Originally posted by chesskid001i'm playing a game right now that opened with the alapin .. i might post it when i'm done... neither of us have really blundered in the game and i'm up a pawn.. the interesting thing is that there have already been 4 moves that took me 25 minutes to analyze. Crazy game.
That's odd. Yasser Seirawan describes it as "harmless" in his book Winning Chess Openings.
Originally posted by GinoJSo, after 9. Bc4,
1. e4 c5
The Sicilian, a very deep and often tactical opening, is the most common reply to 1. e4. Note that already there are imbalances in the pawn structure.
2. Nf3
2. Nc3 could be a Closed Sicilian or a Grand Prix Attack, or possibly an Open Sicilian.
2...d6
Black also can play 2...Nc6, 2...e6, 2...a6, 2...g6, or even 2...Nf6, but n ...[text shortened]... e, but Part 2 will focus only on 9. Bc4 lines. Come back later for the 9. O-O-O and other lines!
9...Bd7
Black’s idea is to play ...Rc8 and generate play on the queenside. 9...Nd7 is also interesting, intending the maneuver Nf6-d7-b6 and Nc6-a5, with pressure on the c4 and b3 squares.
10. O-O-O
10. h4 will transpose, unless White opts for a rare sideline without castling.
10...Rc8
10...Qa5 is also a move.
11. Bb3
White must retreat the bishop. If he does not he will lose. For example, on 11. h4 Black plays 11...Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Ng4! hitting White’s queen and both bishops. Unfortunately for White, his queen is overworked; it is the only piece guarding the bishops. After its retreat, 13. Qd2, black wins with 13...Nxe3 14. Qxe3 Rxc4 when the queen cannot recapture.
11...Ne5
The Knight is heading for c4. In the Yugoslav it is generally correct for Black to attack with pieces and not pawns, because pawn attacks tend to be too slow. It is interesting that the Yugoslav Attack is much like a pawn race, but instead of pawns racing to queen it is attacks racing to mate! Whoever’s attack gets in faster will almost definitely have an advantage, or at the least a strong initiative.
12. h4
White’s play, unlike Black’s, often comes via pawn pushes and the soon-to-be-open h-file.
12...Nc4
Black can also play 12...h5, the Soltis Variation. Oddly enough, Grandmaster Soltis’ first rated game with this line came in a game versus Dan at the Continental Intercollegiate in 1970. At one point Dan was possibly winning, but GM’s are GM’s for a reason, and Dan unfortunately lost.
13. Bxc4
Of course, otherwise White loses his dark-squared bishop.
13...Rxc4 14. h5
A pawn sac. Note that you usually should not hesitate to sacrifice a mere pawn in these types of attacking positions. Far more important than the pawn is the open h-file and the attacking chances. Often Black would not recapture so as to keep the h-file closed, but here the recapture is correct and is universally played...
14...Nxh5 15. g4 Nf6
We have finally reached the tabiya for the 9. Bc4 Yugoslav (took a while, didn’t it?). There are no fewer than 7(!) moves here for white, all of them good tries. For Dragon players like myself, this is where the book really starts. The moves leading up to this point are quite common and occur often in Dragon games. This is why the Dragon is considered such a “booky” opening; it is move 16 and we are just starting to really have main choices for both sides! Here, the moves for White are:
16. Nde2
16. Nb3
16. e5
16. Bh6
16. Nd5
16. b3
16. Kb1
and it is hardly clear which choice is “best”. Each move has it’s own unique analysis, and both sides better know what they’re doing, or the game will be over shortly (shortly as in in few moves. They may last a “long” time in a time sense, because they’re sitting there over the board trying to figure out all the variations).
Originally posted by ChessJesterIt didn't work too well for me on here - mostly some tactics, the GE doesn't show all of the games I played with it though because I have a couple wins with it...
Hmm a form of the closed sicillian, I think I just might try this line.
I hate how the GE randomly omits games...
I play the French, so when I play the Sicilian I play lines that are French-like. A few years ago (when the Sicilian was still my first response to 1.e4), I was fond of the Kalashnikov and Sveshnikov: ECO B32-33.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5! (Kalashnikov)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5! (Sveshnikov)
Originally posted by GinoJI think the Soltis is clearly the superior variation of the Dragon - that is if the Chinese Dragon (10..Rb8) isn't better than both of those.
So, after 9. Bc4,
9...Bd7
Black’s idea is to play ...Rc8 and generate play on the queenside. 9...Nd7 is also interesting, intending the maneuver Nf6-d7-b6 and Nc6-a5, with pressure on the c4 and b3 squares.
10. O-O-O
10. h4 will transpose, unless White opts for a rare sideline without castling.
10...Rc8
10...Qa5 is also a move. ...[text shortened]... me sense, because they’re sitting there over the board trying to figure out all the variations).
I just played my favourite Sicilian, infact my first! Have never been keen on it before, but I tried the Morra gambit - what a fun game. Players who play the sicilian as black want to attack you, play the Morra gambit and they have to be very careful on the defence. This already gives you the psychological edge I think.
Heres the game if you are interested - comments welcome:
1. Nf3 c5
2. d4 cxd4
3. c3 dxc3
4. Nxc3 Nc6
5. e4 d6
6. Bc4 Bg4
7. Bxf7+ Kxf7
8. Ng5+ Ke8
9. Qxg4 Nf6
10. Qe6 Nd4
11. Qf7+ Kd7
12. O-O Qa5
13. Be3 Nc2
14. Rac1 Nxe3
15. Qe6+ Ke8
16. Nf7 Qb6
17. fxe3 Rg8
18. Nd5 Nxd5
19. exd5 g6
20. Rc8+ Rxc8
21. Qxc8+ 1-0
Originally posted by tiggeronvrbInteresting way of going into a Morra game. I normally go the more usual route of 1.e4...c5 2.d4...cxd4 3.c3...dxc3 4.Nxc3 & haven't had anyone decline the gambit pawn yet.
I just played my favourite Sicilian, infact my first! Have never been keen on it before, but I tried the Morra gambit - what a fun game. Players who play the sicilian as black want to attack you, play the Morra gambit and they have to be very careful on the defence. This already gives you the psychological edge I think.
Heres the game if you are inter ...[text shortened]... 19. exd5 g6
20. Rc8+ Rxc8
21. Qxc8+ 1-0
You didn't even get to play many of the signature Morra moves before getting a decisive attack underway, such as Qe2, Rd1, e4-e5, Nb5 etc.
It's an excellent attacking game, starting with the bold (& fully justified) 7.Bxf7 - shattering the KS, preventing the opponent castling & most importantly allowing you to use your knight & queen to devastating effect.
1. Nf3...c5
2. d4...cxd4
3. c3...dxc3
4. Nxc3...Nc6
5. e4...d6
6. Bc4...Bg4
7. Bxf7+(!)...Kxf7
8. Ng5+...Ke8
9. Qxg4...Nf6
10. Qe6...Nd4
11. Qf7+...Kd7
12. O-O...Qa5
13. Be3...Nc2
14. Rac1...Nxe3
15. Qe6+(!)
Black is in terrible shape:
Sicilian Wing Gambit every time. You're naturally asking for trouble if you play it in cc against good players here, but OTB or against lower-rated opponents it's much more entertaining than any other anti-Sicilian (can't say I play the GPA much, admittedly, but most of the examples of it I see suggest it to be less inspiring than its reputation).