opponent is one of the strongest players in the world but  even 2000+ rated players struggle against the Englund. 

And this is the very next game. A crushing victory with the Alapin. Look at this my 1940 rated opponent can’t even survive 13 moves against the Alapin. After 11 moves his poisition is hopelessly lost so he apparently decides to commit suicide sacrificing his king on move 12 

😂 One of the strongest players in the world! Congratulations! 🤣 True, you proved me wrong 🤣 Englund Gambit too strong

Yeah, the problem with the Alapin as far as I can tell is that it's far too committal to be worth playing on the second move. 2... d5 does really well but even 2... e6/Nc6 and the Alapin loses a lot of its bite (albeit not all, so it isn't the worst you can do against the Sicilian, it's just also not the best, as the last ~2000 responses to this troll post have made perfectly clear), so the obvious thing to do is to delay it in hopes that your opponent plays 2. d6 to enter the Delayed Alapin, which does incredibly well after 3... Nf6. Even then if they choose one of the options that do well against c3, you can just play a non-Alapin anti-Sicilian like the Pin, Kramnik, and Westerinen against 2... e6. Against 2... Nc6, you have four choices, the Rossolimo, Closed, Alapin, or Open. (I hate the Old Sicilian Variation, White doesn't have any good, uncommon sidelines in it, and it's a great waiting move in the Open to delay your choice of d6 or e6).

probably more due to the fact that he forgot you're not really supposed to queenside castle in the d5-Bg4 lines rather than the strength of your opening.

Literally, people will be like "opponent blundered a piece, strongest opening ever!" Lmao

Here’s another Alapin game. Opponent made a big blunder on move 1 ran into the teeth of the Alapin, and despite tenacious defense on his part could not overcome his poor opening choice

"Opponent blundered so it's a good opening"... "ran into the teeth of the Alapin" cringe

Statistically, the Alapin is as good as the Open Sicilian. The only difference is, it takes Black a little longer to equalise in the Open.

Where do you find your statistics?

STAPLES MY GUY YOU GOTTA HELP ME

Haha, after 2. Nf6 black loses after 3. e5, after 2.d5 black loses after 3. d4

Controls the d4 square just like 1...e5, but doesn't provide a clear target. Drawback is that the dsb is still blocked in. Openings are give and take.

No it isn't...

alapin 29/28 Open Sicilian 31/24

Idk where you're getting your chess education from if people are saying it's a peanut headed move. It's the most popular defence against e4 at master's level as it offers black the best winning chances compared to any other move.

You just have to look at the stats.