The equivalent line with 2. Nf3 (2...g6 3. d4 cd 4. Qxd4 Nf6 5. Bb5) was an idea of Bronstein's which I think was for a long time considered slightly better for White, though I have the impression that it isn't in favor these days.

topandkas wrote on 05/09/11 at 03:11:24:


Well I'm actually the one that mentioned 9.Nc4 so perhaps Ametanoitos was talking about another variation. Your analysis seems correct to me, in fact I'd rather be Black.  There's the more sedate 9.Nxc6 variation which results in Black having an isolated c-pawn.  Is there anything to that?

According to my analysis White is the one who needs to be careful after 9.Nc4 (main line goes: 9...Ng4 10.Be3 Nxe3 11.fxe3 Qc5  12.Nb5 Bh6! 13.Nc7+ Kf8 14. Nxa8 Bxe3 15.Qa3 (15. Nxe3?! Qxe3+ 16.Be2? Nd4 17.Qc4 Bf5! -+) Bf2+ 16.Kd1 Qg5 with good compensation for Black.   
...so I for one dont think this is a way to play for a win with White. Im curious as to how Ametanoitos thinks White is better after 7.e5 dxe5 8.Ne5 Qd4

ArKheiN wrote on 04/27/11 at 10:18:34:


"This is what GM Andrei Sokolov did to me: he is a specialist of the line 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5" Is that line so dangerous as to want to avoid it?

Tops

EDIT: I can't find a single game of GM Sokolov A with this line in my database. You sure u got the right guy?

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6, 5.Nc3 and 5.e5 are really two independent and very different lines.

If the consensus here is 5.Nc3 is critical, that is also of interest to Grand Prix Attack or Closed Sicilian players, who can try the move order 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6!? (avoiding 2...Nc6 3.Bb5!?) 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Nf3.

Working a bit on it variation you'll see that Black is in huge pressure!

This is treated, as it happens, in the most recent (April 2011) Dragons update.  However this belongs in the Dragons forum, not Anti-Sicilians, eh?

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.

Speaking of this line, I just played it. I am playing in the ICC 45 45 leagues, and noticed that my opponent had a really aggressive disposition, I prepared the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon to play against him, hoping for the bind or one of the more positional lines in the Bc4, and he surprised with 3. Qxd4, which I shouldn't have been surprised by at all. I vaguely remembered that Black was supposed to play ...b6 and ...Bb7, but that's all. I got the feeling that after my novelty 11...h5!?, White was perhaps a little better after 12. Kb1!, but he didn't play it. Anyway, here's the game:

http://team4545league.org/pgnplayer/pgnplayer.php?ID=41421

Looking back on it, I don't know why I played 2...g6, since my opponent always played 3. d4. I just gave him some extra options. 

Is there any way White can gain an advantage after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 g6 without going into the Open Sicilian, 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4? The main alternatives are 3 d4 cxd4 4 Qxd4, 3 c3, and 3 Bc4 (3 Nc3 and 3 c4 usually transpose to the Open Sicilian). 

After 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3, Dorian Rogozenko in his book "Anti-Sicilian's: A Guide for Black" only analyzes 2...d6, 2...e6, and 2...Nc6 saying other moves such as 2...g6 are weaker. Do you think he thinks 2...g6 is weaker?

Larry Kaufman in his book "The Chess Advantage in Black and White" recommends 3 c3 but after 3...Bg7 4 d4 cxd4 5 cxd4 d5 6 e5 (6 exd5 is another possibility but I think it's =) 6...Nc6 7 h3 Nh6 8 Be2, I think 8…Bf5 with the idea of …Be4, which Kaufman doesn't mention, is =.