After 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.dxc5 Qa5 5.Bd2 Qxc5 6.Nd5, I thought Black had found a way to a decent game with 6...Na6 (6...b6 7.Be3 Qc6 8.Bb5 Qb7 is the variation where Black "must make many contortions, ... just to get a playable game".) 7.Nf3 e6 8.Bc3 Kf8! 9.Bxg7+ Kxg7 10.Nc3, "with approximate equality", Chris Baker.  Of course 4...Bxc3+ is a more dynamic option.

If instead of 3.Nc3 White plays 3.c3 I think Black does best to stick to 3...d6 and ...Nf6.  This is considered a solid line for White, but there are usually plenty of opportunies for both sides to play for a win.  If 3...d5, then both 3.Nd2 and 3.exd5 are thought to give White a slight advantage (and a pretty boring one).

In the 3.c4 line Black can try 3...c5 to avoid transposing to the King's Indian (and it keeps with the the theme of ...c5).  After the likely 4.d5 Black will have to be comfortable in the Benoni of course.-

>>>>Also, after 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 c5 4.c3, can Black do any better than 4...d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 when Black is playing a variation of the c3 Sicilian that looks a mite risky (although possibly playable)?<<<<

I have been playing 4...cxd4 5.cxd4 d5! which leads to c3 sicilian theory.  And if 6. exd5 Nf6! is fine with IQP position or 6. e5 Bg4 with play against d4 with Nh6, Nc6 Qb6 etc.  There is no way around knowing some alapin theory as black in the sicilian but maybe not everyone who plays 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 as white knows it!  So at least you get a position you know, while they may be possibly making it up as they go along. 

[Above alapin theory borowed from Donaldson's "Accelerated Dragons"]

Before I get shouted and/or beaten down for posting in the wrong forum, let me discuss this idea.  For a while now I have been using 1...c5 and 2...g6 against 1.e4 with pretty good success.  This has cut down on Rossolimo's, various Bb5 systems and has taken a lot of the punch out of c3, Smith-Morra, 3.b4 wing-gambit and other anti-sicilian systems as 2...g6 is very flexible.  If white continues down the open sicilian line i normally head for an accelerated dragon (as 4.Qxd4 lines dont seem that strong to me at least).

Now,  I have thought about maybe even taking it a step further with 1...g6.  This would cut out the 2.b3 and 2.b4 systems out as well, ****AND**** tempt a lot of white GPA, closed sicilian etc. players into setting up a e4-d4 setup they may not be used to.  Now after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 (intending 3...c5) next move)  3. Nc3 is the critical and most common reply.
A lot of you may know about the following idea which has deterred black players from doing this:  1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5!? 4. dxc5 (really only critical test) Qa5 5. Bd2 Qxc5 6. Nd5 Nf6? (or something)7. Bb4 Qc6 8. Bb5! winning a miniature that has been played countless times.  So black must make many contortions after 4.dxc5 just to get a playable game.  My idea (well not mine of course) is 4...Bxc3+ (a la Dzindzi Indian) which gives white tripled pawns on c-file and black can usually regain the pawn after 5.bxc3 Qa5.  This in exchange for the Dark-squared bishop and slight long-term k-side weakness.  Some games have been played in this line for example by FM Eric Schiller (yes, I know, I know...) as black and has beaten some stronger opponents as you can check in databases.   

The logic of this is pretty simple: if after 5...Qa5 black gets a good or at least playable game, then he is likely to be much more prepared with the opening + middlegame because this in effect would be a main line in his entire repetoire.  White on the other hand may be playing the position for the first time in his/her life especially if he/she is salivating about the above miniature.  The practical aspects of this are obvious...to take typical closed sicilian player to a position like this is an accomplishment if it can be pulled off.

Of course, "What if 3.Nc3 is not played?" "Wont I be stuck with a Modern defense?"  Well, for example I will say 1. e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3. c3 d5! is good and leads to normal structures in the c3 sicilian at minimum.  Also 3.Nf3 c5 is a Hyper-Accelerated Dragon so I think most will agree that black gets a good game or at least normal after anything besides 3.Nc3.  What about 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3. nc3 c5 4. d5 ? well this is not critical and i doublt a lot of e4 players will play it, but you have a lot of tricky lines I like for black in theses semi-benoni structures that have a bunch of e6 and b5 ideas/tricks.  Also I play these structures as black along with benko.

So my question to you guys is: Do you have any experience in the above lines and what do you think about them?  I really would like to hear opininons!

Mike