Chess Publishing archives are almost always a good resource. For example I count 16 annotated games after the moves:

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cd5 Nd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7 8. d3 O-O.

Stigma wrote on 02/10/22 at 00:53:06:


Thanks. I didn't pick-up on the second discount. However it is still $33.11. That could be worth it if you think it worthwhile to spend time listening to the video, in addition to downloading the PGN.

I agree that Kuljasevic does good work.

By the way, Kuljasevic's main line 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cd Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. d3 0-0 9. Be3 Re8 10. Rc1 Bf8 11. Ne4 Nd4 ("when he gets a central outpost on d4") occurred in a game Videcki-Dorfman 1989, which Dorfman used as an example of the creation and exploitation of an outpost.  (There was a thread not long ago about Dorfman's use of that term.)

So, no clouds on the horizon? I may dig into this again.

I think Black has several playable lines that commence with 1c4 e5. Reasoning away, one might consider a reversed Sicilian to be risky, and a reversed open Sicilian to be riskier still. Black has alternatives in a reversed Rosolimo, reversed Grand Prix, reversed Closed Sicilian, all of which keep the game more closed minimizing white's extra tempo. However, I think the intrinsic merits of ...d5 justifies the move. Experience and theory likewise support ...d5.

GM Kuljasevic recommends 1c4 e5 for black at Modern-Chess. He provides pgn, which I want, and video, which I do not want. The entire package is too pricey for me. However, the free sample material got me thinking.

I've looked at and played 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7 8. d3 O-O before and am thinking of picking it up again. Kuljasevic presents a free sample game.

In the past, I concluded that black has a reasonable game with adequate space and development, but that white can probe in various ways on the queen side. Consequently black has to be alert. The play is intricate.

I checked on game statistics, in total and over the last 5 years, for a quick impression. Black does great. So far, so good. Then I restricted my search to very strong players, and white has done very well! The overall statistics may be more indicative of what players at my level might expect. The statistics at the higher levels might be more indicative of "ultimate" merit.

With a quick and superficial review, StockFish likes black's game. Also Kuljasevic recommends this for black.

Is anyone aware of games or a variation that are discouraging for black?

kylemeister wrote on 01/22/22 at 19:27:31:


Could you please show the moves?

I think I may have a glimmer of another answer. In the four knights line, he recommends:
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cd5 Nd5 6. Bg2 Bc5
6...Nb6 is much more common. I think he does not want a sequence where he has to play ...Nb6.

GM Neiksans has a course on Chessable:  Lifetime Repertoire: Reversed Sicilian. There seems to be a lot there, even in the free Short and Sweet version. I have the Short and Sweet version, but have not really gone over it yet.

One of his lines chooses ...Be6 over ...Nb6. 1c4 e5 2d3 Nf6 3Nf3 Nc6 4g3 d5 5cxd Nxd5 6Bg7 Be7 70-0 0-0 8Nc3 Be6
.

Neiksans analyzes the reversed Dragon after 1c4 e5 2Nc3 Nf6 3Nf3 Nc6 4g3 and only now 4...d5.

Against 1c4 e5 2g3, he plays 2...c6. Against 1c4 e5 2Nc3 Nf6 3g3 he plays 3...Bb4.

I realize alternative move orders may give black unique opportunities, but is it necessary? Can't black still play for a reversed Classical Dragon line?

One specific line that might work for Black is 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.d3 f6 8.O-O Be6 9.a3 (iso 9.Be3) Qd7 10.b4/10.Re1 O-O-O.

RdC wrote on 11/22/18 at 10:35:03:


RdC wrote on 11/23/18 at 11:11:53:

Thanks for confirming my objection to your first comment.

RdC wrote on 11/23/18 at 11:11:53:

Addressed in my first comment: 2...f5!? The knight is scarier on f6 than on b6.

6.Be2 Bg7 7.Nb3 O-O 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Qd2 Ng4 scores 5 wins for White, 4 draws, 11 wins for Black in my database.
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.d3 Be7 8. O-O Be6 9.Be3 Qd7 10.d4 and I wish you good luck castling queenside. Instead 10.Ng5 Bxg5 11.Bxg5 f6 12.Be3 O-O-O 13.Ne4 threatens 14.Nc5 and hence is also somewhat better for White, without a trace of an attack for Black.

RdC wrote on 11/22/18 at 11:02:48:


I guess it all depends on how "well read" the white player is.  If he plays the Dragon or has some knowledge of typical Dragon attacking plans it could be very risky playing this way as black.  Although ...a6 ideas are slow in the Dragon, white will have time for a3 and b4 due to the extra tempo - will that make a difference?

Back in the day I saw New England legend John Curdo play precisely your idea as black. His amateur opponent played a couple of natural but inaccurate "English" moves and was swiftly mated. As a novice with an 1196 rating and Levy's The Sicilian Dragon on my bookshelf, I knew that black was playing "inaccurately" and a tempo down to boot. Most probably white also knew the same. But not all English players are suited to the Open Sicilian. Interestingly, Curdo's white repertoire against the Sicilian was based on 3.Bb5(+), so this was unquestionably a case of playing the man.

BTW, google says Levy's book was published in 1972, but I don't think so. I distinctly remember Rd3! from Karpov-Korchnoi being in there, which would make it 1974 at the earliest.
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067858
Maybe there was an earlier edition than the one I had.

snakebite wrote on 11/22/18 at 10:43:07:


What if Black gave the tempo back with 12. or 13. .. a6? A Dragon player would know that except for some lines of the Soltis, playing .. a6 is usually too slow. An English player could find slow moves like a3 and b4 natural.

I've concluded it's a possibly risky way to play for a win, but you aren't sacrificing material and the loss of tempi means you could call off the attack without your position being compromised. 

I was also thinking that .. Nb6 isn't such a waste of time, given that it inhibits d4. I may even check its playability as Nb3 with White.

Well black will be a tempo down on a standard Yugoslav attack.  Whether white will actually take advantage of this is another matter.
I guess another way of thinking about it is what would you think of the following game?
1 e4 c5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 cxd4
4 Nxd4 Nf6
5 Nc3 g6
6 Be3 Bg7
7 f3 00
8 Qd2 Nc6
9 Bc4 Bd7
10 000 Rc8
11 Bb3 Ne5
12 h3 and then 13 h4.