Switching to Sicilian, but which Sicilian?

And, if you play Nf6 against the Alapin, you can, if you like, remove the Smith-Mora from that list and simply make White transpose into an Alapin (1. e4 c5 2. d5 cxd4. 3. c3 Nf6). You can also learn the theory and feast on the extra pawn, but you don't have to if you're looking for ways to make make the task more manageable, at least for starting out.

I guess that, in addition to the two you added in your next post, you could add the deferred Alapin (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3), which has to be handled a bit differently from the regular version, though it's not particularly challenging.

Oh, and there's one other sharp try Najdorf players need to know about, Carlsen's 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 cxd4. 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qd2, where White's plan is to play b3 and castle long. (Of course, it depends on whether you really do play 2. ... d6 in response to 2. Nc3. If you instead play 2. ... Nc6 you don't have to worry about this, but then you can get move-ordered into a Rauzer.) (2. ... a6 is also an option.)

And, for similar reasons, the Grand Prix can be a bit tricky for Najdorf players, if they stick to their guns and answer 2. Nc3 with 2 ... d6, since Black has better responses to the Grand Prix after 2. ... Nc6 (essentially, waiting until you can play d5 in a single go) but that means allowing White to play an open Sicilian you may not want.)

There are various oddball moves as well (I saw 5. Bd3 *twice* yesterday!), but it's rarely hard to figure out ways to get a good position against them. (For instance, 5. Bd3 blocks the queen's control of the knight on e4, so you can just go Nc6 and make White spend a tempo figuring out what to do about their knight.)

Yes, but after c3 cxd4 Black's passed IQP will need to be guarded at all costs, and White can equalize with this line.

@tlay80

That's true, it's possible to condense the Alapin and Smith Morra into 1 line.

Playing for d5 can be one of black's best plans against the Grand Prix Attack. Even with d6 though, black can equalise easily without overthinking it. Nf6 or e6-Nge7 are both good.

As shown in one of my previous posts, the Dragon setup is very good against a lot of anti-Sicilians. A lot of the same dark square control/queenside counterattack plans will be incorporated.

@Ethan_Brollier

That's a very narrow, forcing line for white to achieve equality at best.

For white, this is a strategic failure. White hasn't managed to set up the Maroczy Bind they were hoping for and has failed to get an edge.

On the other hand, black's opening strategy has proved to be a massive success as they were able to play d5 and equalise, black's ultimate dream in the Sicilian.

Yes, that basic impulse makes these lines somewhat easier to make sense of. As a general rule, and with some exceptions (such as the rather toothless lines where White commits the bishop to c4 early, which can be easily met with e7-e6, or the Nf6 Alapin, where Black needs an e6 break to contest the center), a kingside fianchetto is a good solution in most anti-sicilians.

In fact, there are even some Open Sicilian lines in which, if White chooses not to play in the most principled way, then a kingside fianchetto is in order: for instance, g6 is a good answer to the 6. Bd3 variation of the Najdorf (taking advantage of the fact that Bd3 interrupts the queen's control of e4 and therefore makes no sense in the Yugoslav setup that White would otherwise like to adopt against the Dragon).

Yeah guys, I have heard enough. No Sicillian for me. I shall only play Colle, Caro, London and Pianissimo from now on. 🌛

Pianissimo is too complicated and Colle is too sharp. Better to just stick to London.

@tlay80

Yes, the Najdorf retains the option of later transposing into a Dragondorf structure, bypassing the Yugoslav Attack. It's not necessarily the best option a lot of the time but it's certainly playable and interesting.

I think the london is complicated from what I have seen on the youtube tutorials anyway, for example in this position play Nf3 but not Bf4 don't play c3 here but play c3 in this position, leave your bishop on f4 in this position but in this position retreat it back to g3.

"I can't play Sicilian because of the theory."

*Learns the London or Nakhmanson Gambit by memorising loads of theory.*

the colle and london are terrible openings for beginner-advanced levels, you are trying to win the game, not draw it

I like Agadmators quick Nf6-c5-Qb6 setup against London. Since the opponents are as incompetent as I am, its easy to either ruin their setup or create mayhem oncthe board.

Its the Colle that keeps cleaning my clock.

Been trying Leningrad Dutch so far, getting smashed. Not the openings fault though. 😁

There is nothing wrong with the Leningrad Dutch. It is a very asymmetical, double-edged opening, entirely sound, which can be used by players who like and CAN UNDERSTAND complex strategical plans. But it is defintely not an easy opening to play, and it is natural for a new player who has employed it to get lost about a reasonable plan, even in an early phase of the game.

the leningrad dutch for black deals with queenside, center, and kingside conflict. Which is very hard to deal with due to your lack in space and whites sheer amount of space on the queenside, which is why you commonly see black play a5, to claim some space on it, and you need to create counterplay so you have to attack on the kingside carefully and deal with whites queenside counterplay and his breaks

and black has a lot of knight maneuvers, hes constantly trying to make his light bishop better, pawn d5 for white is a pain in blacks positions, clamping down on d6

and one last thing, the d6 square is MAJOR weakess in blacks position

also with black you need to be able to time a ton of moves and breaks correcting

expanding on the kingside without a closed center is death for black as white will easily rip the center open even more and you will lose to whites queen and bishop pair

playing too slowly (for e5) and white will get a big center and will have a big advantage

dont know your theory and white does? well surprise! there's quite the bit of theory for both sides

I got my work cut out. But I am willing to get my hands dirty. 😁 In no time I will be smashing those system suckers. At least I started enjoying d4 games now, whether I win or lose. So its a win-win for me.

i will compare the leningrad dutch to its dutch counterpart, the  stonewall dutch

"I play Dutch to avoid system openings like the London"

London players:

What do you expect from an average London player. They are notoriously known for blundering the bishop against Englund.

London isn't just an opening. It's a way of life.