Open Sicilian is getting me crazy, is it really a good decision?

Hello,

Up until now with the Sicilian for white I was playing

1. e4, c5

2. Nc3, then, if Nc6, 3Bb5, if d6 Grand Prix attack (I have studied both lines with a pack of videos of Gwain jones) and I fell comfortable in both situation. And finally if 2 e6 or a6, I play Nf3 and next move will be fianchetoing on the kindside.

I felt quite comfortable with this options, although I felt at that sometimes I played for equality or very little edges. so I decided to start studying the Open Sicilian and it is getting me crazy, it is funny but there are so many endless lines, and so many kinds of Sicilian that it is extremely hard, though I am studying hard. This is my main doubt and why I have posted this.

Next year I would like to start competition at club level and I am not sure if I am taking the best strategy . I do not have a clue about my FIDE but I guess it is going to be between 1200-1400 or so. My long term objective is to achieve 1800-2000 maximum

With all the time I am devoting to the open Sicilian I could already be a “superexpert” in my pet lines, where black went to my territory and it seemed to score well too.

On the contrary, with the open sicilian studying against all the pet lines of black it seems a neverending work, (just the Najdorf is so huge…) If it worth a while I will keep doing it, , but I am not so sure, when I see the stats in the explorer I did not see such a big difference in the scores. I still have a lot to study against French, Alekhine, modern…but Open Sicilian is so time consuming that I do not get time for the others

I enjoy studying, but I do not see the end with the Open. Does it worth a while?

By the way, as white I had thought and already studying

. Dragon: English Attack

. Najdorf. Adams Attack (h3) I have seen the main variations but it seems quite difficult and a neverending study, and h3 seems to have the main result and I will probably outplay a lot of oponents

. Scheveningen: Kere´s Attack

. Clasical. Ritcher Rauzer

. Sveshnikof: Main line

. Taimanov. English Attack

. Kan. Marzochy Bind

. Hyper-Accelerated: English Attack

I know that there are other alternatives, but for the moment I have not had more time.

I am extremely grateful in advanced for your help

You should stick with the Grand Prix attack, and not study any of those openings you listed. It would be a waste of time until you're a titled player. 

I guarantee you none of your games depend on your opening choice. 

You can play 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 and depends on Black's next move to transform in several things. For example I play the open Sicilian only when Black commits 2...d6 first. With 2...d6 on the board Black goes either for a Najdorf or a Dragon, so what you need is to study two lines with a couple of sub variations each. Let's say 500 theory pages! Not big deal..

Against 2...e6 or 2...Nc6 you can stick with closed systems, since already know.

Alternatively there is a nice idea to play 1.e4 c5 2.Ne2 or 2.Be2, for example if you know your opponent plays 2...d6 Sicillians after 1.e4 c5 2.Ne2 d6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.c3! White can claim a nice space advantage.

The idea of playing 2.Be2 is to reach a Grandprix attack having the light square bishop inside your pawn chain.

Have you tried the Closed Sicilian?  After 2 Nc3 there's 3 g3 4 Bg2 and then usually 5 d3 then 6 Be3 or 6 f4 (Spassky's Variation, favored today).  It's called "closed" but with pawns on d3 e4 and optionally f4 White has grabbed lot of space on the K-side.

I've looked Chess King's GigaKing Database and, even though White has won 13, lost 9, and drew 4 in the last 26 games of the 6 Be3 variation, overall the record favors Black for both.

I explored it a little choosing among the top move choices of Stockfish8 and Houdini 2 and here's an example of a promising, aggressive line for White with Spassky's 6 f4:

Here's how Lucas Chess/Stockfish 8 evaluated the moves:

I haven't looked any deeper.

And I can't do so now: after an unbelievably small 1 cm of total snow accumulation in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area this winter, we're projected to 20-30 cm beginning tonight!  My cousins in NE Pennsylavania are supposed to get 60 cm or more.

So I'm heading to the markets to hoard food!

I don't play it myself, but Larsen and Santasiere (the original name of the Grand Prix is the Larsen-Santasiere Attack) knew more chess in their little fingers than any of us here.  The opening does win some GM games.

Xbiker,

Studying the Open Sicilian is useful simply for learning the tactical and positional patterns that are typical to it, as they can reappear in other situations as well. However, I think you are right when you assume that theory-wise it's too much of a workload for practical tournament games. Before you've reached your end goal of 1800-2000, you should stick to whatever approach you understand best against the Sicilian. And simple is good -- you can punish your opponents for their mistakes in later stages of the game.

The Grand Prix or the Closed are both still viable openings at 1800-2000 level (they are viable at ANY level, obviously) but that is the level when you might want to consider seriously studying the Open Sicilians again -- that's when you've got the "know-how" to actually utilize them as OTB tournament weapons. If your playing style is very tactically inclined, you might want to add them to your repertoire even sooner, but judging by the tone of your post, you are not yet comfortable with the Open Sicilians, and there's no need for you to be.

Regardless, picking some ideas off the Open Sicilian -lines is never a bad idea even if you won't actually incorporate 3. d4 into your repertoire.

Xbiker wrote:

Open Sicilian is getting me crazy, is it really a good decision?

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The answer is yes.  Mainly because of transpositions from one variation of the Sicilian to another at different junctures in the game.

The variation that you want to play as Black is the Najdorf Scheveningen style.  What that means is you are changing your move order in the opening in order to avoid the Keres Attack and its little brother the Perenyi.

You want to play the Sicilian in general because it challenges White for  the initiative from move one.  It is an asymmetric opening which eliminates a lot of  the drawishness of symmetric openings.  But most importantly by playing Najdorf Scheveningen style (6...e6) you establish a 2 vs. 1 pawn majority in the  center.  A pawn structure quality that for the most part is an asset during the game.  Especially in the endgame.

Just the fact that Black establishes a 2 vs, 1 pawn majority in the center (White  pawn at e4, Black pawns at d6, and e6)  is more than enough incentive to break this giant of  the opening theory into understandable pieces.  What other opening gives Black this kind of an advantage after the first 4 moves of the game (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4)

Hello, thanks a lot for your answers, I really apreciate them and help a lot.

I have deepley rethink about it, I think that the main point is that I have studied too much in a very short time, and that it was deeper than I thouhgt, and it overcame me. I was a bit anxious because I wanted to start to play tournaments and I thought I could cope with it faster

However I think I am going to stick to open sicilian, at least I want to give it a try, the reasons are:

- I know that games do not depend on the openings at my level normally are decided by tactical errors, I agree with you Cherub

- I enjoy studying chess even more than playing, so it is a kind of joy to study them, the only thing is that I have to take it easy and not to worry about short terme results, I have realized that the more openings I get to know, the more vision and concepts I get

- My inclination is pretty tactical, I love to keep the tension, and attack, that was one of the reasons I left d4, and with the closed is not that easy, the attacks seems more powerful, and I have to recognise that I do like the lines of the open

- I put my time in an opening that can last forever even if I ever getmore than 2000

- As you said there are common ideas between the differents sicilians

Thanks a lot, endeed

I do have liked a lot both systems. plan A similar to the one I had, except that when Black played d6 I was very happy to play grand prix.

Plan B, very, very good idea, I am going to give a try to the open sicilian, but I keep this idea in mind. I play Dutch as black, and Be2 has something to do with it, an the other option was just great, I keep it as a great plan B, thanks!!

PS: I am sure I will get more points whith the system, not so known and good at the same time, at least in short term, but I want to give a try to OS at least so see the plans of greatest players of chess, Fisher, Kasparov...sure I will learn something even If I go back later on

I completely agree, let`s try, with patience

I also play sicilian as black, I do like schevening ideas in general, I am more use to have my knight on C6

Xbiker wrote:  I also play sicilian as black, I do like schevening ideas in general, I am more use to have my knight on C6.

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Remember the thematic square in the Sicilian is d5.  Even the move 5...a6 indirectly defends the  square d5.  The N at c6 that you are used to, actually is better at d7 (...Nd7) where it stands in reserve defending the N on f6 that is doing its primary job of defending the  square d5.

I understand that it is a matter of a comfort zone.  But give  it some thought.  If you  decide you would like  to try it look me up.  I will share with you  some little known move orders and transpositions that might shine  a flood  light on your current understanding of the position  after ...Nc6.

I wish you tough positions and even tougher opponents. 

The problem is not really as black,  I have always played sicilian and I feel comfortable with it, but as black you only have to memorize your variation, the point is that with white that you have to memorize 9 or ten different variations and to play against people who know them as they are their pet lines. But the way it is the open sicilian...., I assume that there is much more to study as white than as black. Thank you anyway.

PS: e5 has a lot of stuff to study as well, in any case with black I have no doubts, it was only with white, now I think I have got to a conclusion

This is my opinion, and based on my personal experience, so your mileage may vary, but:

Yeah, the Najdorf and others require a ton of study and memorization of lines, but not at 1200-1400. You are pretty much never going to play a game that follows some Dragon or Najdorf line 20+ moves deep in the 1200-1400 class. And that means In that group, you are not going to get slaughtered as white or black in open Sicilian because you leave book at move 11 or whatever.  

Open Sicilian games are just plain FUN. And if you are fond of tactical possibilities as you say, you will learn to love them in time.

If you really want to learn open Sicilian, play it with both colors. And you really have to spend time studying. Kasparov, Topalov, Anand and Shirov's games are very instructive. They play both colors of the open Sicilian.

Thanks a lot, yeah, I play it on both sides, it is really fun to play against your own defense, you learn a lot. Though at the moment in an study phase

I imagine it is better Nd7, it seems logical, and I will study as well. What I like of the scheveningen structure it is that it seems a bit easier to play for me, not so neccesary exact and sharp move orders as in the Najdorf but general ideas, but in anycase I will also study the king of the sicilians, the powerful Najdorf, thanks!!

You say your goal is 2000 maximum. You can even make up your own opening moves against players 2000 and under, it doesn't really matter as long as you understand the middlegame you reach (and of course the moves have to be sensible, they can't be totally terrible). 

Only change your openings if you don't enjoy (or are doing poorly in) the middlegame positions you're reaching.

For the sicilian, I think sidelines are the way to go (and there are a lot to choose from).

But, if you do want to play main line stuff, don't worry, your 1400 rated opponents won't know very many moves deep. Books that give you theory up to move 20 and such are preparing you for masters, not 1400.

Hello, yes I am preparing a repertoire with my teacher with some solid but not so known variations, I absolutely agree, what is more important is to understand the main ideas an even more at this levels. As he also likes to play agressive I am happy for the moment, in fact I think I like all the variations of th Sicilian as black, and I am going to start enjoying it as white, I was not really happy with the closed lines however y the more I know the open one, the more I like it, that is what I needed. THANKS

Whether your pet lines or the open sicilian you should not be memorizing lines! You need to focus on improving your fundamentals like tactics and piece improvement/restriction so that in any opening you will be stronger. And that way you can keep growing stronger!