I've also tried d4. I didn't like it quite as much as e4.
As for anti-Sicilians, I've tried them all and like the Alapin best. It's a great opening, and there are some really informative posts above about it. I was so happy when I found the Alapin, or more specifically when I finally gave it a chance and realized how much I liked it.
@Sqod I don't think the body of literature exceeds it. And in any case, white does not have to go into anything as cutthroat as some of the Open Sicilians.
I believe you're right. My boss at the chess tutoring company told us wrong and I hadn't checked his claim before repeating it. There are more volumes of the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings on e4 ("open") openings than on d4 openings, and 365chess.com has more e4 games than d4 games in their database.
Really? No d4 openings typically get into tactics as deep as Open Sicilians? Don't tempt me. I've already been toying with the idea of adopting the Colle System, especially as a way to survive against strong computer programs.
I had the same question, I was looking over the games here, does this transpose into some Advance French sideline?
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?gamekey=Bd3Nc6Nf3Nd7c3Nf6e4c5e5d5h3d6/Bb5
I'm curious about this line 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3. After 4...Nc6 5.Bd3 d5, how does white proceed? 6.e5 Nd7 actually looks better for black. And I don't think 7.e6 works. Does white have something better than 5.Bd3 ?
Some 200 games played from here- many of them at a high level, both OTB and correspondence.
Here is an anti Sicilian which is safe as White should not get into trouble but still gives White chances for a better game. Also it is a line which Black will probably not expect or know...
I had the same question, I was looking over the games here, does this transpose into some Advance French sideline?
The normal/regular Alapin can lead to a French Advanced. If both sides chose to go down that road.
Obviously white would have to play 4.e5 for it to be an advanced. However, you get the idea of how it can go into a French Advance set up.
I personally love playing this way against the Alapin as black. I often do this method.
However, The Delayed Alapin can be very trouble-some/tricky. It would depend on blacks second move response.
@ponz
This variation is toothless, 5...Nbd7, 5...a6 and even 5...e6 leaves black with nice and solid position. Not mentioning fact that black could play 3...e6, 3...a6 or 3...Nc6. I would be much more scared of 3.d4 cd4 4.Qxd4 than this variation.
I am not saying the variation is real good but give some lines...
The line is not for 3. ... e6 3. ... a6 3. ...Nc6
4 ed is also fine for white...since i play the tarrash against the french this is what i prefer. anyway although such positions are fine from black's perspective i cannot imagine how black would consider it some sort of success to try playing the sicilian but wind up in a french.
First it does not hurt to wind up in a French if the French line is good.
But there have been many lines mentioned. It would help if you would tell us which line you refer to and give a diagram.
1. 3500 technique in the middle and endgame to exploit the miniscule edge.
2. An opponent who isn't booked up to move 35, and who can't take White out of his book at his choosing (White dictated the opening; Black will dictate the departure point).
All you do by playing best opening moves is add to the mountain of theory that must be studied, and you lose any future surprise value the lines may have. It's also very restricting to "script" the first fifteen moves only because both players are scared of thinking for themselves.
Ideally, one should be able to play perfect openings without a repertoire.
Your statement above in red is kind of narrow minded.
A perfect metaphor would be to say the following.
Ideally, one should be able to dig a hole with out having a shovel.
The point I am getting at is you are trying to re-invent the wheel so to speak. There is nothing wrong with having a repertoire. If you have the means to use the tool why wouldn't you use them?
Using a shovel doesn't mean you can't dig a hole with your hands. It is just a tool which can help you do things faster.
Why try and play out at opening from scratch when you can use a tool to help you faster?
In the Tarrasch like line above, black can play 10...bb6 instead of Bd6, keeping the bishop more active. This exploits c3 being played a bit early compared to the regular Tarrasch move order. It's still perfectly ok for white of course.
In the IQP positions ideally black would want Nf6, and black square bishop on the diagonal controlling d4. If you read what people like Korchnoi and Eingorn think are the ideal positions of the minor peices in these IQP positions are. Usually white prevents black acheiving this.
depends on your definition of "repertoire" and also "perfect player"
depends on your definition of "repertoire" and also "perfect player"
Perfect player is the one he plays as good as he does. So far, he knows noone.
I was once one of the strongest opening players in the world. Kamsky and Nakamura didn't beat me out of the opening (18-20 moves each), so I'm tested. Since returning, the computers have built my old game into their opening trees, and I'm catching up, but I'm also steering away from the best moves just to keep them secret. Why show the world my playbook when I can just go for equality in the opening and mow people down in the endgame?
My point is that a perfect player wouldn't need a repertoire.
You make no sense. Every chess player has a repertoire. Whether they are perfect or not.
I'm continuing my investigation into the statistics of alternative Sicilians. I had a hard time believing the Staunton-Cochrane Variation (2. c4) was as inherently weak as the statistics showed, so I looked at alternative 3rd moves for White other than the most popular 3rd move (3. Nc3). Per 365chess, the top four choices for White there, in diminishing order of popularity after 1. e4 c5 2. c4 Nc6, are:
(1)
Sicilian Defense, Staunton-Cochrane Variation, 3. Nc3
(2)
Sicilian Defense, Staunton-Cochrane Variation, 3. Ne2
(3)
Sicilian Defense, Staunton-Cochrane Variation, 3. Nf3
(4)
Sicilian Defense, Staunton-Cochrane Variation, 3. g3
My current assessment: The Staunton-Cochrane Sicilian is a very good choice of anti-Sicilian for White *if* White moves his king knight out before his queen knight, and strives to play an early d4, which puts him into either a drawish English opening or a winnish Maroczy Bind. The amount of tactics and therefore the amount of required memorization is very greatly reduced when compared to all other Sicilians, as well.
Sqod: That's some clever analysis! I like it.
Sqod: That's some clever analysis! I like it.
Thanks. I didn't see that Alapin's Variation or other suggested anti-Sicilians justified more analysis, although maybe the Smith-Morra Gambit, which didn't do too well statistically, might benefit from more analysis.
ive played the bg5 line of the najorf..the smith morra...the wing gambit...a strange pawn sac line in the closed sicilian recommended in some old book by daniel king...the rossolimo and polgar sicilians. of all the different stuff i have studied the alapin just feels the most comfortable to me. i actually feel like i usually do get a small advantage and its pretty stable. not the sort of thing that totally vanishes from a single microscopic innaccuracy.
Used to play 1. d4 when I was in my teens, but I could not stand the slav or any defense where Black prevents e4. I love a pawn at e4, and if possible e5! The anti-sicilians seem to be the best way to atain that goal.