Switching to Sicilian, but which Sicilian?

Dragon is awesome!

My OTB prep:

https://www.chess.com/analysis/library/47stpV3tFp?tab=analysis

Najdorf is the best.

It's the most flexible. It can be customised and adapted to each variation. Black has different setups with e5, e6, g6, depending on the situation and preference.

Against the English Attack, the most popular, well-known line is e5. Black can also transpose into a Scheveningen with e6 (this is a common option against any variation). Black can also play the Anti-English with Ng4 which can actually also give very rich, positional play.

Against the Main Line Bg5, e5 isn't playable because of a common motive of trading Bg5-Bxf6 to weaken d5. For that reason, e6 is played. From here, black can play the Traditional Line, which is simply to develop Be7-Qc7-Nbd7, or black can choose to play a sharper game with Qb6. There are some other interesting sidelines such as the Browne and Polugaevsky.

Instead of e6, black can start with Nbd7, preventing the doubled pawns while also preserving the option of e5 or g6 - the Deferred Dragondorf.

The immense flexibility and diversity of the Najdorf is really astounding. It's dynamic and aggressive. It's incredibly sound and has solidity to it. Like other d6 Sicilians, it prevents c4 - the Maroczy Bind. It really is the greatest.

Taimanov is another very good choice. It's like a Kan and often transposes but doesn't really allow the Maroczy Bind. White can play the Szen to set up a Maroczy Bind, but it's at the cost of tempi moving the knight around.

An interesting variation though.

Completely agreed! Najdorf is awesome 😎

Exactly!

To be honest 9 out of 10 people could play anything reasonable here and be completely fine. We are all patzers here, lets be real.

Also people say there are a lot of variations white can choose but all of them are interesting and allow black many good choices as well.

The Fischer-Sozin Attack is another very sharp, aggressive line.

The Amsterdam is a super unorthodox Najdorf which can offer some sharp play. Again, black has basically a trio of main choices between e5, Qc7-g6 and e6.

The Zagreb offers quieter, more positional play. The Adams Attack is great, kind of like a more aggressive Zagreb.

The Opocensky also has a really nice diversity of lines between Scheveningen and Najdorf structures. It's often considered quieter and more positional but there are also some interesting sharp lines which look totally different from a normal Opocensky.

Don’t forget Rg1 lines as well, those are super cool!

The vast amount of choices make people say that the Sicilian is not worth it to learn and too ‘complex for beginners’. But the vast amount of choices and plans both sides can go for are part of what make the opening beautiful!

Exactly. Also regardless of what white plays there are typical patterns of development. The pieces have a few places where they normally belong. It's just about considering the opponent's moves.

There are common configurations like

• e5-Be6-Be7
• e6-Be7-b5-Bb7
• e6-Be7-Bd7-Nc6
• Qc7-g6-Bg7

In these lines, black is going for a similar setup with some variation to respond to the opponent.

There are other common ideas like Qc7, Qb6, Nbd7-Nc5, Nbd7-b5-Nb6-Nc4, b5-b4, Rc8-Rxc3. Always things to look out for.

Even if opponent plays a variation which you might not know really well, there are still these kinds of typical plans and ideas to fall back on and consider (keeping in mind the opponent's moves and threats). It's not so absurdly unincomprehensible like some people make it out to be.

Personally, I would stay away from the Sicilians, especially the Najdorf. The amount of theory you will have to learn when you improve will make things tricky.

The Accelerated Dragon is a decent Sicilian. Not too much theory, lesser known, and easy to play. I would also recommend the Taimanov and the Kan. Both of them are solid yet can be aggressive depending on which variations you will choose to play. I used to play them and I had a lot of success with them.

Completely wrong, Najdorf is perfectly fine at all levels. The opponents won't know all the theory either so it evens out. It's one of the most fun and interesting defences you can play. Theory is never a burden as it's completely worth it.

Even if you make mistakes you can learn from them and it'll help you improve. If you don't start learning at some point, then you never will. That's exactly what this type of person wants. They want you to never learn it and just play what they tell you to.

Don't listen to preachy, patronising gatekeepers and Sicilian-haters like this who just want to put you down and discourage you.

And maybe don't take advice from 886 rated rapid players as they might not be particularly well qualified to provide it.

Maybe not. Then take the advice of an IM.

whiteknight

some of us can play the game of chess well and can remember more than 5 moves

unlike you who is stuck on the london/caro mindset we have escaped and strive

its obvious that samuel knows much on the najdorf sicilian, as i also know alot on the classical nimzo.

we are usually all booked in 1 variation when it comes to theory except you maybe

The debate between whether to play sidelines that your opponents are unfamiliar with, or whether to play more complicated main lines like the Najdorf is as old as time itself.

For every IM like Andras who insists everyone should play the open sicilian with both colours, there is an IM like Levy who insists that no amateur should ever touch the Sicilian.

The way I see it, a sub-2000 player who plays the Najdorf will be reaching rich positions which will teach him alot about chess in the long run, but at the same time he will have to content himself with losing game after game against his peers where it felt like he had absolutely no hope. Because time and time again he will be facing opponents on their home turf, who are playing a pet line that they specialise in.