otb sicilian thematic tournament

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Avatar of Krish30

i need help choosing a solid type of sicilian before next tuesday for a otb tourney i am looking at the paulsen variation

Avatar of king_warrior

As a black maybe you should try some surprise, I havent seen here on chess.com anyone to play B 32, Phlor variation. e4-e5/Sc3-Sc6/d4-e:d/S:d4-Dc7/...

Avatar of king_warrior

sorry I ment in post above e4- c5/Sf3-Sc6/d4-c:d/S:d4-Dc7

Avatar of BigTy

What do you usually play against 1.e4? If you give us an idea of what kind of middle game positions you like then it will help determine what sicilian would be good for you. You said "solid" in your post, but can you elaborate a bit? I wouldn't class any sicilian as solid myself, solid to me means something like the caro-kann or the petroff.

Avatar of Krish30

i mean solid like as close to the french as possible

Avatar of BigTy

Hmmm... Well the Kan or Taimanov variations would probably be your best bet then. Though they seem quite far from a french, one of the only similarities being the pawn on e6. Whatever you choose, I would suggest you stay away from the Najdorf, Sveshnikov, or Dragon. These three are the sharpest and most theoretical of the sicilians, and if you don't know precise theory in some lines, you will find yourself in the emergency room rather quickly.