| From | Message |
spurtus
play-chess-online.com chess
9/22/2006
06:21:40
play online chess |  Subject: How to play the Sicilian
Message:
Being a d4 player I've never put much energy into understanding or learning the Sicilian, I've tried to play it ( in the pub) and what I recall the positions are exciting.
Of course its vast and this thread cant do it justice I suppose, but can I open up a thread here to get some tips for starting out with the Sicilian? Where do you begin?, what are the basic prinicples?, what lines should a beginner try?
I've heard of anti-sicilians (a3) and things, but surely its still played at a high level despite such things?
Spurtus.
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loreta
play-chess-online.com chess
9/22/2006
07:02:16
play online chess | Maybe, the best
Message:
To resign at the moment!?
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lucasbeauchamp
play-chess-online.com chess
9/22/2006
07:41:35
play online chess | Black aims
Message:
to trade a flank pawn for a center pawn, creating an immediate imbalance in the pawn structure. This imbalance is slightly less likely to produce a draw than a symmetrical pawn structure.
The Sicilian Defense is a counterattacking defense employed by players that want to win as black.
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spurtus
play-chess-online.com chess
9/22/2006
07:54:25
play online chess | Oh goody
Message:
I'm going to stick some serious study in on this then, to be honest the reason I have always shyed away from it as I am told it is complex...
Is there a perhaps any study material on the internet akin to 'Sicilian For Dummies'?
Thanks,
Spurtus.
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bogg
play-chess-online.com chess
9/22/2006
09:22:54
play online chess | spurtus
Message:
If you can find the book "Sacrifices in the Sicilian" by Levy that will take you far. "Tactics in the Sicilian" by Nesis will do if you can't find the older book. I'm not saying Nesis' book is weak in any way, I just like Levy's book much more.
Neither book looks at variations, they just look at thematic methods of play.
CTC (Bogg)
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greenrat777
play-chess-online.com chess
10/27/2006
17:01:43
play online chess | how to play the sicilian
Message:
i got a book called grand prix attack f4 against the sicilian .trouble is i never get around 2 reading it . anyone know if f4 on move 2 for white is a good move and if the book is worth reading .
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chuckventimiglia
play-chess-online.com chess
10/27/2006
17:20:13
play online chess | I think that 2.Nc3 is best!!!
Message:
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 then d6 3.f4 Grand Prix or 3...Nc6 Nf3 going for a Closed Sicilian.
The 2.Nc3 I call the "Improved Grand Prix" because it refutes Black from playing
2....d5 So the move order I have been using with some success is
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4
or
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3
Just my opinion!! To each his own.
Chuck
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kewms
play-chess-online.com chess
10/27/2006
19:00:59
play online chess |
Message:
The Exeter Chess Club has a good intro page on the Sicilian:
-> www.exeterchessclub.org.uk
Yes, the theory is vast. The good news is that unless you play GMs, your opponents are likely to be just as overwhelmed by it as you are. There are some super-sharp variations that you don't even want to try unless you're prepared to study (the Najdorf Poisoned Pawn and the Dragon Yugoslav Attack are two of the more infamous ones), but there are quieter alternatives in most cases.
Katherine
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greenrat777
play-chess-online.com chess
10/27/2006
23:11:43
play online chess | how to play the sicilian
Message:
thats interesting chuck . chapter 9 page 64 has f4 on the third move.the rest of the moves r the same as u like 2 play . if i move f4 on the third move then may b i can just skip thr first 63 pages of the book . there again i could go with f4 on the second move .
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ionadowman
play-chess-online.com chess
10/28/2006
01:51:11
play online chess | spurtus...
Message:
...I guess at this point you are getting a lot of scattered information, but nothing to the point. But it is true you will have to count on a widish array of responses after 1.e4 c5
e.g.
2.Nf3 - the most usual
2.f4 - the Grand Prix Attack
2.Nc3 - a "Closed Sicilian" (If you play QP openings now, the Grand Prix and other Closed Sicilians ought not to hold many terrors for you)
2.c3 - the Alapin Sicilian
2.d3 - another form of Closed Sicilian
2.d4 - leading to the Morra Gambit - a very playable line, actually
2.b4 - the Wing Gambit - very rarely played these days, but Keres once won a quick game against Winter with this.
***
The most commonly played sequence is
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 [or 2.Nc6] 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 ... where Black again has a wide choice, though this does depend on what his second move was.
If Black has played 2...d6 (which means the BQN is still on b8), then, simply, 5...Nc6 transposes (White will usually respond aggressively with 6.Bg5 or Bc4 (Fischer's favorite), or positionally with 6.Be2. There are probably other alternatives for White here.
Alternatively, Black might head into the murky realms of the Dragon Variation: 5...g6 The usual lines involve White attempting to batter down Black's K-side defences, whilst Black counterattacks on the opposite wing, where White very frequently has castled. If you like mutual attacks on opposite castled kings this is for you. Fischer thought this line was a 'gimme' for White, but things aren't so simple. I don't think the Dragon has been refuted yet, though the Porcupine Attack is very dangerous.
***
A possible line is: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 [6...Bg4 isn't really playable, yet] 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 [with a view at some point to weaken the dark squares around the Black K-side by Bh6] 8...Nc6 9.Bc4 [Yep. Hitting the f7-square. Meanwhile, Black looks to develop a Q-side minority attack and/or exploit the half-open c-file if White castles long. The BQ often lands on a5. And don't forget that long dark diagonal, a permanent asset whilst black retains his King's Bishop. If White were to play 9.0-0-0 here, 9...d5! is supposed to be good, initiating exchanges in the centre] 9...Bd7 10.h4 Ne5 11.Bb3 Rc8 12.0-0-0 Nc4! [White seems to have castled into it, and he has to give up one of his attacking Bishops. But his pawn storm looks manacing still] 13.Bxc4 Rxc4 14.h5 Nxh5 15.g4 [White has given up a pawn and opened a file for his rooks. Instead 14.g4 might have got 14...Qa5 then 15.Rfc8 in response, with a dangerous counterattack.] 15...Nf6.
w
It seems to me that both sides have chances in this position. As it happens I have played these moves once, on GK, following a Karpov-Korchnoi game. Shortly after this position, my opponent disarmed my promising-looking attack by giving up a piece for two further pawns, which led to further exchanges and the queens coming off. Soon I was struggling for a draw, Black's 3 extra pawns giving him a position very difficult to break down. Eventually I had to give up a N for P to enter a drawn R vs R+P (2P to begin with, but Black couldn't hold both).
***
I am conscious that this is a long post, and I have said a bit about one line. But I hope you do get some sort of idea what the Sicilian is about ... for both sides. However, I ought to mention before closing that if Black had played 2...Nc6, then 5...g6 is pretty much out of court on account of 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5.
***
Black doesn't have to play the Dragon, either, instead 5...a6 (the Najdorf) with the idea of 6...e5 is good and popular (At once to play 5...e5 is wrong on account of 6.Bb5+! ) White's best responses (6.Bg5 of 6.Bc4) do seem to rule out 6...e5, but Black has a good game even so. Maybe someone else will take up the story about 2...Nc6.
Cheers,
Ion
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