I was looking at one of the OP's games for fun and found what I think was a really nice tactical opportunity:
Some attention to my awesome discovery would be nice XD
jks, have fun.
Sicilian defence - which are the best lines for black?
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Randomemory wrote:
People, please don't take this wrongly, but you probably suck, like me, at maintaining the advantage in my games. Therefore, you must go with the next primary option, in which you are trying to reach a position you find comfortable.
What is the point of memorizing theory, or studying the systems, if you lack of understanding, or experience discomfort?
The OP is well off listening to everyone's recommendations, as everyone has their opinions on what the best sicilian is, or what the best defenses are, but I totally disagree with the common thought that a certain variation is best. No, they are just different in their own ways. Simply put, you should pick one of the variations recommendation in the thread's comments, but I would ignore the reasons of picking such behind it, as most of them are based off favoritism.
Just pick what you are comfortable with.
Best answer.
Mar 3, 2013
0
#25
Anything you play best with is a good line for any opening.
By the way here's an awesome line of the sicilian with the most awesome name. It's called the Sicilian defense: Hyperaccelerated Pterodactyl, Exchange variation. It gives a pawn advantage to black.
uhohspaghettio wrote:
Blackbirdo wrote:
Randomemory wrote:
People, please don't take this wrongly, but you probably suck, like me, at maintaining the advantage in my games. Therefore, you must go with the next primary option, in which you are trying to reach a position you find comfortable.
What is the point of memorizing theory, or studying the systems, if you lack of understanding, or experience discomfort?
The OP is well off listening to everyone's recommendations, as everyone has their opinions on what the best sicilian is, or what the best defenses are, but I totally disagree with the common thought that a certain variation is best. No, they are just different in their own ways. Simply put, you should pick one of the variations recommendation in the thread's comments, but I would ignore the reasons of picking such behind it, as most of them are based off favoritism.
Just pick what you are comfortable with.
Best answer.
Learning begins at the edge of your comfort zone. If you just play what you're comfortable with you'll never get much better. Sure, we could all just play 1. e4 2. d3 and still get results in blitz, but the point of learning openings is to improve your understanding. I agree if you "lack the understanding it's pointless", that's a strawman's argument. Nobody ever mentioned anything about learning off tons of variations. If you "suck at maintaining the advantage in games", then you are just keeping it that way by refusing to learn the proper way to play the opening. I've played lots of games where I had the advantage as white build up over the game until I won.
Nice attempt at: "I know better than you all, here's some common sense" though.
Well, I think you misunderstand me. I never said you should not play something that is not comfortable. You are simply assuming that you should never play uncomfortable positions. Let me be more clear for people like you who did not understand my point:
Finding a comfortable opening system, is more important than memorizing chess opening theory at the U2200 level. This does not mean you shouldn't play "uncomfortable openings" though. Define uncomfortable actually, what do you mean exactly? Likely you got an uncomfortable position because of your lousy positional play, that is a whole seperate issue with a lack of understanding in a position.
I do not believe there is an "uncomfortable opening" though lol, its the plan and execution in the middlegame that follows that you may find uncomfortable <------THIS REQUIRES ATTENTION, not the opening few moves. When amateurs say they don't like an opening like the french because of the bad bishop, they immediately exclude all of the other positives it offers. This is not the proper way of determining your openings.
I must say though, you must know your opening well though! At least know the ideas and potential tactical ideas well.
Evidently, I struck a nerve of yours, as your childish words ("I know better than you all, here's some common sense" though") are indicative of such, I have no intention of being better than anyone, I only want to show people another potential way of approaching openings.
Think it's kind of silly to advise someone not to play a particular defense unless they're above a certain rating. I had a friend rated 1590 USCF who used to play (and win) with the Najdorf in amateur tournaments. Chances are good if you're in an OTB tournament you're playing someone of similar strength and while you may not know all the lines of a Sicilian variation, neither will your opponent.
najdorf variation
the top 3 variations are the dragon najdorf and Sveshnikov the most popular being the najdorf then the dragon the Sveshnikov i myself like the najdorf
Mar 3, 2013
0
#30
My database has 304,273 Sicilian games of which -
43,319 are Najdorfs
33,187 are Alapins
20,445 Kans (second most popular Open sicilian)
14,447 Rossolimos
13,087 Dragons (third most popular Open sicilian)
12,571 Taimanovs
12,309 Sveshnikovs
So basically Najdorf > Kan > everything else in popularity.
I usually play pretty well against the Najdorf. People forget how vulnerable their e6 pawn can be with a white bishop on b3 and white knight on d4 when they move their bishop to e7 and fianchetto their queen's bishop before castling. That leads to Bxe6, ...fxe6, Nxe6 forking the queen and unprotected g7 pawn. Black moves his queen and the white knight gets the g7 pawn (two pawns for a piece) with check and a good attack. My opponents are 1500-1600 USCF though:)
Thinking I will go back to the Sveshnikov but play 10)...f5 instead of 10)...Bg7. Maybe better to get ...f5 in when it's possible (without a lot of trouble)
Modniir wrote:
Well, if you play novosibirsk variation(bg7) you avoid some nasty surprises like:
if my memory serves correct, 12..Ra4! is best for black here.
That is pretty nasty. Do you know what the recommended line is for black in that? Hard to see anything good. Maybe 12)...Qa5+
Didn't see the ...Ra4 til now. Lot of thinking involved with that line (and probably any other after white's 12th move.) I always played 10)...Bg7 so I could expedite castling but then spent a lot of time trying to engineer the ...f5 break
Mar 4, 2013
0
#36
Aayushi_Sanghi wrote:
Some tips and Ideas for Black: (Any line you use follow these tips)
1. The main idea of the Sicilian Defence is a Queen-side attack. You should be playing moves like Qd8-c7, Ra8-c8,l a7-a6, b7-b5.
2. Leave your e-pawn on e7 in the Dragon Variation. If you move it you weaken d6 and on e5 it blocks in your Bishop on g7.
3. Don't play e7-e5 if White has already played either Bf1-c4 or Bc1-g5 Both these moves help him control d5.
4. Don't play a7-a6 in the Dragon - it's usually too slow.
5. If your opponent throws his K-side pawns forward try to play either d5 or e5.
6. Make sure you know how to play against the Anti-Sicilian lines at the end...
#4 is an incorrect statement. There's a line called "The Dragadorf" which involves ...a6 and fianchettoing the Bishop. "The New Sicilian Dragon", written I think in 2009, is an entire book on this idea.
Beginners and intermediates win with the Sicilian all the time cause their opponents are beginners or intermediates. Sicilian's played pretty often in amateur tournaments in the U.S. If the non-GMs kept losing with it, they'd switch to another opening
kikvors wrote:
I think the big three are the Taimanov, Najdorf and Sveshnikov.
But at your level that's utterly irrelevant -- those are definitely not the best lines for you.
the Taimanov?? really thats one of the more unpopular variations the top 3 are the Najdorf Kan and Dragon
dragon is for fanchedoing your bishop.
Randomemory wrote:
People, please don't take this wrongly, but you probably suck, like me, at maintaining the advantage in my games. Therefore, you must go with the next primary option, in which you are trying to reach a position you find comfortable.
What is the point of memorizing theory, or studying the systems, if you lack of understanding, or experience discomfort?
The OP is well off listening to everyone's recommendations, as everyone has their opinions on what the best sicilian is, or what the best defenses are, but I totally disagree with the common thought that a certain variation is best. No, they are just different in their own ways. Simply put, you should pick one of the variations recommendation in the thread's comments, but I would ignore the reasons of picking such behind it, as most of them are based off favoritism.
Just pick what you are comfortable with.
+1
A small opening advantage to an amateur is worthless. It's worth everything to understand the ideas of the opening and be comfortable with the positions you get. If you memorize theory as a beginner it's worth nothing.
If you avoid openings, you don't learn openings.