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Normal Topic Should you be afraid of the antisicilian? (Read 3719 times)
Markovich
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Re: Should you be afraid of the antisicilian?
Reply #5 - 04/01/08 at 00:16:40
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No, of course Black shouldn't be afraid of White's selection of some sort of non-open variation.  1...c5 is profoundly dynamic, and Black has chances of one kind or another no matter what White plays.  I suppose I will have to concede that White's chances of the half point are greater, the more conservatively he plays from move one, but that issue besets the black pieces in general, not only when they adopt the Sicilian.

People specialize in these 25-move variations and get frustrated when the opponent doesn't play into them.  That's the wrong way to play chess.  Understand the fight at move seven, you know?  It's going to be a fight, no matter whether in a theoretical variation or a less theoretical one, so learn chess, know the themes, and play tough moves.

You can play the Petroff for the full point, not only the Sicilian, if you hang tough.
  

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jperr75108
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Re: Should you be afraid of the antisicilian?
Reply #4 - 03/31/08 at 22:32:09
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Look at this:

[Event "Foxwoods Open"]
[Site "Connecticut"]
[Date "2008.03.19"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Robert L Hess"]
[Black "Henry L Terrie"]
[ECO "B23"]
[WhiteElo "2481"]
[BlackElo "2200"]
[PlyCount "42"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 d5 6. exd5 exd5 7. Bg5 d4 8. Nd5
Qa5+ 9. Bd2 Qd8 10. Qe2+ Be7 11. Nxf6+ gxf6 12. Nh3 Be6 13. Nf4 Qd7 14. O-O O-O
15. Rfe1 Nd8 16. Qh5 Kh8 17. Re4 f5 18. Re2 Rc8 19. c4 Bf6 20. Rae1 Rb8 21. Bd5
1-0

Now there is the fact that Hess was 281 rating points higher than Terrie (who is a strong and known player here in New England) but he is still a strong Master.  Its true at the highest level the Closed sicilian isn't played very much but ho about Bb5?  These  Sicilians can cause Black a lot of trouble at pretty high levels.
  
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Willempie
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Re: Should you be afraid of the antisicilian?
Reply #3 - 03/31/08 at 12:12:33
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Pingudon wrote on 03/23/08 at 15:35:31:
I am not a sicilian player so I am not sure about the answer! But the open sicilian is the very real test to any kind of sicilian. So I do not understand why people worry so much about the antisicilian. They should be happy to play against it! GM seldon use antisicilian so it can not be good. What do you think?

Well there is a bit of move-orders to take into account (esp after 2.Nf3).
Plus some sicilian players (dragoneers and Svesh mainly) are so hooked on their respective lines that they are immediately annoyed with an anti. With most other sicilian lines the play is more flexible and whence an anti is less of a "setback".
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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chk
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Re: Should you be afraid of the antisicilian?
Reply #2 - 03/31/08 at 12:06:29
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I don't share your view. Most of the Anti-Sicilians have a strong 'Sicilian' flavour anyway and may produce interesting games for both sides.

For those who like sicilian set-ups in the first place, this is preferable than playing e.g. 1. e4 e5 openings.
  

"I play honestly and I play to win. If I lose, I take my medicine." - Bobby
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SWJediknight
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Re: Should you be afraid of the antisicilian?
Reply #1 - 03/31/08 at 10:10:38
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I used to play the Sicilian Dragon as Black and got put off by the Anti-Sicilian lines because it was difficult to avoid getting an equal but dull position against many of them (most notably 3 Bb5, 2 c3)
  
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Pingudon
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Should you be afraid of the antisicilian?
03/23/08 at 15:35:31
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I am not a sicilian player so I am not sure about the answer! But the open sicilian is the very real test to any kind of sicilian. So I do not understand why people worry so much about the antisicilian. They should be happy to play against it! GM seldon use antisicilian so it can not be good. What do you think?
  
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