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That would be most helpful. I will be looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks very much for the kind offer.

I have played 6.Bg5 for over thirty years now, winning my first serious tournament game as an 11 year old...


Over the years I have found that people have improved a lot in defensive skills, and knowing a lot more about endgames I am appalled at what I do to my position...

Problem is, none of the alternatives is too hot. 6.Be3 is easier to play and much less risky, but you don't have the number of quick wins with 6.Bg5. But quick victories always come at a prize, which basically is burning your boats as Cortes did.

I am prepared to give you a quick summary of lines to be studied (an awful lot) and general guidelines. I have looked through the e-books here and are... well lets leave it at somewhat superficial.

Best books are Nunn's for 6.Bg5 and Sammalvuo's English Attack. A lot of Nunn's still holds today, even if some minor discoveries have to be found elsewhere. 

Experts vs the Sicilian assumes you have  a lot of knowledge (luther playing the line for 20+ years), and it is incredibly sketchy. Obviously just the lines recommended could have filled a whole book!

Again, I am prepared to expand on any of the topics if interested...

Regards

F.

Yummy.


Arkhein and Toppy, as usual, have offered some really good general comments.  Just be careful; you don't want to serve a twenty year old Paulliac with balsamic vinagriette salad, fries and a Burger.  (Robert Parker recommends a beer with hamburger.)

In other words, don't go mixing your systems, you'll get something that will look, taste, and smell awful.

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Neither is better, but both are very sharp and require and intimate knowledge of theory, fearlessness and a flair for tactics.

6.Be3 is all the rage now, but 6.Bg5 is making a comeback.

In the end it just boils down to taste.

TN

Never played the English attack, but if you choose Bg5, you should also play Bg5 against the classical as the play in many lines is similar. I like Bg5 a lot as the play is very sharp and black has to play very carefully if he wants to avoid being blown to pieces before move 15.

Only problem I have is that if you want to play Bg5 is that you have to have something ready for the scheveningen with a6 (as you can transpose to a e6 nadorf without Bg5) e.g. the Keres attack. Which is why I am currently working on a Be2 sicilian repertoire. Still I will keep playing Bg5 as I love tearing black apart from the start.

For what it's worth, the main reason I don't play the Najdorf is  6. Bg5, which is difficult to defend in a 2 hour OTB game. In general my preference is for e5-based sicilians, and it seems to me 6. Be3 e5! is an excellent answer to the English Attack which also does not require too much memory-work. 

Hey guys,

This is Teyko. As most of you guys know I am a blackmar diemar gambit player. I have recently decided to take up 1.e4. 

I am starting to develop my repetoire against the Najdorf and I was hoping that some of the open sicilian guys could give me a honest answer as to what is better here. 

Is it GM Kosten's 6.Bg5 or the English Attack? 

I have looked at both positions and I don't which one is better and since I am new to 1.e4 I am wondering if you guys can help me out. GM's, IM's, and anyone else's opinions are welcomed. 

Peace,
Tommy J. Curry