Oh no, not the Alapin again! Remember, I stopped playing the Morra because I got disgusted with the Alapin.   And why bother to learn what is really another opening that's got nothing to do with the Open, just to counter some Mickey Mouse opening that you'll probably meet only once in a blue moon!? 

I'm sorry, but I'd rather try to trap my opponent into something I KNOW, and 3 Nc3 just seems to do the trick.   I did a little analysis on chesslab.com and after 1 e4 c5, 2 Nf3 a6, 3 Nc3 came up with the following stats (White wins/Black wins/Draw):

3...e6 (Kan): 36/31/33
3...d6 (Najdorf): 36/32/32
3...Nc6, 4 d4 cxd4, 5 Nxd4 e6 (Taimanov): 40/27/33
3...Nc6, 4 d4 cxd4, 5 Nxd4 e5, 6 Nf5 (?!): 76/17/7 (only 17 games in this variation)

Based on these stats, I'd be ready to put my money on this, not you?

Cheers

PS:  I'll have a look at the specific threads re the Accelerated Dragon, more specifically re the threat of a quick d5 by Black

When playing 1e4 c5 2Nf3 e6 3Nc3 you avoid a couple of tricky sidelines. For example some cult lines like 4 .. Qb6 and the pin variation (1e4 c5 2Nf3 e6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Bb4). Objectively they are probably not very good, but you will always see that you get such a line against the local expert, which is usually not good news. It does indeed bar any Maroczy bind in the Kan or Taimanov, but I have also never played those, it looks a bit unnatural to me.
Against 2.. d6 3 Nc3's main use is to confuse your opponent. Eg if he is a Najdorf player he may hate the closed or setups with Bb5 so he may choose a move which doesnt get him a Najdorf (Nc6 for example). So it is purely psychological.
Also against 2 .. Nf6 (Nimzowitsch) it is quite ok, though you will probably face that line once every 5 years.
I wouldnt recommend it against other 2nd moves though (which is why you shouldnt play Nc3 at the 2nd move). The O'Kelly is one of the few openings where white often switches to 3 c3 in order to play a c3 sicilian a tempo up.
BtW I'd warn against Nc3 setup against the accelerated dragon. Usually black is able to push through d5 in one go despite a bishop on c4.

Yeah, but it is not such a good idea to play it 2nd move, only if you also play the closed sicilian or the Grandprix. I use it very often because I used to play the closed and I like to annoy those Najdorf players.

Eg 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Nf3 and now black has the option of going for an accelerated dragon without having to worry about the best line for white or he probably can even play 3 .. e5. In short only do it on move 3 and only after 2 .. e6 or 2 .. d6.

One last tip, the experts book is very good, though I suspect that the some of the lines are a bit too theoretical for you. For example the Keres attack and Bg5 Najdorf are very difficult to just play. 
On the other hand some of the lines against certain "cult" variations are very easy to pick up. I dont know if you play at a chessclub but very often there are certain players who always play the same minor opening variation. Eg we have 2 guys here one of which always plays a Kalashnikov and the other an accelerated dragon. Since I got the book I got 2/2 against them.
Another theory-saving trick is to play 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 Nc3 followed by 4 d4. This avoids all kinds of weird sidelines, which in itself arent that good but are very annoying when you have never seen them before. It is also possible against 2 .. d6, though there you will only win some time.

Smyslov Fan

But I AM having fun playing the way I do!  And I HAVE done some research on the Velimirovic and did not like it...  To me, it's better to first become good in what you like and understand, and only then go for the more complex stuff, which I'll probably appreciate much more then.  I'll therefore keep your advice in mind to play the Velemirovic in blitz games... when I'm ready for it.

Mnb, Willempie, woofwoof

thanks for these further clarifications, which are all very helpful.

Inn2,

I'm trying to stick to main lines as well, with the added vaue of a "common denominator" such as Bc4 and Nb5, respectively, to make things easier.  There's no such "common denominator" in the lines recommended by the "Experts vs the Sicilian', I'm afraid.

Cheers

Quote:


You wont be able to throw in a Bc4 in the English attack because for eg in the Najdorf....6.Be3 e5 7Nb3, with the Kt already on b3 your bishop on c4 has no way to retreat & still maintain control of the c4-f7 diagonal after black replies b5. So the forced retreat to d3 or e2 is just a waste of tempo.

The white k-side piece set up for the English & Yugoslav are similar. In the Yugoslav Bc4 can be  played on the 9th move after 8.Qd2 as I mentioned earlier. On the black side  in the English attack there is no g6, but in the Yugoslav there is g6 (as pointed out by willempie) Hence the Yugoslav would draw more blood than the English since the g6 pawn becomes a target & white's eventual exchange of his h pawn for the g6 pawn opens up the h file for the rooks. Once this is successful, as Fischer says "sac, sac, mate!"

@Madknight
Your nomenclature is a bit confusing, so here is a better one. Basically you must look at Black's 2nd and 5th move.
2...d6/5...g6 Dragon
Subvariations: Classical 6.Be2, Löwenfisj 6.f4, Jugoslav Attack 6.f3/7.Be3/8.Qd2 and others.

2...d6/5...a6 Najdorf
English Attack 6.f3/7.Be3, Pseudo-Sozin 6.Bc4, Classical 6.Be2 etc.

2...d6/5...e6 Scheveningen
Keres Attack 6.g4, Classical 6.Be2, English Attack 6.Be3/7.f3 etc.

2...d6/5...Nc6
Richter-Rauser 6.Bg5, Velimirovic Attack 6.Bc4/7.Bb3/8.Be3/9.Qe2, Boleslavski 6.Be2 e5.

2...Nc6/5...e5 Svesjnikov, sometimes Lasker-Pelikann.
2...Nc6/4...g6 Accelerated Dragon.
2...Nc6/4...e5 Löwenthal and Kalasjnikov.
2...e6/4...a6, 2...e6/4...Nc6 Paulsen/Taimanov/Kan.

Of course there are several transpositions possible yet.