Your opponent probably played 10. Ng5 to make way for f4 so h6 forcing the Knight back to f3 was a good response.
After 16. Rb6 the position is equal. The reason the computer doesn't like it is because you missed exchanging Rooks followed by playing d5 winning a piece.
I have a lot of experience playing these kinds of positions so here's a few tips:
1) Your light squared Bishop is better on b7 than on d7 as it has more influence on the center.
2) I usually like to put my Queen side Knight on d7. The reason for this is that I almost always play Bb7 Qc7 and Rc8 and if my Knight is on c6 then it's blocking all of my pieces.
3) What you usually want to achieve is the d5 pawn break. A general rule of thumb is that if Black successfully gets to play d5 in the Sicilian then they are doing well. If you can't successfully play d5 then you can try to target the e4 pawn with your Bishop, Knights and sometimes even with your Queen on b7 (after a Bc6) or with your Queen on a8. But of course it only make sense to target e4 when it isn't defended by a pawn.
4) Another common plan in many Sicilians is getting a Knight to the c4 square via either Ne5-c4, Nb6-c4 or Na5-c4 if your Knight is on c6. This wouldn't work in this game as the c4 square is covered but keep this idea in mind for future games.
Hello All,
I've been playing Sicilian for a couple years now, and I'm getting pretty good positions going into middle game. That seemed to be the case here.
https://www.chess.com/live/game/2603635057
That said, I struggle to get aggression / develop a plan if the opponent plays well. Here I have two questions.
1) Here, was h6 the wrong approach? I know this wasn't pivotal, but I'd appreciate feedback.
2) Did Rb6 loose me the game? The engine seems to think so. Candidaly, I was worried about retreating my Nf6 the same way the engine like plays out. I'd just like some practical advice.
Thank you all in advance!,
Para / Chris
Peoria, IL