According to dzindzi there is equality to black everywhere after 2...g6 however I do believe white maintains some edge by playing 4. Qxd4 or it's just me being disgusted by black's awkward looking position.

Ametanoitos wrote on 11/12/10 at 22:03:26:


The only game I know if is the Ponomariov game, what specific improvement does White have here?

What should White do if Black tries to prevent the 4 Qxd4 line with 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 g6 3 d4 Bg7?

Ametanoitos wrote on 11/11/10 at 23:18:15:


I agree White should be slightly better in that line. Black has an interesting provocative alternative though - 6...Bg7. Ponomariov won a nice game as Black against Rublevsky with this. If Black is playing all-out for the full-point I'd suggest this is the way to go:

Stigma wrote on 11/10/10 at 14:51:18:


I was under the impression that this was the case after 8 or 9. Bc4 instead of my games 8 or 9. Bf4.

MNb wrote on 11/11/10 at 01:09:11:


A Panov with an unusual and suboptimal-looking fifth move by White.

I think 2..g6 is a good anti-anti-Sicilian, since a lot of anti-Sicilian specialists don't seem very well prepared for it, probably because it leads to imbalances they're not used to handling. When I play 2..g6, 4.Qxd4 is the type of move I like to play against, because that move often indicates the player is trying to avoid mainline theory in the Dragon and Black's counterplay is not so easy to counter IMO. The positions can become sharp unlike many anti-Sicilians, so I think they're often more likely to favor the prepared Dragon player. I'll play 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5 as Black, but not the analogous 1.e4 c5 2.c3 g6 lines in the c3 Sicilian, precisely because White has committed himself to Nf3 in the former. I don't think Black has any problems in those lines. I am much more concerned about encountering someone well prepared in the mainlines with 6.Be3 or a strong positional player in the Maroczy.

Anonymous3 wrote on 11/10/10 at 07:38:13:

6. exd5 gives white imo a small advantage resulting into a position reached mostly via Caro-Kann, Panov, 30 years ago, when I studied this. It's drawish if white doesn't know the ending. If white is prepared he's playing for two results while black can only hope for real blunders.