sicilian opening

Does anyone have an excellent counter to the Sicilian? I have at least two games that look almost exactly alike both with the other winning.

1.e4 c5 2.c3 is pleasant.  Fits quite nicely with the advance variation of the french defense, and may transpose. 

Why not use Game Explorer under Master Games?

I tried to do that but I can only make three moves until I have to stop because I'm not a member. And when I do 1.e5,c6 instead of 2.c3 I do 2.Nc3.

I dont understand e5 c6, doesnt make any sense.  Perhaps you mean the closed sicilian, 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3, which is a fine move, but perhaps leads to positions which aren't intuitive. 

It is absolutely imposible to know all the lines in the Sicilian (well, Super GM's do). If you are a beginner I recommend you to play some secondary line such as 1e4 c5 2.f4.

The Alapin (1e4 e5 2.c3) and the closed sicilian (that starts with 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 and doesn't play d4) are two interesting lines but you have to study more theory to learn them. Chose what you chose you'll have to know it good!

You could try the morra gambit...it's often a good choice for beginners.

The grand prix attack works too.

For someone who's played the Grand Prix: What is the basic plan for white after e4 c5 f4

If you really hate the Sicilian play 1. d4.  Not knowing your strength it makes it hard to gauge but I would recommend the Morra 1. e4 c5 2. d4....   Black can accept or decline but he can't really sidestep so that limits the areas you need to study.  If will teach you the value of initiative and tactics.  It is perfectly sound at anything below expert level and several experts like it.

ozzie_c_cobblepot wrote:

For someone who's played the Grand Prix: What is the basic plan for white after e4 c5 f4

 Actually, the more normal way of getting into the Grand Prix is via 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 and 3. f4.  Against 2. f4, black has the reasonable reply 2...d5 3. ed Nf6 and black has pretty much equalized already.

So, with the correct move order in mind (1. e4, 2. Nc3 and 3. f4) the most strategically straightforward idea for white is to trade of his f1 bishop with Bb5, play d3 and castle king side.  He will then proceed to prosecute his kingside attack with moves like Qe1 and Qg3 (or h4), followed up with f5 or e5. 

The main thing for white to avoid is resist playing a4 in response to black ...a6/...b5 ideas, so as to not open any q-side files for black to operate on.  If black chooses to chase the white knight on c3 with ...a6/...b5/...b4 plans, knight will generally go to e2 and g3, where it will participate in the kingside attack.

Although I've just started playing it, I'm generally pleased with the result as a universal system against all Sicilians.  I like it much better than the Smith-Morra and 2. c3 Sicilians, both of which allow black to play ...Nf6 (1. e4 c5 2. d4 cd 3. c3 Nf6 and 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6) which can be difficult for white to make headway against.  Not to mention both contain a myriad of theory that must be absorbed to forge them into suitable weapons.

Anyway, that's my .02

Grand Prix Attack is a lot of fun. e4 and f4 control a lot of space. It's almost as good as e4 and d4 but it leaves you more vulnerable. With Black playing c5 he is already committed to castling short and so with e4 and f4 controlling the direct space in front of the King and the Queen transfer to the h-file, the Grand Prix Attack is very formidable, but Black has some good counters.

If you want an all out brawl against the Sicilian, you can try supporting e4 with f3, and castling long. With this asymmetrical position there are sure to be fireworks indeed!

Thanks for all your advice. Next time I will just play1.d4.

Try this 1.e4 c5 2.Na3...... 

It's ugly but I've been playing with it for a few months and scoring some wins with it at club level some very good GM's have actually won games with this it's not bad.

NEVER PLAY D4! IT LOOKS UGLY]

.....

Grand Prix attack in action: Made up game between me and me

After 2.f4  d5 is a good try .To avoid this grandprix players play 2.Nc3 for which 2   Nc6 is a good reply .But GPA which was very popular in 80-90 has lost its sting now

Very often I'll create an Anti-Najdorf or Dragon attack setup, Be3, Qd2, and f3 followed by g4 and h4, regardless of what Black does. One has to be prepared for a few things like the f-kniggit chasing your dark B and ... e5. But generally it gets my opponent out of any book lines where we can fight it out.

Here's a recent game.

Xmenace,

Be3, Qd2, f3, g4, etc. is called the English attack.  Broke out in the 90's, popular as a new attack method which can be used against a couple of black systems.  Why your opponent played 5... a6 then 6...g6 I do not get.  One or the other would be fine, both is playing with fire, IMHO.

The Yugoslav is a better attack vs the Dragon.  Check the numbers out, not to mention Tal and Fischer, to name a few, used it as their anti-Dragon weapon.

As white, you can't fear any defense or opening.  If you don't mind black equalizing quickly, play the Closed, but it's very hard for White to keep it's advantage.  In the Open, White has a real ability to take the fight to Black.

I don't understand why, though. Black has a central majority so why doesn't he ever push his central pawns a little more?

the morra smith gambit is great