Ok, I need a new defense against e4, the Sicilian, thanks to some new theory of late, is now completely garbage.
Why do I say this, because of: 1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This move, that often comes at certain times early, seems to be a killer for all e6 Sicilians. I've read so many books about it, but no matter what defense I use as black, white simply gets much better development in each case and I cannot cope. I tried Na5, I tried leting the doubled pawns be, all but to lose endgame after endgame, usually from a passed white A pawn, I've tried Nge7, all but to find nowhere useful to develop by dark bishop or queen, etc. . . It's of course out of book, but following opening principles, for whatever reason, the Bb5 system is very hard to refute and gives white better development, and is a good reason to avoid Sicilians altogether IMHO, because white is simply winning from the opening.
Of course I could go back to the old d6 Sicilians, but then the other "coup de fou", Bc4, is equally annoying, and I find the e6 Sicilians defend against Bc4 better.
Which also begs the question in openings in general, what exactly do you do when they use their bishops early to threaten your knights and double up your pawns? Many players do these funky bishop attacks, and I don't know how to respond, ignore it, and my pawns are screwed, the two bishops is hardly useful because at times your doubled pawns INTERFERE with your extra bishop. Move your knight away? Again, that really does nothing but waste a move most times. Try to defend the knight with a peice? The only way to defend the knight in most openings of this fashion is to play Nge7, a very passive format.
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I guess a new defense against e4 is needed, Caro-Kann or French is what I'm leaning towards. I like the French, because it's almost impossible to go "out of book" with it, even a LAZY newbie who doesn't know a thing about the French would have trouble playing "out of book" setups. The French is mostly positional, however, the French can become tactical.
I like the Caro too, however, it's really easy for a noob to refute it and play weird stuff completely out of book. I like the main line Caros, but that white advanced variation isn't my cup of tea, and I know I'll likely be seeing that the most from chess players who are too lazy to study chess. I would play the French, but as I said, it can get very tactical, the Caro, on the otherhand, if played "correctly", is about as positional as you can get.
You must have misnotated...the solution to what you notated is a simple 4...a6. I think you meant 3...Nc6. If that is the case then you answer 4.Bb5...Nd4. Anyway, as black, it is my opinion that you will never get a perfect defense against solid white play. You must always give up something to get something...even if it means doubled pawns. And remember White ALWAYS has the lead in development. He starts first. Don't ditch your Sicilians just because someone else plays white better...remember black usually wins less than 40% of the time no matter what you use to defend...Sicilian is actually one of the better options in that regard.
Originally posted by mateuloseThat's not new theory,I've been using it for ages.Hardly ever played anything else!And it's certainly not out of book.You may need a better book.
Ok, I need a new defense against e4, the Sicilian, thanks to some new theory of late, is now completely garbage.
Why do I say this, because of: 1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This move, that often comes at certain times early, seems to be a killer for all e6 Sicili ...[text shortened]... cal, the Caro, on the otherhand, if played "correctly", is about as positional as you can get.
Originally posted by SirLoseALotPlay it on a computer, it will say "out of book" the minute you play Bb5 in this case, and yes, I did mean Nc6. Many times Bb5 comes under many different circumstances, and yes, I realize white is always better developed, but my development is so awful in this opening, it sucks, often in such games he has all his peices out while I just have two knights, and that scenario is forced. If it is not "out of book", then what is the name of the opening and how come it was hardly seen until today? Just curiousity mostly, if it's an old opening, who invented it and what's it's name, and when?
That's not new theory,I've been using it for ages.Hardly ever played anything else!And it's certainly not out of book.You may need a better book.
Anyways, I give credit where credit is due to the "opening", it's making me and other friends of mine really reconsider the legitamacy of the Sicilian. Especially if this setup is "old" as SirLose claims, I wonder if this opening was the reason why the Sicilian was hardly played in the 1800's even though Sicilian theory existed in the early 1600's.
I've been faithful to the Sicilian for nearly three decades, and the Bb5 variation does create problems. But keep your wits; white hasn't won yet. With this move, white signals a willingness to part with a bishop for a knight--just learn to win with the bishop pair, and your opponent will be looking for a new line.
Still, I would recommend the French to any Sicilian player; especially one that plays variations with e6 on move 2 or 3. I often transpose from the French into the Sicilian, and sometimes back the other way. It helps to have several responses to e4. (A few d4 openings fall into this French/Sicilian repertoire, such as the Benoni Defense.)
Originally posted by WulebgrYeah, I was thinking along those lines aswell. My Sicilian, French, Tartokower Defense, Queen's Gambit and London System would make a logical opening reperatoire. The problem with Bb5 and the bishop pair, is the bishop pair itself, is rather weak. It's blocked up behind a wall of pawns, and the doubled pawns make your light bishop useless, many times I wonder if I should gambit one of these pawns to free up my light bishop, but that's risky.
I've been faithful to the Sicilian for nearly three decades, and the Bb5 variation does create problems. But keep your wits; white hasn't won yet. With this move, white signals a willingness to part with a bishop for a knight--just learn ...[text shortened]... into this French/Sicilian repertoire, such as the Benoni Defense.)
BTW, when he trades off the knight for the bishop, I often play bxc6, thinking it's better to have more central pawns, but is that my collossal mistake and instead I should treat this like some sort of Ruy inverted and play dxc6? Giving youself an open d central file and a pawn majority on the queenside which makes endgame possibilities like a passed a pawn sound silly, this would also improve my bishops mobility somewhat. . .
Originally posted by mateulose
BTW, when he trades off the knight for the bishop, I often play bxc6, thinking it's better to have more central pawns, but is that my collossal mistake and instead I should treat this like some sort of Ruy inverted and play dxc6?
Capturing with the d-pawn seems the norm among high level players.
Enjoy this thrashing of white from the latest issue of The Week in Chess:
[Event "XLIII WJun"]
[Site "Kochin IND"]
[Date "2004.11.23"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Mishra, S."]
[Black "Braschi, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "2299"]
[BlackElo "2172"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2004.11.20"]
[Source "Mark Crowther"]
[SourceDate "2004.12.13"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Qb6 4. Nc3 e6 5. O-O Nge7 6. Re1 Nd4 7. a4 Nec6 8.
Bxc6 Qxc6 9. Nd5 Qd6 10. Ne3 Be7 11. b3 Qc6 12. Nxd4 cxd4 13. Nd5 exd5 14. exd5
Qxd5 15. Qe2 Qe6 16. Ba3 Qxe2 17. Rxe2 d6 18. Rae1 Be6 19. f4 g6 20. g4 Bh4 21.
Kf1 O-O-O 22. h3 0-1
Originally posted by mateuloseReading your rubbish on the Sicilian is always good for comic relief. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of games in the databases I use with the first 4 moves you've given. Black's best reply is 4 ..... Nge7 and you follow with a King side fianchetto if White doesn't take the Knight right away or you have the option to develop the Black Bishop at e7 if their is an immediate trade of Bishop for Knight. The databases give White a minimal advantage in winning percentage in this line, less than a 5% spread, which is better than the normal 10%+ advantage White has in most openings.
Play it on a computer, it will say "out of book" the minute you play Bb5 in this case, and yes, I did mean Nc6. Many times Bb5 comes under many different circumstances, and yes, I realize white is always better developed, but my development is so awful in this opening, it sucks, often in such games he has all his peices out while I just have two knights, ...[text shortened]... st curiousity mostly, if it's an old opening, who invented it and what's it's name, and when?
And gee, I've been playing the Najdorf for 30 years and never noticed it was completely refuted by Bc4!! Thanks for the heads up.
Originally posted by mateuloseThen you need a better program.Fritz's 'booktree' gives Bb5 as second best choice.
Play it on a computer, it will say "out of book" the minute you play Bb5 in this case, and yes, I did mean Nc6. Many times Bb5 comes under many different circumstances, and yes, I realize white is always better developed, but my development is so awful in this opening, it sucks, often in such games he has all his peices out while I just have two knights, ...[text shortened]... st curiousity mostly, if it's an old opening, who invented it and what's it's name, and when?
Btw,I misread your line,I was talking about 3....,Nc6 all along,Nf6 isn't something I'd expect to see.
Originally posted by no1marauderMaybe I just need to be elder then! Because growing up in the 1990's, were all my chess books and vedios are from, this was unheard of! It was all open Sicilian and as black you would usually expect the Yugoslav or Keres Attack, and I haven't seen one Yugoslav or Keres attack game yet on RHP! It's all been very awkward approaches to dealing with c5. Bg5, Bc4 are most common, it's like this in blitz too, to be honest, I'm tired of the kinda games these openings bring and I'm tired of seeing this in general (*yawns*), it's not my kinda style, so bye bye Sicilian.
Reading your rubbish on the Sicilian is always good for comic relief. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of games in the databases I use with the first 4 moves you've given. Black's best reply is 4 ..... Nge7 and you follow with a King side fianchetto if White doesn't take the Knight right away or you have the option to develop th ...[text shortened]... jdorf for 30 years and never noticed it was completely refuted by Bc4!! Thanks for the heads up.
Originally posted by mateuloseOn a sidenote,where you able to take a look at that book I suggested?
Maybe I just need to be elder then! Because growing up in the 1990's, were all my chess books and vedios are from, this was unheard of! It was all open Sicilian and as black you would usually expect the Yugoslav or Keres Attack, and I haven't seen one Yugoslav or Keres attack game yet on RHP! It's all been very awkward approaches to dealing with c5. Bg5 ...[text shortened]... d I'm tired of seeing this in general (*yawns*), it's not my kinda style, so bye bye Sicilian.