Hello everyone,
I wasn't sure where to put this thread. This is as much about anti-sicilians as it is about open sicilians. Anyway, the situation is this:
I consider taking up the sicilian again. I played the accelerated dragon for a few years but eventually grew tired of it and started playing the petrov. I don't regret this step because I hadn't played any 1. e4 e5 positions before and learned a big deal. But I think the petrov isn't an opening to play exclusively.
So I'm thinking about picking up a sicilian again. Unfortunately the move order I used is basically the most unflexible possible since I used the hyper accelerated move order. So playing a different sicilian variation needs some work and consideration concerning move orders. At the moment, it is most likely that I would like to play the Taimanov, especially after reading many threads on this board. I checked a number of games and figured it suits my purpose and style better than the sharper sicilians (dragon, najdorf, scheveningen).
Now, I wonder if it is worth it to try and reach it by this move order: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6. The point is that I can use my old repertoire in the beginning reaching the starting point of the accelerated dragon by playing 4...g6 and using my old anti-sicilians. I kept up with the accelerated dragon well enough to be able to get back to it rather quickly. When I digested the new anti-sicilian theory up to this point I can replace 4...g6 by 4. e6 and play the taimanov. From this move order I still have the option to play the kalashnikov or the sveshnikov, classical and four knights as well. Which makes me much more flexible. Even some Scheveningen systems are not impossible to reach.
Against the Grand-Prix and the closed sicilian the queen's knight lands on c6 anyway. The only "new" anti-sicilian I'd have to prepare for is the Rossolimo, right? So the question really is, if learning 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Lb5 is more work than learning a system against the other anti-sicilians based on an early e6 or if the Rossolimo is such a theoretical thread that it's worth avoiding it completely by learning 2...e6. I've never prepared the Rossolimo so I wouldn't know. In case the Rossolimo is less work then what is a sensible set-up? I checked the excerpts of Experts on the Anti-Sicilians and the authors recommend 3...d6. Ist there a problem playing d6 move order wise? As far as I see the resulting structures are different anyway. Is there a serious drawback going with this move. What are good other sources I should take into account? Just asking in case I miss something important here.
I'm interested in any opinions, recommendation etc both concerning the anti-sicilians as well as the whole idea/concept. Thanks in advance