Open Sicilian as White - Chess Forums - Page 2

blueemu

Jun 15, 2024

0

#21

White still has a fine game after 7. ... Qb6.

If you don't like the White side of the Poisoned Pawn, you can simply answer 8. a3, no?

Nakamura vs Nepomniachtchi (2017) Moscow Grand Prix 2017 (365chess.com)

sonseungwanrv

Jun 15, 2024

0

#22

blueemu wrote:

sonseungwanrv wrote:

blueemu wrote:

Strayaningen wrote:

I'd check out the Levenfish against the Dragon...

From an OTB game of mine back in the 1980s.

Insane game

Did you check the 6. Bg5 "Murder on the h-file" game?

both

crazedrat1000

Jun 15, 2024

0

#23

Definitely check out the princ variation after 2... d6, it bypasses the dragon / najdorf theory (those lines are definitely not rare). At club level this almost always leads to a marcozy bind structure as white and the game is very favorable -

The only move that doesn't lead to a maroczy bind and an easy position is 5... e5. But here you can play Venice attack, which also scores well -

Against the classical setup the Portsmouth gambit is also rare and scores well even at high level. Otherwise the Rossolimo is probably the best option -

Against the french sicilian... alot of people play the alapin here since it does better against the french, but the alapin isn't going to surprise anyone. Some people like the Kramnik but in practice black just scores well in these lines and I don't think white has any interesting pressure. But a good option here is the Westerinen attack, and infact I think Kramnik himself has said he prefers this over his own variation -

blueemu

Jun 15, 2024

0

#24

Here's another 6. Bg5 OTB tournament game of mine, from the 1980s. It features a very rare tactic... a piece sacrifice to convert a half-pin into an absolute pin.

blueemu

Jun 15, 2024

0

#25

ibrust wrote:

Against the french sicilian...

Against the 2. ... e6 Sicilian I like the King's Indian Attack.

It often develops like this:

The King's Indian Attack (a King's Indian Defense played in reverse, with an extra move) is a sound but tactically unambitious opening, and when it is entered via 1. Nf3 (instead of via a Sicilian) Black's three most popular counter-set-ups are:

1) Fianchetto his own King's Bishop with g6 and Bg7.

or 2) Play Bg4 and trade it for the Nf3.

or 3) Play a quick d5 and e5 to grab the center.

Note that after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3! (followed by Nbd2, g3, Bg2, 0-0 etc) Black has already handicapped himself if he wants to use ANY of the three most popular plans!

If he wants to use plan #1 (fianchetto his own g7 Bishop) then he will have weak squares around his King since he has played e6 and also g6.

Illustrative game:

Black can't use plan #2 (play Bg4) because he has already played e6. And using plan #3 (play d5 and e5) loses a tempo because he has already played e6.

sonseungwanrv

Jun 16, 2024

0

#26

I just found out this line against the rauzer.

This is the main line, white got some dubious development.

crazedrat1000

Jun 16, 2024

0

#27

blueemu wrote:

ibrust wrote:

Against the french sicilian...

Against the 2. ... e6 Sicilian I like the King's Indian Attack.

Cool line. It seemed to me that black should have pushed e5 earlier. Which would have still been a loss of tempo, which is nice

blueemu

Jun 16, 2024

0

#28

ibrust wrote:

blueemu wrote:

ibrust wrote:

Against the french sicilian...

Against the 2. ... e6 Sicilian I like the King's Indian Attack.

Cool line. It seemed to me that black should have pushed e5 earlier. Which would have still been a loss of tempo, which is nice

Yes... one point is that by playing this reversed King's Indian line, Black is automatically down one tempo (compared to a "normal" King's Indian), and if he wants to play a line that actually tests White's opening, he must lose ANOTHER tempo by pushing his e-Pawn a second time.

HisGregcellence

Jun 16, 2024

0

#29

Try the macroczy bind against most lines

sonseungwanrv

Feb 25, 2025

0

#30

HisGregcellence wrote:

Try the macroczy bind against most lines

I find it very difficult to play those positions.