Open versus closed Sicilian as white

What do you do, keep it closed or open it up?

I feel like I can throw my opponent out of prep faster if I keep it closed. And I feel like if I can get my opponent out of preparation faster and my chance of winning increase because I like to play chess and the position and less theory memory because I don´t usually study theory at all.

This is from a 1700 perspective. But what do you like to do? Do you like to go for Scotch with queen side castle and super sharp game or maybe Smith Morra, gambit some pawns to get an fast development.

Here is an example game for me from today when I kept it closed.

https://www.chess.com/game/live/49469974173

I've won and lost on both sides of both open and closed Sicilians.  As white mostly I play open and closed for a change of pace.

I think it is easy assume everyone will be out of theory. Pleanty of people play flexible moves between the two systems even bellow your level. Sicilian is one of the most flexible openings that black can play. Even without specific line knowledge players can float between the set ups.

 It's a good point. Generally, if you divide ones ELO rating by 200, you will be out of book by that many moves. At that point, general understand and attention to 2 move tactics are how most go forward in the game.  I think 'prep' means knowing ELO/200 moves, a few traps and seeing but not remembering further moves (so a general belief in soundness of what one is playing). It's not that much compared to understanding where the pieces go, what the standard tactics are, where to attack & when to defend and paying attention to 2 move threats.  Bill 

It is not only about theory but also about reaching a position where they have less experience on. I think most Sicilian players are more used to the open Sicilian then the closed one.

#4
I do not believe the rule of ELO/200.
In the ongoing Candidates' Tournament at Madrid
Caruana - Duda was 24 moves of theory
Duda - Radjabov was 7 moves of theory

Me either as a rule-- but as a statistical average/rule of thumb/generality, it seems plausible to me. It's also useful as a reminder that we [those of us who are mere mortals] play people whose memories are no better than our own so dont need to memorize 20 moves of theory. And of course for super GMs it's absurd and some openings have a long chain of easily recalled forcing moves etc etc etc

Oddly, in my last OTB tourny, a USCF A-rated -player played the Marshall attack against my Ruy and forgot the main line around move 8. Next round I played vs a high 2400, tried to recall a line I was just then learning vs Scandy and got the moves transposed. So the variance is huge.

I can’t speak for others but I’ve been playing the Sicilian since 800 with continued success at the 1500-1800 bracket online and OTB.

Open or closed Sicilian, it doesn’t t bother me. I’m more than thrilled to get a playable middle game with tactical opportunities.

Open Sicilian sure: https://www.chess.com/game/live/19074986763

https://www.chess.com/game/live/46507165087

Sidelines/Closed/Anti-Sicilians fine by me:

https://www.chess.com/game/live/45368367437

https://www.chess.com/game/live/45798621045

I think you’re just siking yourself out because hardcore Sicilian players enjoy and understand concepts of imbalance and counter play regardless of what you prep up.

well since I never study theory and I have a bad memory I rather go of main lines and play into positions I simply like and can sense how to play in.

But now this thread got the focus on theory and moves of theory only.

It is not really what I intended. The thing is that most Sicilian players know open Sicilian way better then I do when I meet them as white so I go into closed one because it kinda gets less sharp and I can shuffle my pieces into an attack instead, which I like more then supercharge position with opposite castle.

Do me a favour, please skim thru my four games.

I assure you I own no chess books. I was drunk and winging it. Any Sicilian player is happy to get a Sicilian game!

Therefore prep all you want if it makes you feel my more confident or comfortable but it’s a false feeling.

Thing is closed can become open when you play the pawn break d4. If you are waiting for the thematic d4 pawn break and making sound developing moves you should be fine. Note b4 is also a pawn break to prepare d4 push for a two pawn centre for white. Of course the further you know the closed sicilian lines the better you will probably do against a black player who does not see it often. But I imagine that dissaperars the more games against it the player has to analyse and think through. Experience and learning from mistakes is a key factor in not being caught out, just like positional judgement and calculation.

#7
Point is in a strong and important super GM tournament with classical time control some follow a line 24 moves deep and some branch away on move 7.

It is no coincidence that the 24 and 21 moves of theory are B90 Open Sicilian Najdorf Variation.
The 2 games with a novelty on move 7 were B44 Open Sicilian Taimanov Variation.
So even within the Open Sicilian there are long trodden paths and early sidewalks.

I do not believe moves of theory correlate with ELO.
I know weak players who have memorised long forcing lines like the Marshall Attack.
I know IM who know almost no theory at all and who branch away as early as move 1.

Maybe we are talking about different things (and thank you for the discussion--it is interesting). Dont you think that the superGM who branches at  move 7 is following his own computer derived theory? [ie playing from memory not from OTB analysis] I have the idea that superGMs today overall rely much more on memory that previous generations. Reshevsky is famous for not remembering opening theory ( and for seeing everything 3 moves deep). It's 1 eample that doesnt prove anything, but the superGMs must be using their super computers for something?  Overall, there has to be some statistical correlation between strength and how far into the opening one goes before real thinking starts. -Bill

#14
"Dont you think that the superGM who branches at  move 7 is following his own computer derived theory?" ++ Yes, of course.

"I have the idea that superGMs today overall rely much more on memory that previous generations." ++ Yes, of course.

"the superGMs must be using their super computers for something?" ++ Yes, of course.

"there has to be some statistical correlation between strength and how far into the opening one goes before real thinking starts."
++ I doubt that. There are weak players with much opening theoretical knowledge and there are strong grandmasters with very little opening theoretical knowledge.
On average your formula is about right: the Madrid Candidates rated around 2800 play on average 13 moves of theory with a standard deviation of 4.6.

Hikaru seemed to play 25 moves from his prep today before having to really hunker down and think. I can only imagine that he must have other branches also mapped out to a similar length. That is intense. To me that would be considered a middle game position.