brilliant!!
Main ideas for white in the Open Sicilian?
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Feb 12, 2017
0
#23
The book pawn structure chess has very good explanations on how the different sicilian pawn structures are played. I'd suggest the kingside castling variations for White. You won't have to worry about the opponent memorizing long lines of opposite castling pawn races and you can try and outplay your opponents in the middlegame.
Feb 12, 2017
0
#24
paramathma wrote:
Firstly it is a variation of quean Indian gambit, it can be gambit declined or not declined. Most of these names are invented in European chess academy only after 1950s, in reality these variation had been going on in Indian chess masters for 1000s of years. Unfortunately the Hindu kingdom was under attack from within and outside ( Islamic world). As a result the kings of India was mainly focusing on survival than actually ruling the kingdom. The school of thought in Hindu world was to live beyond dear, how ever as the attacks thrown at them brought the fear factor and they started applying the theory of chess in real battle field. Gradually kingdom shrank to smaller and smaller unit and finally collapsed during the 2 to 300 year old trade with European counter part, as the Islamic invaders and Hindu locals ongoing rivalry decreased, both power declined and European colonies choses to fill in the blank. In reality the Indian school of thought was beyond 3 dimensional they have never found any room for documenting and teaching the literature . However, I still believe playing chess is also an indication of the neuroplasticity than simply playing for defeating an opponent. The 2 dimensional academic mathematics and school system is simply repeating the knowledge over and over again , where as a true education system will help us to think beyond one dimension and two dimension is the key to success. The repetition of knowledge like a parrot can be explained the way people study scripture in modern days ( fake or bakti ( mantra thantra) . Now you can where I am taking you, this is kind of mind set that brought the superior and creative ancient Indian kingdom to a begging. The chess is not necessarily a game to kill time and have fun for lazy people. As you master the higher level you will be able to climb above the obsessive compulsive gambling mind of chess addiction . Most people are busy worshiping and praising chess game, its origin of India or worshiping top players and singing song for the masters. This kind of worshiping is a sighn of fallen intellect ( Example todays poor india and compare it with multi trillion rich India in the ancient time). Even during the 1500 the Europeans and Arabs found India supper rich and they all worshipped and sang song of richness of India. And finally we reached our supper low level of consciousness and intellect due to the fake schooling system.
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Yes this is exactly how white should play in the Open Sicilian 
Is an attempt being made to respond to people who have not posted in this thread since 2015?
Feb 12, 2017
0
#26
Ideas?
The critical squares in the Open Sicilian are all light squares, especially d5, but also c4, e6 and f5. If White can force a weakness on one of these squares, he will often have a quick, tactical win. Most sacrifices in the Open Sicilian will be on one of these squares.
Feb 12, 2017
0
#27
kindaspongey wrote:
Is an attempt being made to respond to people who have not posted in this thread since 2015?
There's no other forum I know of on the internet where threads from multiple years back are bumped as frequently as chess.com
Feb 12, 2017
0
#28
X_PLAYER_J_X wrote:
I do believe one day you will want to learn the Open Sicilian. The reason why is becuase the Open Sicilian offers white more of a chance to maintain a slight advantage/ small edge. Which when you play white you will want to try and keep that edge as long as possible.
...If you are trying to reach 1500. I have a recommendation for you which might help you achieve that goal. Once you reach 1500 and become stronger than you can tackle the Open Sicilian head on with better understanding over all.
The line I am recommending is called the Grand Prix Attack.
It can be very aggressive in attacking and it can also be very positional."
The problem with the Grand Prix Attack for players that are still weak in tactics is that you're throwing them into a very tactical situation when their game should be looking at overprotection and using basic principles to decide where to focus threats and attack like the Center Pawn Pointing Rule, Knight Outposts, and general imbalances like Silman describes in How to Reassess Your Chess.. Their games are going to be much more determined by who makes mistakes and leaves themself vulnerable to double attacks, pins, etc. they don't foresee.
Additionally, the chessgames.com database shows the Grand Prix is one of the few variations where Black wins more often than white.
So I'd look at something like the c3 (Alapin) Sicilian if you want to avoid reams of opening memorization where there are still plenty of attacking chances.
Players who are beginning out in the game usually get told to do tactics non-stop.
I think the main problem some beginners have is they don't ever get a chance to use the tactics they are doing non-stop.
In some cases, I have seen players do tactics than play lines which are pre-dominately positional.
They never really put any of their tactics to any good use.
I think having them play a tactical slug feast during a time when they are learning more and more tactics is the ideal conditions.
Reading these comments again. I must say, the feeling of the need to learn openings in detail is about where I feel like chess loses its fun for me. I mostly play for fun in the limited time I have available, though I find that chess is a wonderful way to exercise my mind and I love the game. I think I'll refocus on tactics, and the basics, and avoid thinking about openings beyond what is necessary.
@30
"the need to learn openings in detail is about where I feel like chess loses its fun for me"
++ It is no fun, but it is not efficient either. Better spend time and effort on endgames.
"avoid thinking about openings" ++ That is wise. You do not need to get into 25 moves of theory in the open Sicilian. You can play a Closed Sicilian 2 Nc3 or Alapin 2 c3 and just wing it.
I would disagree and other GMs do as well. The problem, in my mind, with approaches like the c3, rossilimo and grand prix is that the benefit and problem are the same, they give a player a reduced number of plans and therefore good move options are reduced and it becomes easier to play and thusly get a better results, for a short time. A nice clean area BUT this is also the downfall as well.
As a coach I have watched kids who are taught a 'system' approach by other coaches and while it is successful right up to about 1500 their progress drops off dramatically around this time as their opponents learn they are too dogmatic, their knowledge base too narrow and experience limited to one group of structures and plans. They feel uncomfortable about changing into the open siclian because of the immediate losses they will suffer and the discomfort they feel in finding good moves so they fall back and try to work harder on refining their system.
Its simple,,... work on your weakest area.
- The Improvement of tactics and calculation is the number one goal for all amateurs and to do that you must jump into the pit and get bloody.
Why is investing in the open siclian worthwhile? Because there are similarities fow white in them regardless of the siclian black plays plays, (other than the Sveshnikov which is its own beast) While there are minor details that change your specific moves and approach this is also important in long term learning. It teaches the player to be aware of their options and the importance of paying attention to your opponent's ideas and moves as well. You can not just whip out the first few opening moves and then start to think. The losses tend to be tactical and calculation based, one move and things implode, not this slow grind chess with += positions GMs/IMs like to torture thier opponents with. reinforcing the habits of awareness and calculation. The open siclian will teach you about tactics and calculation so its a tricky way for coaches to get you to work on this. Btw dont worry about studying more than 6-10 moves, after say 0-0, just the ideas of what your trying for will work for now.
- General principles will always lose to the concrete variations true, I stated as such. but you must have a plan first! It doesnt matter if its a bad one or good one for now, its that you had an idea and were trying to implement in the most effective manner with moves (ie calculation). A plan is based on assessment of the position and is the hardest part of chess to improve. Tactical improvement is actually the easiest and most straight forward, boring as all get out, but the easiest to understand.The idea/plan is what takes the most time to learn and practice.
- I have reached 1800+ playing plans with VERY limited knowledge of openings and taught players who have reached that level as well. I can play the open siclian as well. Do I get blow apart in some positions? sure! That happens in all sharp openings and to avoid those sharp openings because its dangerous and requires work is just a bad habit to get into.
- Also amateurs do not know as much about the open siclian or any other opening as they like to think they do. How many times have players who are booked up gone wrong right after they played their final move of prep? (see gelfand in recent tournament, who luckily drew, in a rather humorous fashion.)
- My advice to the OP stands. Work on the open siclian. Dont avoid it. There will be painful road blocks but your improvement will be faster and longer term if you do so. For those suggesing a system like the grand prix guess what? Every siclian player as a system they play against these "anti siclians" and they will generate equal frustrations for you. there is no easy solution. To solve these problems you will have to invest the same time and effort into them as any other opening so why not continue on the same path and use it to improve the areas your weak at. Yes the open siclian is broad but once you get the groove down for attacking you will be a monster. Find games by Shabalov, Shirov and a lesser known IM Emory Tate (a beast in the open siclians as white) to start with where they play someone thats say 2100-2300. look for wins under 30 moves. When you see a cool crushing win check out the setup before that. Look for moves that waste time? unnecessary maneuvers: did they move a pawn in a sharp position? Did they move a piece more than once ? sometimes it doesnt matter but often it does have a long term effect.
In response to your text in red:
The Grand Prix Attack and other lines I mentioned do not have alot of complexity and some could agrue they are alot simpler to learn than the Open Sicilian lines.
Your idea for getting people to learn is to work on there weakest area's. However, that is only 1 approach to learning.
There are other approaches. Some approaches are used in Grade Schools
( A building approach).
When a child is born they first learn how to crawl. They than learn how to walk. Eventually they learn how to run.
However, it all began with them crawling first.
When people try to learn math they start off with learning the numbers. Than they build on the number by learning to add. Than they learn to subtract. Than they learn to multiply. Than they learn to divide. etc. it keeps going and going.
As it increases the complexity increases.It builds on each other. However, it never really is the same.
Your idea that a person who learns such anti-systems progress drops off does happens to some people. The reason it happen is for the same reason some people never go above past algebra in grade school. The complexity is simply to great for them.
They fail to evolve. You have to remain flexible as a chess player. You have to continue to change. Forever improving. The people who can't do that are the ones who simply don't understand or comprehend.
An that difference is what seperates a Good chess player from a Great chess player.
An you mentioned some players can't change/leave there structure they was familar with. However, what happened to the ones who did change? They became animals on the chess board.
The reason why is simple. They played the anti-sicilian lines which are some what simple and easy. Usually these lines give black equality and in some cases some edge/initiate. The fact they was able to play the position fairly well shows there fighting skills at the chess board to be good. They are playing chess fighting for a win in an equal position and/or slightly inferior position.
Now when you take those same players and drop them into another line in which they are given an advantage + some initiate + there fighting skills = Chess Monster.
An you would be surpised some of those players play better Open Sicilians than players who have played Open Sicilians from the start.
In response to your text in green:
Yes a bad plan is better than no plan. However, if they are a beginner why not at least teach them a good plan? c3 Alapin, GPA, Rossolimo they are good plans. Very simple ones in fact.
In response to your text in blue:
Yes, That is exactly right. Players who play positions which allow black to gain equally early will have to learn how to fight. They will have to become chess warriors.
They will have to learn how to convert an equal position or inferior position into a winning one.
Like players such as Emanuel Lasker
Like players such as Jose Capablanca
Like players such as Magnus carlsen
Like players such as Anatoly Karpov
(born 1951), twelfth World Champion and superb positional player, is one of the most successful Grinders of all time. Not only did he hold the world title for 10 years, but in order to prove himself after Fischer disappeared, he played in as many tournaments as he could and amassed the most impressive win total and tournament resume of any player in history. During his prime, Karpov was famous for declining draws in worse positions, confident that he would play well enough to never lose them - all while giving his opponents ample opportunity to blow the game as they got ground down by the long game and his intense will to win!
My Chess playing style is that of a Grinder
Grinders are players with an unassuming style that can hide just how intent they are on winning. They don’t need to know opening theory to beat you. They don’t need to have an advantage to beat you. They don’t even need to have an equal position to beat you. Grinders have good positional skills, and are usually most at home in endgames. They are attuned to their opponents’ weaknesses which they use against them. On the other hand, they often know their own strengths and limitations pretty objectively, and will make good practical decisions. It’s hard to take advantage of a Grinder’s weaknesses, and you won’t have much luck getting errors out of them by applying pressure.
I am highly Positional, Aggressive, Intuitive, and Calm
Which is demonstrated in the below picture from a screenshot of the chess personality test I took.