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      Classical sicilian reddit. The Closed Sicilian doesn't usually move order you.



      • Classical sicilian reddit You can play a Classical Dragon or e5 against Be2. Does it break any major chess principles? No. After 6. Nc3 French, is by far the best choice. Edit - I have shortlisted these 3 variations najdorf dragon classical Sicilian (kozul suicide variation in particular) Please give pro and cons of… Skip to main content Open menu Open navigation Go to Reddit Home I've played the Classical Sicilian for years, with great results. The Classical Sicilian is played a lot and has a good reputation. I like the Classical since you can't get move ordered into any unfavorable Anti-Sicilian and there is only one really critical line in the Open Sicilian (Richter-Rauzer). the Najdorf. The Classical goes 1. 9. There are two things you really have to know after that: 6. For instance, the Scheveningen Sicilian is now called the "pin variation. I play the Classical Sicilian. I bought Shankland's classical sicilian course which covers the closed sicilian but haven't delved into it yet. With a d6 Sicilian, you need to study the Canal/Moscow. As for the anti-Sicilian lines, I suggest the Nf6 line against the Alapin because you can also use it against the Smith-Morra (declining the gambit), so you don't have to study both. If you want to go open exclusively then it is Sethu's LTR. In rossolimo I'm thinking about the line 3 d6 and for moscow, 3 Nc6 since they lead to same position. What's your go-to Sicilian if white plays normal stuff? Perhaps the best attempt is playing something similar to your usual stuff. e4 e5 (as I would recommend), look into Classical or Dragon (no, not the Accelerated). Imbalanced middlegames. You can play Qb6 against the Sozin. Just beware that both are very complex, theoretical and quite different from each other. The best Sicilian for beginners as white is the Alapin Sicilian as white (it is the c3 counter to the Sicilian and generally goes: 1)e4-c5; 2) c3-XX. Hi, I have a bit of a dilemma. Fischer owed in Sozin's footsteps and played it against the classical Sicilian and ALSO 6. g4. The title. I don't have any repertoire considerations, I accept the gambit in the Morra and the Delayed Alapin lines are quite separate, so I'm happy to play anything. Aug 4, 2022 · the Classical Sicilian seems to fly a bit under the radar despite being really good and having like half the theory of the Najdorf. yeah. They can use a different combination of those moves and/or throw in stuff like Nc3, c3, and/or Bb5 if they want. But be prepared to learn a lot of theory or simply lose to people who do know it. e4 − Part 2" for white and Shankland's Classical Sicilian for black. -Santos's Open Sicilian pt. e4, going into Ruy or Italian, Open Sicilian, Advance or 3. If you have time to spend on chess, don't waste it on Najdorf theory. d4, cxd4 4. They have pretty similar structures with the Black bishop developed to E3, Queen to D2, pawn chain on E4 and f3, 0-0-0, and getting ready to attack with a pawn storm on the black kingside. You also see the English and the Reti quite often. -Saric's Breyer and Open Sicilian are very good, condensed, one-off courses that won't have you waiting for years for a second part. However, it's rarely mentioned on what Sicilian does Tal himself use. e4 e5 2. Nb5 a6! 6. Nxd4 e5 5. That's interesting, I never heard anyone until now cast doubt that 5. Now obviously g6 on the second move allows white to transpose into Nf3 d4 lines. People just don't seem to talk about it much (it often gets named after the white attacks instead - like, the Fisher-Sozin and Richter-Rauzer). I have been playing the Dragon for quite some time but I have gotten tired of it lately, and wish to learn a new opening. The Classical still seems like is a perfectly reasonable choice to me, especially if you're new to the Sicilian. Vs open Sicilian your pieces are usually developed in the same sort of way (a6, b5, bb7, qc7, nf6, nc6/nd7, be7/bc5, O-O). Danya once said that you should pick something that fits your repertoire against 2. k. And yet there are authors like Jones and Warmerdam who keep playing their lines even if they’re slightly more suspicious than the Classical Sicilian, that particular Qxd4 line is really harmless. The classical and four knights aren't particularly common or difficult to deal with so that's fine. f3) with a lot of theory, but overall it's not bad. I recall reading something like that on wikipedia once, can't find it now though. Especially strong since they're written by a great author who really explains it well. Classical is a good choice as the only super critical line is the Rauzer, which reduces the workload. 0-0-0 line made the Dragon essentially unplayable for me. Nf3 d6 3. Edit: further clarification is that there is no clear issue with the Taimanov, and its lack of popularity doesn't seem to make sense considering that. Punishing bc4 with e6 d5, punishing c3 anti Sicilian with nf6, punishing Grand Prix attack (e4 c5 f4) with immediate d5. (Dragon classical Najdorf) I’m a 1500 USCF, ~1900 chess. All about the game of chess, including discussions on professional tournaments, game… 1-You never give up your fianchetto bishop willingly. After d4: QGD, Nimzo-Indian, Slav and Semi-Slav, Catalan, Grünfeld, QGA. d4 cxd4 3. e4 I usually play d5, Scandinavian defense, 'cause it's solid against withe's plans. But I also frequently instead transpose into the classical Sicilian with 5d6 instead of 5e5 because I know them both. Nxd4 Nf6 5… Kind of, sort of. Nc3). For example, you can get a full repertoire from the short and sweet courses for 1. I went through his amazing book "The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal" where I noticed that similarly to Kasparov, he tends to play If you want to play the Sicilian and not 1. In some ways it feels like an improved version of 5. I would be interested especially if practicing with someone in the range 1800-2200 FIDE/USCF (2100-2450 online, roughly) I am studying Kalashnikov and so far I've got almost no occasion to practice but some rapid and blitz games on the two main websites (Lichess and chess dot com). I am not prepared to switch to a different sicilian, since RR is rare enough here and I really like the flexibility classical offers me against other white tries. g. I made all of these transitions as I was facing annoying lines and changing opening within sicilian was a good way to go about negating them. This is part of this week's series on Open Sicilian with 2Nc6 (1. Recently, I have been having success with the English attack vs the Najdorf and the Yugoslav vs the Dragon. If you prefer Anti Sicilians then So's LTR is for you. Recently I've been trying to improve my positional chess by studying a number of positional books. (Yes, even the french and caro kann!) The Evans gambit is solid dude. Now is 2. The smorgasbord of favorable endgames starting in 9. ), even more so if they play the c4 line. If they take, then c3, after which they have a choice of moving the bishop back to c5, then you play d4 and trade EVERYTHING and end up winning your pawn back and with your queen on d4or they move the bishop to a5, in which case you just leave your knight on b1 and the bishop just Other ideas could be the Classical Sicilian where you transpose to a Dragon if white can't transpose to the Yugoslav Attack. Does it create unique and interesting positions? Yes. I would trust an active coach that is also an IM more than Reddit. . Black needs to know what he is doing in the mainline 9. So if you play f5 right away you can't take back with the bishop, you have to take back with the pawn and now the f pawns are doubled and isolated and the e file is open and your king is on the e file and oh God the hurting! If you want only one, then it would be "Lifetime Repertoires: Gajewski's 1. com. The most notable examples would be the Accelerated Dragon, the Kan and the Sveshnikov. 6e5, the Boleslavsky Variation, is the main move, giving a Najdorf-like center, but 6e6 (the original Scheveningen) and 6g6 (the original Dragon) are also topical and general transpose to their modern counterparts. into hyper into e6-d5 into najdorf. The Classical Sicilian is my main defense and I find it to be extremely practical, it’s theoretically sound and at 2000 lichess and 1200-2000 FIDE no one knows how to play 6. Sozin played Bc4 against the classical Sicilian (the diagrammed position, with Nc6, not a6) before Fischer came along and long before the Najdorf. Chess Reddit is known for beginners giving advice to other beginners. e4 c5 2. I'm 2000 rapid/1750 blitz on chesscom, I'm transitioning from the Caro-Kann to the Classical Sicilian, this is a position that arose out of a Delayed Alapin move order where my opponent declined to play d4 and played a little passively. For quiet some time now I have been playing the sveshnikov sicilian and althought I don't hate it or anything, I have a few problems; too theoretical - pretty self-explanatory, even though I'm 2400 I'm no theoretician (obviously I know a lot about it but not extremely deeply) In the Rauzer the pawn is on e6, not e5. I have problems with the Bg5 lines too, I still find it the only real try for white for an advantage. Bg5… I have only lost once with the Sicilian in a classical time control and that can’t be a coincidence I also play the Nimzo-Indian against d4, and I personally love the Sveshnikov Sicilian. Classical is still a more stable indicator of ratings than rapid and blitz, as except the absolute top level, in all other levels classical play is much more prevalent than rapid and blitz. Against the Kan and both Accelerated and Hyperaccelerated Dragons I recommend a Maroczy-Bind structure where pawns on c4 and e4 try to cramp black by denying the d5 break. I am having a hard time finding it though. I am also a catalan and semi slav player in the 2000-2100 range and I find the classical scilian to be absouley amazing. Nf3, (d6, e6, g6, or Nc6) 3. d4 cxd4 4. I think a general recommendation is to start with the classical Sicilian and try out Sam Shanklands free chessable course. This makes it easier to pick up than e. I'm 2000 rapid on chesscom. The main argument against the pure Schev move order is the keres attack with 6. Please turn off your phone… This is part of this week's series on Open Sicilian with 2Nc6 (1. Nxd4. Bc4 (Yugoslav System) and 9. Your knight on c6 might be missplaced, if white knows what he is doing - which he most likely is not. And you're opening yourself up to all of the anti-Sicilians as well. I think the Classical Dragon is a pretty good gateway drug. The maroczy bind is easy to learn and extremely effective against most variations of the Sicilian (especially against the dragon!), you just have to learn a few lines for when your opponents don’t play into it (eg. 839K subscribers in the chess community. Which is great if you decide later on you want to switch which variation you play then you have experience in all these different pawn formations. I play the sicilian against e4 (and if allowed, the najdorf), and whilst I'm doing okay with it I feel as though I am not getting the opportunity to practice the positional ideas I learnt -- most of those games are tactical in nature and a race to checkmate the other. You're right that Sicilian affords black a lot more flexibility, but it's not exactly a "counter" to e4. Without knowing much more, and if you don't want to spend too much time studying the theory, you can go for the Smith-Morra declined, push variation: 1. Right now I prefer the sicilian, in particular the classical sicilian. I am in the midst of learning the Classical Sicilian and am figuring out how I want to deal with the sidelines. a. edit: just found this about the Perenyi attack: "An example is the Perenyi Attack of the Sicilian Defense (see diagram), which yields an immensely complicated and tactical position that even strong players have difficulty handling, and that is beyond the comprehension of most amateurs. e4 e5 is similarly the clear best option for learning the game, but Classical Sicilian is also a decent option. …d6 to try and hold onto the Najdorf structure advisable, or should I study the traditional closed Sicilian lines with Nc6? Because if Nc6 then it kind of allows white to transpose into the classical sicilian which is more to study than I had planned… Sicilian Dragon is hard to beat for sharpness. Hi, I'm a classical sicilian user and sometimes I play 2 Nc6 order to get into the classical sicilian. It's not hard to learn and catches many people off guard. It follows opening principles and I understand the moves. Paulsen. f3 or 6. The ideas are the same: gain a tempo on the Bishop, punish a lack of Nc3, force an early e5. Classical Sicilian would be much better for you if you insist on playing a Sicilian, but 1. Nf3 Nc6 3. Black is ahead in development, and space is equal. d4 themes, and the most principled way to play. * Share fav pieces from composers such as: *Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Schubert, Schumann, etc. Tal is known to enjoy playing the Sicilian with both colours. I’m a Petroff player, but I think you have to have a certain temperament for the Sicilian. Is it worth it to learn the classical sicilian instead of the najdorf? GM molton rated the classical sicilian in his video about sicilians as a top tier together with najdorf, scheveningen and Sveshnikov. The Classical Sicilian seems more principled than the Sveshnikov, and it also avoids the annoying Moscow variation that can happen if you try to go for the Najdorf. true. c3 d3. I think it's a great first Sicilian. I encounter a lot of rossolimo attack, a few moscow variation. Can't say much about the Taimanov though. 2- you wasted time in the opening and early middle game, moving the queen twice moving the knight twice losing valuable tempi on an a opposite side castles games. Against 2. e4, c5 2. Ben Finegold has a couple lectures on the Classical Sicilian on YouTube. White might know a few basics lines but then will be out of book quickly. The more aggressive players seem to favor d6 but I only found like 8 variations in Giri's Najdorf course on it. Whether you're a musician, a newbie, a composer or a listener, welcome. I am looking to closely study the Sicilian and I’m open to any of the variations that extend from 2…d6. Similar in style to the Pirc Austrian Attack is perhaps the Sicilian Dragon (the Classical and Levenfish systems). All openings are sound and can be solid or dynamic depending on what variations you choose to play. Lately I've enjoyed using the Chessable free courses for openings and there are quite a few for various Sicilians including the dragon, the classical, the Najdorf and the 4 knights among others. The beauty of the classical too is you haven't ruled out transposing to a dragon and you often can play a dragon anyways if white doesn't play a Yugoslav attack. It's difficult to suggest something that's both "solid" and "sharp". Nf3 Nc3 3. A chess study by skywardbound. You remain flexible with you pawn formation and can often play g6 in the style of a dragon, e5 in the style of the najdorf/sveshnikov, or e6 in the style of the scheveningen. The loewenthal sicilian is by far the easiest Against the open sicilian. I've experimented with all the big four (e5,c5,e6,c6) over the board and online (around 1900-2000 OTB rating). I'm new to the Classical and didn't check much yet, but I enjoyed is explanations and choices of lines. Classical Sicilian. I'm looking to improve my understanding of the position. Nc3 Nc6. (Baroque - Romantic/Impressionist)*. E. Nc6 seems also be good agains the Anti-Sicilians, which I would play anyway, so I don't get moveordered (e. The only critical test is the Richter-Rauzer. " The standard Dragon move order now gets labelled as "Hyperaccelerated dragon, fianchetto variation. I don't care that my opponent is more familiar with the position. Alternatively you could play the classical, a lot of those positions in the Rauzer and Sozin attacks are incredibly double edged. There are some insanely complicated lines, and I don’t think you can get away with just making sensible moves as Black because in many lines, you’ll get mated on move 15 if you make a mistake. QGD is probably the best introduction to 1. I have liked Shankland's Classical Sicilian on Chessable a lot. If you pick a Nc6 Sicilian, you will have to study the Rossolimo, as it's very common. I've always used the d6 move order, which seems to be everyone's recommendation. There's no English Attack. " The Najdorf now has the label "Anti-English variation. , so you will get mostly same side castling positions, just like in the Nimzo. The Closed Sicilian doesn't usually move order you. If you want them with video, it'll be upwards of 200USD, if you catch them on discount. Yes, in recent times there’s a trend towards include flashier lines to advertise the course, but they will still contain the main lines and ideas in the opening. 23 votes, 12 comments. But as you said, the Alapin is quite dry. Nc3 I play Nc6, since I play the Classical Sicilian and so I don't get moveordered out of my repertoire, if he follows up with 3. Popular: not many. You also have to be prepared for the Fischer-Sozin variation which has some venom. f3 e5 6. 8M subscribers in the classicalmusic community. d4 cxd4 4. the najdorf is ok- the issue of e5 being either I think the Classical Sicilian has a good balance between sharp, sound, while also being low-ish theory compared to other Sicilians. Every other sicilian has some similarities in middlegame plans and manouvers. I gave it up as a mainstay after having to spend 4 hours putting away an opponent I outranked by 400 points (op@1750ish) when I had Black and they selected some small pull ending line. Against the Rauzer it's 9Be7 and 9h6 as a second string. I started with classical sicilian into dragon into acc. Bd3 is the most critical move. In this case you might think that Black lost a tempo with 5a6(Najdorf) but that's a move that is always useful in Sicilian as it prepares the important b5. Be3) simply does not work at all against the Classical (there is no attack, Black is immediately equal and probably better unless White plays accurately) but people still play this all the time because that's all they know how to play against the Sicilian. Bg5 but even if he doesn't play these moves , Black can deviate from his original plan and play 7e6. Some Sicilians have a single dangerous mainline that accounts for more than 50% of games - the Keres Attack, Yugoslav Attack, Richter-Rauzer - while the Najdorf doesn't (and it's common for Scheveningen, Dragon, and Classical players at the very, very top to eventually switch to the Najdorf) In the Classical there are a couple of lines (the Rauzer and 6. In every sicilian you fight for the d5 square, in the sveshnikov you give it away and play around it, the playstyle is very different and the plans are very different. The c3 pawn supports a d4 push by white and prevents black from going down the normal branches of the Sicilian. Bg5 for max excitement) and a classical sicilian tabiya(6. Start with e4 nc3 nf3 and see how you like to respond to it. Sometimes the “classical” line is an older variation, or it follows classical opening principles, or no clear reason at all - and so on for the other descriptors you listed. Hanging Pawns has a series on it, but check the sidelines he gives with an engine. But I get what you mean completely! Posted by u/[Deleted Account] - 1 vote and 5 comments It does to an extent but rapid and blitz ratings have been broken for a longtime. Bg5 6. Nc3 because of that. There are going to be enough Sicilian themes there that you can learn to play other stuff later too (moreso that the Dragon, for example). Against the Classical Sicilian as well you have to make sure you play f3 before Be3 to prevent Ng4 but otherwise the same general setup more or less works. f3 is more dangerous I think especially because the mistake of playing h6 early and not saving a tempo on h5 is common. Bc4 or 6. But Sozin wasnt even playing competitive chess anymore when the Najdorf became a thing. I (2000 rapid) have recently switched from the Caro-Kann to the Classical Sicilian, but the reality is, very very few of my games involve actually knowing how to play the Classical Sicilian. That book is going to be infinitely more useful to you than a reddit comment. A lot of learning a Sicilian is learning to cope with anti-Sicilians, and if I ever want to move to the Najdorf, it's also a d6 Sicilian so all that knowledge will be transferrable. You get to play around with the Sicilian pawn structures and the open C-file with some much clearer attacking plans compared to the Najdorf. Off the top of my head, after e4: Ruy Lopez, Italian, Petroff; Sicilian (usually Rossolimo or some Open Sicilian). Sicilian Dragon is hard to beat for sharpness. I want to keep it in the Sicilian and asked my coach what to play, he recommended the four knights variation. You can get stuff like the Closed Sicilian, Alapin Sicilian, Smith-Morra Gamb The most solid options against the Sicilian are the Alapin and the Closed Sicilian. I'd like to try to learn the basics of a Sicilian but I'm not sure which one. The Classical Sicilian is not at all related to the Classical Variation in the Nimzo-Indian, for example. The pure Scheveningen was my first defense I employed in my first classical tournaments with success (so far only one loss in classical with the Sicilian and since I always played the Sicilian against 1. This is a subreddit for those who are interested in Classical Piano, **without** having to see posts about *Jazz, Blues, Rock, New Age, atonal music with composers such as Xenakis, etc. I want a line, where white may objectively be better, but where black has real winning chances if white makes an inaccuracy or two. I'm yet to settle on a solution to the Alapin. Every chapter discusses a particular structure (including structures arising in Classical Sicilian positions). I have heard the Taimanov and Accelerated Dragon does not require a lot of theory like the Najdorf but the con with the AD is the Maroczy bind. In both Classical and Najdorf , white prevents e5 if he wants with either 6. What openings against 1. if you play the Najdorf you have to play 2d6, if it is the Dragon 2g6 (see Anish's Chessable course). " The classical sicilian does not exist at all, and neither does the Rubinstein exchange Caro. It's a lot like why not a lot of people play 1. Bg5 most other sixth moves are very easy to meet, against anything other than 6. Dragon is similar in levels of violence but it's way more common and well known than the classical sicilian (at least below master level) and most main lines are worked out to a draw. Nb3 d5) Classical is objectively better. But for most chess players that's not a deal breaker. The former leads to very sharp play with pawn storms on each side of the board while the latter is more positional, usually with the idea of sacrificing a rook for Bd7 is dull, play 2. In 2021, Pragg played Tata Steel with a rating of 1800. And the Closed Sicilian isn't exactly sharp and definitely not challenging for Black. If even that is too much theory for you, try the O'Kelly. You can have one or the other, but not both. Accessibility: Enable blind mode. Also I don't think learning the Sicilian at 1400 is a good use of your time. Both pretty much have one good, challenging line against them — respectively the Rauzer and the Yugoslav — which also happen to be the kind of concrete chess that will teach you to calculate and overall handle The position to look at is after 6. [5]" which is what I was Against the Classical Sicilian the Richter-Rauzer is by far the most critical line. It also saw some play by hypermodernists such as Saemich and Reti. e4 in classical tournaments that’s pretty good) but I eventually stopped because I couldn’t find a way for Black to get a good game against the Keres (even if nobody played it, I had to be Agains't 1. I'd personally go with classical sicilian. Euwe was probably the first big name to start playing it regularly in the 1920's. And all 4 rapid tie-break games were e4 again! And all of these games were e4-e5 games except the last rapid game which was a Sicilian that Karjakin played as Black in a desperate attempt to get a win but losing instead. d6 against the closed Sicilian and 1. 1. The Classical Sicilian is a great opening! I would argue that it's actually not much more complex than the Sicilians you mentioned (especially not the Taimanov imo), although the critical Rauzer will definitely take some practice and study to get used to. I play Sicilian with black and English with white. Check out GM Rios's book on pawn structures. Bc4 you can transpose to a Dragon while comfortably avoiding the Yugoslav With the classical sicilian and Scheveningen, the rauzer/keres attack being dominant tries diminishes their appeal in that regard. Classical Sicilian! I suggest Shankland’s Chessable course, one big appeal of it is that in the open Sicilian apart from 6. The wing gambit is also more dangerous with inclusion of All those other names mean nothing in the abstract. The classical sicilian (ok, this one is still fine, but strictly less flexible than the najdorf for no real benefit), dragon and kan are not in particularly great shape theoretically, and the Schev is basically refuted by the keres attack. org I have problems with the Bg5 lines too, I still find it the only real try for white for an advantage. But it does require a lot of effort to start with it because pretty much every legal move for White on move 6 is a different variation. Please turn off your phone… Clearly it has theory, i meant in that it avoids most lines. Hi, subject is vague but I’ll elaborate. 0-0-0 variations. White doesn't have to play that way. Unfortunately I have only had this Sicilian played against me before (other than dragon): e4 c5 Nf3 e6 d4 Nc6?? which is actually terrible for black. Against Classical Sicilian: Bc4 and f3 are there but the Ritcher Rauzer is the most critical by far. GM Moulton has a full Anti-Sicilian Repertoire for black on YouTube, but if you want a move trainer you’ll have to input all of them by hand, not sure if he pasted a PGN. Another thing thats not mentioned is the anti-sicilians are easier to deal with in the classical sicilian and the najdorf has many more critical move 6 tries than the classical sicilian but honestly just find a najdorf tabiya (6. I also play the 4 knights from time to time, but stuggle with both the nxc6 lines and Nb5 lines but also worth a look. Aug 9, 2024 · I recently beat a NM in Classical using the closed Sicilian, Chameleon variation. It also is a less complicated (sharp) position and is more newbie friendly. But both the Sveshnikov and Najdorf seem to be more popular than the Classical; Carlsen always opted for the Sveshnikov over the Classical in the recent championship match against for many sicilians, the issue is that play is more natural and easier for white than black. But almost every other variation you can transpose into a Dragon setup and be alright. You only need to know 4-5 lines as white if you’re an amateur player and it avoids the accelerated dragon, classical transpositions, the kalishnikov, sheveshnikov and godiva sicilians. Are the positions noticeably different? I looked at top 20 GMs and twice as many prefer d6 to Nc6. The thing about dragon setups is that whenever you see a move you don't recognize, d6 g6 Bg7 is a pretty solid setup. I also like Giri's Dragon and Najdorf. Nxd4 Nf6 5… Posted by u/argumentativepigeon - 7 votes and 33 comments No, they are an absolutely fine pair. Are these lines okay? By using the Open Sicilian as a 'surprise weapon' I didn't mean to imply that it was some kind of crazy sideline, but if my opponent looked at my past games and saw 1000 games in the Alapin and like 20 in the Closed Sicilian, me playing the Open Sicilian would serve to take them out of prep somewhat. You can play a Moscow or Rossolimo move order. a6 in the Najdorf is a high-class waiting move, but unless you are facing high-class opponents, Nc6 develops a piece. d4 as white, and the classical sicilian and semi-slav as black. I have lately settled to play some sort of refused poison pawn where you play Qb6-Nc6 instead of taking on b2: black can liquidate most material in most lines, so you don't really get mated, but you don't really win many games either unless white makes severe mistakes. The Najdorf is perfectly legit and you should play that if you want to, but IMO the Classical Sicilian is a really nice first Sicilian. I would guess that some people don't pair them since the workload is so huge - the Nimzo is a lot to learn on it's own, then black also needs to be prepared for the Catalan, and on top of that black needs to be ready for all the mainlines of the Semi-Slav (Meran, Anti 114 votes, 28 comments. The only additional anti-sicilian you need to know is Rossolimo compared to any other Sicilian. Shankland's classical sicilian is very good too. The classical sicilian is known to avoid forced draws and is strategically superior in the endgame but white gets a dangerous middlegame. f4 d5. What a lot of the other Sicilians have in common is either that they allow a Maroczy Bind in the Open Sicilian - which is usually pretty comfortable for white - or that there exists a line which is difficult to meet if your opponent is deeply prepared (Dragon - Yugoslav Attack, Scheveningen - Keres Attack, Classical - Richter-Rauzer Attack). Nxd4 Nf6 5. The paired anti-sicilians you must study are Rossolimo, Alapin, Closed Sicilian and Wing Gambit. That said, if you want a flexible Sicilian with the theory not TOO intense, I think you want the Kan (a. Be2 in the Classical Sicilian. Very good opening with much less theory than something like the Najdorf or the Sveshnikov, and very few move order tricks or other nonsense people can try against it. lichess. Solve puzzles. I play the Sveshnikov, and it is a sicilian that is very different from every other. Usually I'll also use the Classical Sicilian as a backup tool if I'm playing someone who previously outplayed me in the Sveshnikov. The Richter Rauzer line is very sharp and can lead to some crazy violent games (check out Dubov's games). popular-all-random-usersAskReddit-pics-funny-movies-gaming-worldnews-news-todayilearned-nottheonion-explainlikeimfive-mildlyinteresting-DIY-videos-OldSchoolCool Feb 6, 2012 · You could add to the list the excellent, by my standards, "Classical sicilian" by IM Benjamin Haldorsen on Chess24. Nd6 Bxd6 7. Nf3 Nc6) Opening line: 1. Nf3. You have the option of exchange pieces and pass trought a midgame without problem, or could set up pieces behind your pawn structure to plan an attack to withe's kingside (personally prefer castle on queenside). the position before Bg5 is the classical sicilian and can lead to a whole lot of variations that arent the rauzer (especially at a lower level) Reply reply More replies More replies _xBenji Probably, the logic is "why would I play the Nimzowitsch sicilian when most likely both the open Sicilian and alekhines defense are objectively better choices". The English Attack (6. d4 have some of these properties In my experience, the most common at my level are (roughly in this order): Grand Prix, Smith-Morra Gambit, Old Sicilian with Bc4, Alapin, Rossolimo/Canal/Moscow, Closed Sicilian, and recently also Wing Gambit. 2. c4 commits it quite soon while Black still has full flexibility in his piece development (Bb4 ideas for example). At 1400-1800 you won't encounter much theory when playing any Sicilian honestly. Might be worth looking for a few annotated games on those openings, some ideas that work here could also work in Pirc structures. Knowing the ideas is the most important thing. Qxd6 Qe7!! Basically the only way for white to play for an advantage is to jump around with the knighta and trade it for a bishop. Thanks! The Taimanov is supposed to be more positional, the Classical is super tactical. The Classical Sicilian and the Dragon Sicilian were the first Sicilians to become popular, with the Classical Sicilian frequently transposing into the Dragon Sicilian. Bg5 Rauzer pawn structure) compare the 2 and see which looks more appealing to you neither are bad anyway Play a Sicilian where only one variation/line is really critical - Classical Sicilian or Dragon Play a surprising Sicilian sideline - O’Kelly, Kveinis, Four Knights, or Lowenthal I think the Kan, Taimanov, Accelerated Dragon, and Sveshnikov are probably all off the table for my purposes. Mostly bc4 is the annoying move that you have to face with the sicilian and decide how you want to counter it. As I've become higher rated, the Classical continues to serve me well, but I've struggled with the Moscow. You can convert smith-morra to alapin to start then eventually should just punish it directly. 7. I don’t want to go with something like the Najdorf due to the large amount of theory required. ) Accelerated Dragon is reasonable choice in terms of theory, but it's not as flexible. Kan Sicilian is pretty solid, flexible and easy to play. Hello, my coach is teaching me the classical sicilian, and I'm just wondering if anyone could point me towards any great practioners of this particular sicilian, or any classic games to study? I know Sam Shankland plays it, but my historical chess knowledge is limited. classical sicilian, sicilian kan, modern sicilian with 5. I have the Kings Kalashnikov Sicilian course, which I love, but there are plenty of alternatives, including, most notably, the Dragon and Najdorf by Anish Giri or the Classical by Sam Shankland. Remember semi-open defences (Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann, Pirc) are based on counter-attack. The Sicilian often is just inviting white to play a "theory-off" - whoever knows the most theory before you both run out of book is the one with the better position, whereas e5 does allow for more natural development and play - knights on c6 / f6, bishops on d7/e7, king You preference in the closed sicilian should determine your choice in the open. Let's take a small step back from the drama and enjoy some tal discussions. And you get Sicilians with the pawns on e6 and d6 all over the place, especially from the Najdorf, classical, Taimanov and Kan. The whole thing about avoiding theory is nonsense imo and playing mainlines will teach you to really fight for the center and play many different structures. Even for a rook. Plus you avoid the bind which is the main reason why the hyper accelerated dragon isn't good Any Sicilian is going to be fairly heavy in theory. e4 c5 2. For the open Sicilian, you can find something that appeals to you. My current ratings on Lichess are 170x in classical and 156x in blitz, I myself don't like studying openings (I try to focus myself on the middlegames, but I don't neglect the endgames when I'm studying) and I particularly don't like the fact that most chess-related content on the internet is focused to openings (I learn strategy from books, the hanging pawns YouTube channel and from analysing Since it's an e6 Sicilian you get a familar pawn structure to a Nimzo position (e6, d6, c5, Bb7 etc. f4 used to be the mainline but 9. Queenside castling and kingside pawn storm by white doesn't work as well against the Kan than some other Sicilian variations. Qd3 is also a new trend by the Neural Network Engines. Bc4 against the Najdorf. In my (not extensive) experience it's the least problematic of the gambits. Other than that, I very often end up playing g6 Bg7 which is a great setup in the Sicilian, especially when you can avoid the problems of the dragon and when the opponent does some weird stuff, I usually play an early e6 d5, when I can get it in one go. My Chessable course on it is just 500 lines or so so very reasonable and sound opening that I would also use (and have used) against a GM edit subscriptions. For example if you put pawns on e6 and d6, you probably should play the classical, schevenigen or najdorf, if you fianchetto the bishop and put all your pieces on their best squares, you should try the dragon or delayed dragon. e4 e5 is really what you should be playing at this point. It mentions common plans and shows games in which those plans are executed. For quiet some time now I have been playing the sveshnikov sicilian and althought I don't hate it or anything, I have a few problems; too theoretical - pretty self-explanatory, even though I'm 2400 I'm no theoretician (obviously I know a lot about it but not extremely deeply) I play a lot of rapid and classical and I wanted to pick up a very aggressive sicilian and Daniel King's Kalashnikov Sicilian was my first idea… Skip to main content Open menu Open navigation Go to Reddit Home The Classical Dragon is the most theoretically heavy of this family of Sicilians. In those positions white is more than likely go The Open Sicilian is 1. The anti Sicilian stuff is very transferrable. match between Carlsen and Karjakin started with e4. e6 Sicilians are also more resilient against opposite side castling than the classical, the sveshnikov etc. I play the dragon now but want to read a book and really understand the ideas. 1 is also decent with a little different choices. Nc3, does it lose by force? No. c4 as you only go for c2-c4 in the right circumstance, whereas 5. 9 out of 14 games in the classical portion of the 2016 Champ. Hello. Still theory defense as all sicilian lines are but avoids lots more in comparison to other lines. I am 1500-1600 classical on lichess. Start from the closed sicilian, and learn the pawn structure, oawn break, and development plans. i personally find the dragon variation of the sicilian to be the absolute worst in this regard- the yugoslav attack is just too straightforward to execute, and you also have to worry about maroczy binds. It probably makes the Najdorf easier to learn later. ksvt knyogu kus xcosbp dyxnf gzucf yxk luxib xtcgxjg bqcn