About equal isn't it - ie not at all objectively but all potentially annoying in a practical sense?

3 b3 is probably the only genuinely principled argument, c3/d3 are mostly about being happy playing with e6/d5  ideas vs that sort of thing.

CanadianClub wrote on 04/07/14 at 11:25:10:


+1

The guy I know is just typing this.  It's a good option if you play Qe2 or KIA against the French Defense, at least till 2000 Elo. 

Calling the KIA with e6 included an 'excellent' version is considerably over the top Still a lot of very viable options for black.

I agree with the sentiment of picking main line sicillian first but in the UK you do get a huge quantity of anti's so it might almost make sense to work backwards....

Or just choice for specific opponents. 2 .. e6 isn't a bad way to annoy Bb5(+) addicts for instance

katar wrote on 04/04/14 at 16:02:39:


Are you referring to Jones' How to Beat the Sicilian Defence? After 2...e6 I think White can't play 3.Bb5 but gets an excellent version of the King's Indian Attack instead.

I agree with TN. Flexibility is a good thing, as the Antis seem to come in many different shapes. Since I normally play the Kan, it would seem good to go 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6. However, the problem is that this will often end up in a Closed Sicilian, and for those positions, I usually want to play a Botvinnik type set-up, which means I lose a tempo playing ...e5. Starting with 2 ...Nc6, could end up in the Taimanov, which I don't intend to play (but want to learn).

Against the Grand-prix, on the other hand, the move order is fine, as long as you are ok with the main line with Bc4 and the f5-pawn sacrifice.

Also, after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6, White can choose to play for KIA positions, and in those I again normally prefer a Botvinnik set-up. But this means that I now have several ways to meet these positions.

Anyway, as Volcanor said, you might need to adjust your set-up according to your main lines you wish to play, as otherwise you might get move-ordered on the way there. No matter what you do, there will be trade-offs to be made.

Imo the 2...e6 Anti-Sicilians are less unpleasant for Black than the 2...d6 ones, but that's my taste speaking. I don't get that many Antis in any case, but I do quite like the Moscow system for White and don't see how Black achieves 100% equality against it. Conversely stuff like 2...e6 3.b3, 3.g3 and 3.c3 seems minor in comparison. 

In truth you could get Scheveningen style positions from the Taimanov by playing ...d6 at some point - I guess your liking of that comes down to whether you'd play the Najdorf with ...e5 or ...e6, given the choice. I don't think the Moscow is enough of a pest to not play 2...d6 (and White's other options like 3.c3 and 3.Bc4 aren't the least bit frightening) as well as 2...e6 in any case, if you have the time to learn two Sicilians. 

If we extend the case to 2.Nc3, then 2...e6 is quite effective against the Antis as you have 3...d5 against 3.f4 or 3.g3. 2...a6 is also completely fine of course, but I'd be reasonably happy to play 3.f4 b5 4.Nf3 Bb7 5.d3 and 6.g4 even though it's not objectively better for White. Again a bit of flexibility is probably the way to go. 

Finally, you may wish to consider the 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qc7 move order to reach the Taimanov with 5.Nc3 e6 - the only real disadvantage I can see is that it allows the Rossolimo, which while totally respectable isn't as annoying as the Moscow in my view (3...e6 seems enterprisingly fine). 

It really is down to a matter of taste in the end - the difference between 0.02 and 0.12 is nothing compared to how much you like and understand the positions you get. On a random note, the most Flexible Sicilian would surely be to play all of them.

Like I said the first time - neither Purely depends on what you feel like facing/how you like playing vs the Anti's.

Also have to consider mantaining coherence with your set ups vs 2 Nc3.

You're right there Taminov its fine for, definetly not for the Kan. 

Kan types can try 2 .. a6 of course, although that might ultimately just get you slightly worse anti's.