HOW CAN I WIN AGAINST THE ALAPIN

I play 2 c3 always. The main thing to defend is to know the standard lines with 2 ... d5 or 2 ... Nf6.  I run into a lot of people playing standard Sicilian moves like 2 ...  e6 or 2 ... d6. If black does not follow up correctly, white can get a good game against moves like that pushing the pawns on e4 and d4 after a pawn exchange. 

I agree that unlike other Sicilain lines, it is difficult for black to play for a win right away.

I play e6 then d5.  works vs both nf3 and d4 ends up kind of like Tarrasch Defense but even better.  

What do you think of the Alapin in general? clearly it doesn't always provide the theoretical += that White is looking for, otherwise we'd see as many Alapins as open Sicilians, but in those positions with equality, are there enough imbalances for White to be able to play for a win ?

Doesn't 2. c3 give white a theoretical advance? Just not as much of an advantage as 2. Nf3.

Personally I would rather play vs open despite engines favoring it more the positions it leads too give good counterplay chances.  That being said since Sicilian is one of if not the most popular opening if you don't like it why even play 1e4 just play 1d4 I would rather play vs any 1e4 system than 1d4 as black.  Personally I like finding which lines I perform the best in.  Try closed try alapin try 1d4 and see where you play best.  I like playing for the little e3/e6 d4/d5 c4/c5 knights out first structures because I can force them in almost any opening and when your always playing the same setups and moves you are more likely to find the best moves or have seen similar postions before so you know where all your pieces go more or less in each one of them.  

According to the computer analysis 365 uses, 2.Nf3 is +0.29, 2c3 is +0.22, and 2 Nc3 is  + 0.17.

Those numbers aren’t helpful because there are a handful of transpositions into the middle game.

All that time spent on the engine you can just play chess  instead; come on, it’s the Alapin; black has a handful of ways to respond that are a hair off the evaluation bar.

I mean at the end of the day its preference all the sound openings are playable its just which ones suite how you like to play.  

I thought white got a slight advantage with sound openings, as I mentioned the computer analysis shows 3 major 2nd moves for white all result in a slight advantage.

2...e5 is interesting, as it usually keeps the position closed and prevents white from developing a big pawn center as in other 2c3 lines. However, white can blast the position wide open with 3.d4, which is theoretically good for black, but might be effective if white wants an open game and black wants a closed one. Otherwise white may eventually play d4 and f4 opening up the position.

A theoretical += says very little indeed and ultimately sound openings tend to pave a path towards equality, modulo temporary theoretical setbacks now and then. What I'd consider important in the choice of a weapon for White beyond soundness is 1) absence of drawing lines that are difficult to avoid 2) positions that leave very little room to an opponent to go wrong ( this ofc is level dependent, maybe super GMs can't go wrong on the Black side of Alapin positions, who cares if everyone else may well make mistakes )

Yes, staples....but this thread was titled as black....not as white.

Hi! Basically you just can`t. There is no refutation for the Alapin. You need to win against an opponent, not an opening. For that it is best to play positions you like and know the most, so chose the variation better suits you. And of course be trained in all aspects of the game.

Good luck!