Yep! Math failure! Sorry 'bout that!

@Free - Yep! Modern Chess is the maker. But is modern chess selling it for $23.79 (perNernstian59)?

cathexis - I may be wrong, but I believe that the 70% off sale would reduce the price of that $79 course course to $23.70. At least that's how the 70% off sales work at modern-chess.com. And speaking of Easter sales, that site also announced a 70% off sale earlier this week.  In their case, the code is EASTER2025. IIRC this is the highest discount the modern-chess offers. (60% off sales are fairly common). In addition, there's a quantity discount if two or more courses are ordered at the same time.

cathexis wrote on 04/17/25 at 14:23:54:

Very timely! He provides a good introduction to the opening and to his course. it does not seem that he dwells on deviations prior to reaching the Classical Sicilian. I'd have to do some digging to see if other authors cover early deviations.

I notice that he goes with Benko's response to Bobby Fischer:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cd4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Qb6 instead of the more commone 6...e6. 6...Qb6 is sensible and definitely takes the edge off the game compared to 6...e6.

The intro mentions the pros and cons of 2...d6 and 2...Nc6, rightly pointing out that 2...Nc6 allows 3Bb5. I like the play from 2...Nc6 3Bb5 for Black, yet think that White is better. I'm leaning towards 2...d6. It's more lines for me to learn, but Black seems to be A ok.

Chessable also has publications on the Classical Sicicilian. GM Sam Shankland, GM Srinath Narayanan, and  GMs Mikel Huerga & Andrea Stella have each published.

It seems that most all recent publications on the Classical Sicilian have the same approach to the critical Richter-Rauzer:  
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6!? 8. O-O-O Bd7

I've only seen one author attempt an older, even more classical, approach.  FM Amro El Jawich advocates 7...Be7 in "The Razor Sharp Rauzer Sicilian." It's a great effort on his part and well suited for anyone who already plays 7...Be7.

I did not find any titles on the Classical Sicilian at Forward Chess.

kylemeister wrote on 01/05/24 at 05:40:04:


I can't say. I wouldn't be surprised if 11e5 were to become more popular. Over the last two years with players rated above 2400, the score has been +7, =4, -5.

Indeed, Cheparinov recommends 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd3 for White in the Richter-Rauzer, as well as 6.Bg5 Qb6?! 7.Be3! (his punctuation). It's in the preview at the end of
https://www.modern-chess.com/top-level-repertoire-against-the-sicilian-part-1-7-...

edit: Browsing with the Lichess comp on the 6. Bg5 Qb6 7. Be3 line:

With White's bishop still on f1, Black shouldn't take on b2:

A) 7...Qxb2? 8. Ndb5 Qb4 9. Bd2 Qc5!?

Hoping for 10. Nc7+ Kd8 11. Nxa8 Ng4 12. Qf3 Nd4 13. Qd1 Nb5 with a repetition, but White is on top after 10. Rb1! Ng4 11.Qe2 Rb8 12.h3, Goins-Vroom 2004.

B) if Black doesn't want to play tempo-down lines with Qc7 or Qa5, he can try 7...a6 when 8. a3 or 8. Nb3 are OK for White, as Black will soon regroup with Qc7 and e6.

The Richter-Rauzer is the main hurdle and Black seems to be doing well in the B67-B69 lines based in high level games played the last two years. The play is sharp.

I've looked at 6...Qb6 (B60) in the past and was not satisfied with Black's chances. However, GM V. Durabeyli (2625) has had good results against 2400+ players the last two years. As Black, he's won 5 games, lost 3, with 2 draws. Against 2600 rated players he's even.

White has done well deviating from the main line. Successful sidelines the last two years are bolded:  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 (7. Qd3) a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 (9. Kb1) 9. f3 or 9. f4. I assume Black is less prepared in those lines, but reason enough to consider this from either side of the board.

After 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7, 9. f3 is challenging, both because it is a good move and because the play is not so concrete. The main response in the past was 9...Be7. Black develops and can later choose between Nxd4 or Ne5. Perhaps the problem is that just when Black is ready to commit to one to one knight move or another, White plays Nxc6!?

Carlsen played 9...Nxd4, Anand - Carlsen 2018, and 9...Nxd4 10.Qxd4 quickly became a major line.



10...Bc6 tries to make sense out of Black's play. Moves 8 through 11 put Black's bishop on the long diagonal. 10...Bc6 is mentioned, though not recommended, by Avrukh. Brandon Jacobon has played it with reasonable results. It's often the case that ...d5 e5 ensues with a French type of position. Avrukh also mentions 10...h6 11Be3 Bc6, with similar ideas. Nuances may be important though.

The main move by far is 10...Be7. It seems odd to leave the Bishop on d7. It's like playing g6 and not following-up with Bg7 in other openings. However, White has no immediate to prove Black's game wrong and the Bishop does cover important squares. For example if ...b5-b4, White can not play Na4. Also ...b5 ...a5 may become possible.

White has many moves, perhaps the main one being 11.Kb1.

[/fen]

Several authors have considered 11...b5 and 11...Qc7. The moves may, but need not, transpose. Kozul mentions 11...0-0, but only to make a point about the desirabilty of 11.Kb1:  11. Kb1 O-O 12. Bf6 Bf6 13. Qd6 Qa5 14. Nd5 ed5 15. e5 



"15...Bg5 does not arrive with check," Kozul. True enough, but Black is not lost in this position. He has 15...Bxe5, and even better 15...Bf5! 16. ef6 Bc2 17. Kc2 Qa4 18. Kd2 Qd4 19. Bd3 Qb2, which Stockfish assesses as equal.



White does not have to play 12Bxf6. 12.g4? Nxe4! is fine for Black. However, bishop retreats (12Be3, 12Bd2, 12Bc1) and also 12h4 are possible.

11...Bc6, similar to 10...Bc6, may also be possible.