TN wrote on 04/30/10 at 12:54:21:


Excellent post, this is just what I was looking for!

Palliser sums up the issue of what to play on move 2 against the Closed, so I'll provide a summarized version of his suggestions here:

Najdorf: 2...a6 or 2...d6. 2...a6 better against Grand Prix.
Dragon: 2...Nc6 for Accelerated Dragon, otherwise 2...d6.
Classical: 2...Nc6 followed by 2...d6 for maximum flexibility.
Sveshnikov: 2...Nc6. 3.Nf3 e5 (solid) or 3...Nf6 (dynamic).
Taimanov: 2...e6 or 2...Nc6.
Kan: 2...e6 or 2...a6.
Scheveningen: 2...e6 3.Nf3 d6/Nc6 or 2...a6. Basically the Schevy moves in any given order.
Kalashnikov: 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 e5

As a Najdorf player, 2...a6 is probably the better option if you don't like the Grand Prix with Black committed to the slightly inflexible ...d6. Black's idea is to remain flexible, keeping all his options of development open while preparing the space-gaining ....b5; compare with the Kan Sicilian. A typical line of play is 3.f4 b5 4.Nf3 Bb7 5.d3 e6 6.g4 d5 7.Qe2 with chances for both sides in this complex position.

After 3.Nf3, a Najdorf player is best advised to play 3...d6, when 4.d4 is an Open Sicilian and 4.g3 is completely harmless because White has committed his knight to f3 before playing d4, and the g3 Najdorf is pretty toothless since White usually ends up playing a 6.h3 Najdorf a tempo down (after h3 and g3-g4).

Markovich wrote on 04/29/10 at 18:11:38:


Ivo already addressed this point, didn't he?

Ivo wrote on 04/28/10 at 19:39:23:


Hence the recommendation 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6. What's more, the Morra transposition is simply met with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3?! Nf6. Finally 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 is more or less independent from 2.c3. Problem no de.

Ivo wrote on 04/28/10 at 19:39:23:


It depends a lot on what you play against the Open Sicilian.  White has the option of 3.Nf3, 4.d4, so you have to reply consistently with your repertoire.  Actually the same thing applies to the question of what is the "best" reply to the Smith-Morra.  Since White can enter the Smith-Morra via 2.Nf3, you have to have an antidote consistent with your usual path to the Open Sicilian.  There is no "best" reply, there is only best in context of some preferred way of playing the Open Sicilian.

P.S. I'm not sure what you find unconvincing about 2...Nc6 and 2...e6.  Those are perfectly mainstream, fully adequate moves.  2...d6, search me.

yes play a6.  There is a page in The sharpest sicilian and in Richard Palliser's book on the anti siclians it is covered well
Zatara.