RAFFLKOPTR wrote on 04/10/08 at 18:38:49:


I disagree with your opinion that the 12...Ne7 lines are drawish. The resulting lines are very positional, but that doesn't mean the variation is a draw. If you know what you are doing, you should be able to equalise against just about anything White can throw at you.

Regarding 12...Rb8: Do you mean 11...Bg5 12.Nc2 Rb8 or 11...0-0 12.Nc2 Rb8? I would definitely prefer the second line, although if you are playing the Sveshnikov at 2300+ level, make sure you have prepared an improvement over Khalifman's lines.

Regarding your questions on the Rossolimo: You should probably ask on the Anti-Sicilians forum. There is a bounty of Rossolimo information there. However, I should inform you that 3...Nf6 is certainly not drawish - see Palliser's "The Bb5 Sicilian". Also, the 3...g6 line is not drawish either, but rather leads to a positional struggle with chances for both sides. You can also play dynamically in this variation by meeting 4.Bc6 with 4...bc6!?, which is less common but perfectly playable.

3...e6 is indeed the most dynamic variation against the Rossolimo, although make sure you know the theory, since the resultant positions are often tricky to handle for both sides (e.g. 4.Bc6 bc6 5.b3).