most annoying counter to sicilian?
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which line in sicilian can white use to give a tough time to sicilian players? to put it in short, which line is the most annoying to face for a sicilian player?
Feb 17, 2024
0
#3
To be honest, the open Sicilian.
As an over the board expert, the open Sicilian is what caused me to quit the Sicilian permanently. The killers for me were 6.Bg5 and sacrifices with Nd5 against the Najdorf and 7.Qf3 in the Taimanov.
Alapin? Closed? Smith-Moron Gambit? Moscow? Blah! They were all a joke and easy to survive against!
a3 Sicilian for sure, the lines are crazy
The Open Sicilian 3 d4 is the most principled.
The late GM Sveshnikov was of the opinion that the Alapin 2 c3 is theoretically superior.
The late IM Basman advocated the delayed Alapin 2 Nf3, 3 c3.
World Champions Smyslov, Spassky and in 1992 even Fischer opted for the Closed Sicilian.
Caruana against Carlsen played the Rossolimo 3 Bb5 before he risked the Open Sicilian.
When I played the Sicilian, I found the Closed Sicilian and the Alapin most annoying, as I was more familiar with the Open Sicilian. A Sicilian player gets the open Sicilian in about 50% of his black games. A white player of Alapin or Closed Sicilian gets that in about 50% of his white games. So experience favors the anti-Sicilians.
Feb 24, 2024
0
#6
Alapins annoying to a lot of sicilian players, wing gambit and a3 gambits can also do well, but white can just decline the gambits and be fine
I respect that the Open Sicilian is the strongest, but I still despise the the c3 Sicilian the most. For similar reasons, I also despise the Tarrasch French.
Difficulty: The Open, Nc3 non-Closed, and Rossolimo.
Psychologically: Alapin and other "anti" Sicilians.
Open sicilian, the most theoretical and flashy lines such as the nd5 sacs in Bg5 najdorf. They will give you wins, if you study well and memorize the tricks. Otherwise play whatever you want, coz all of them are equally good.
I'd counter with Slav defence chameleon... It's gonna be closed game tho
Grand prix attack
ThrillerFan wrote:
To be honest, the open Sicilian.
As an over the board expert, the open Sicilian is what caused me to quit the Sicilian permanently. The killers for me were 6.Bg5 and sacrifices with Nd5 against the Najdorf and 7.Qf3 in the Taimanov.
Alapin? Closed? Smith-Moron Gambit? Moscow? Blah! They were all a joke and easy to survive against!
This. Learn to play the open sicilian. It is the mainline for a reason. Yes, You will have to go through some sweat and tears with it, but it will pay off. Also You will eventually discover, that quite a lot of black players are bluffing with their sicilian. They don't really know what they are doing and what they are volunteering to go into by choosig sicilian. By playing the open sicilian, You directly call that bluff in the most testing way.