Idea in a Sicilian game...is it a valid idea?

Hmm, the more I look at it the more interesting it is... maybe you even have full compensation but I don't think you have more, and if black is already equal then it's not a good idea.  I kind of like it though, I'd be willing to try it out in a quick tourney or in blitz :)

I think black is better because he can still castle as soon as the knight is safe. 11... Nb6 and you have to decide whether you want to defend the pawn or stop black from castling with Bb4.

11.. Nb6 12. c5 Nd5 13. Bf4 Ng6 14. Bd6 look good but orange is right, you wont have more then the compensation for the pawn thus making it drawish..

Thanks for the comments.  I couldn't find any master games with it played...which was a bit shocking.  Although black can castle I think white does get a nice open position while black is very cramped (especially) after Nb6, Na3, 0-0, Bb4, Re8, Bd6

Question: Do you higher level players frequently see an entire, or a majority of a sicilian line played in the beginning (say, move six or seven)?  I play only sicilian as black and I've never seen white play book past move four.  Corollary: As white I play e4 and rarely see sicilian (or CK).  Do many white players play sicilian as well?

I see it all the time when I play...I play e4 almost exclusively as white so the defenses I see in my games most often are:

#1: The Sicilian

#2: French

#3: Petrov

#4: Caro

I wouldn't call myself a "high level"  player (err, I'm better than my turn-based rating suggests) but yeah, in sicilians people like to throw out 10+ moves of book all the time -- that's why currently I'm moving toward the KIA against the sicilian.  I also like 2.Nc3 lines for a closed sicilian.

Although sometimes I go ahead and play the 3.d4 for an open sicilian, and I'm comfortable enough against a dragon or a scheveningen where I can get in the move g4 and play for an attack.  Some lines out of the Najdorf I don't go for attacks and so I can get uncomfortable... especially when people know so many book moves.

Ok that's a bit off topic... but yes, 10 moves in a sicilian isn't too hard if you're playing main line stuff, I see 10+ moves in sicilians more often than any other opening actually (except maybe the Ruy).

Karpov-Anderrson (1975) starts off similar

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5  but instead of 5...Nf6 he plays 5... d6

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1019693