"Is the Classical Sicilian that bad?" Or, why play the Classical Sicilian?

The Classical Sicilian starts after the moves:  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6. White has many reasonable 6th moves that lead to interesting positions with about equal chances: Be2, Be3, g3, f3, f4, h3. I often see Be2 and Be3.

A better move for white is the aggressive 6Bc4. At first black responded with 6...e6, later black added 6...Qb6 to his options. Both moves are O.K., but black has been outscoring white with the Benko variation, 6...Qb6!? for several years! So far nothing to complain about.

The real challenge comes from 6Bg5, the Richter-Rauzer. Once again, a lot of IM/GM attention was focused on e6. This leads to many tricky lines. I've looked at several, and will probably do so in the future. It's hard to shake white's advantage if he plays precisely.

The success of the Benko variation in the Sozin, 6Bc4 Qb6, has shaken me from my lazy ways (black moves of e6 Be7 0-0 against everything). Maybe the inherent logic of the Classical is piece development. But rather than 6...Bd7 or 6...Qb6, I've been looking at 6...a6 with appropriate follow-up (Qa5, Qb6, etc.)

Many posts have encouraged black to play the Kozul variation. I was put off on that a few years ago by the advent of the English attack from that variation. I don't think the English attack is a refutation, just one more headache for black.

So Kozul players must be prepared for both
1e4 c5 2Nf3 Nc6 3d4 cxd4 4Nxd4 Nf6 5Nc3 d6 6Bg5 e6 7Qd2 a6 80-0-0 b5
9f4
and 
9f3

I seem to recall that that line was a hot topic about 20 years ago.  (Reminds me of a suggestion by ErictheRed to play stuff top players were playing back around that time.)

White has many 6th move alternatives in the Classical Sicilian, but in my opinion 6Bg5! is the most dangerous. 6Bc4!? is also aggressive. All other sixth moves, Be2, Be3, f4, g3 lead to interesting games with equal chances.

Alex Yermolinsky devoted a large proportion (50%?) of his Classical Sicilian book to 6Bg5. 6Bg5 is the move chosen for white in Experts vs. the Sicilian and in Dismantling the Sicilian.

As black, I've considered most of black responses. I've only recently turned my attention to the following line:
1e4 c5 2Nf3 Nc6 (or d6) 3d4 cxd4 4Nxd4 Nf6 5Nc3 d6 (or Nc6) 6Bg5 e6 7Qd2 a6 80-0-0 Nxd4!? 9Qxd4 Be7.

I'm somewhat encouraged by what I've seen. As black, I'm not expecting an easy game, but I do want my share of chances. Chess Publishing and other sources treat this line with respect.

White has two major plans: 10f4 and the English attack 10f3 (10h4 or 10Kb1 followed by f3). After 10f4 b5, the main line is 11Bxf6 gxf6 and now 12e5 and 12f5 are among the moves that have been played.

That hilarious game below:



Also, I worked on this ...Be7/...0-0 a couple of years ago but found some problem lines. It's better to play 7...a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 in my opinion.

I played white in a speed game.

After
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 h6 10. Bh4, 

I was surprised by ...a6.

It is a perfectly natural move and seems to lead to reasonable play. If there is a refutation, it was not immediately obvious to me.

Note though that 11. .. Bd7 is really a sideline: the most common move by far is 11. .. Qa5 (also possible is 11. .. a6).

It does look like Black has a few decent options against 12 Bxf6, and indeed 12 e5 appears to be the real issue.