Choosing an Anti-sicilian.

You are approaching this all wrong!

It's not about giving or not giving what the opponent wants.  It's about White doing what is best for White!  What gives White the greatest chance to win?

The answer?  Playing the Open Sicilian!  Let's take the Najdorf as an example since it's one of the most popular, one of the most sound, and one that I myself play from BOTH sides:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4

OK, so Black has an extra center pawn.  That said, Both White's central pawns are out, the development of his pieces is faster, and he has a half-open d-file just like how Black has a half-open c-file.  All other things basically being equal, White gets easier and faster development.

4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6

So White has developed 2 pieces, Black has developed 1, and it's White's turn!  The major lead in development more than offsets the extra center pawn.  Note that had White instead played 2.c3, he would not only be not developing a piece, but he would be blocking the most natural square for a Knight, and Black knows better than to instantly play ...cxd4 after White plays d4 if White previously played c3.  Make White find a bunch of productive moves with that c-pawn in his own way before you give in.  Also remember, this is chess, not checkers!  Black is not forced to capture!

6.Bg5 e6 7.f4

What more can White ask for?  He has 3 pieces developed to Black's 1, so even with Black to move, he's still at least 1 ahead at getting pieces developed.  He has more space.  His King is no looser than Black's.  White has a slight advantage, mainly what he gets by playing correct chess and going first.

Sure, this may be Black's desirible style of play, but playing inferior moves, while maybe causing a slight psychological inconvenience for Black because it may not be "as much fun to play", you are giving Black instant equality by playing inferior lines like the Closed Sicilian.

Black should be thrilled to face Anti-Sicilians!  They are inferior for a reason!

The open sicilian is not really what black wants, it's rather the best thing black can achieve from that position if white plays the best moves.
Any decent player is happy if you play those inferior anti sicilian lines where you give black instant equality. Just like how any french defense player should be happy when they see the exchange variation.
But of course it depends on what result you want from a certain game. If black is in a must-win situation, he will be happy to play the open sicilian, as it gives more chances compared to some anti-sicilians.


 

The best Anti Sicilian is 1d4 or 1c4

The Bb5 and c3 Sicilians are the only Anti-Sicilians I have much respect for. Grand Prix is okay but if black has the theory memorized he will equalize with no trouble,

I can certainly understand wanting to avoid open sicilians ... there's a tremendous amount of work involved ! I played the closed with 3 g3 for several years myself , with mixed results . I was inspired by Spassky's games in this variation , unfortunately I dont play it as well as he did . I am now back to playing the open sicilians but if black plays 2... e6 I will often opt for 3 c3 or go into a KIA because I dont want to do the work required to really know the paulsen/kan/taimanov lines ... I also play the sicilian as black so very often I will play 1 d4 with white just so all my games arent sicilians !  

Here's a lesson on how NOT to play against the Taimanov.  That said, they aren't the hardest lines to beat in the Sicilian.  They just require a little more patience as they don't typically feature the swashbuckling sacrifices that others do, like Nd5 in the Najdorf or Rxh7 in the Dragon.

This anti-Sicilian topic comes up frequently.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/how-do-you-play-against-sicilian-defense

Some other ideas that are commonly recommended, or at least suggested:

Grand Prix Attack, 2. f4

Smith-Morra Gambit, 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3

Alapin's Variation, 2. c3

Staunton-Cochrane Variation, 2. c4

In the past I advocated the Staunton-Cochrane but recently I'm having second thoughts, since Black starts out with an 11.1% statistical winning advantage compared to the usual 2. Nf3 lines, and I've lost quite a few games with it to the computer, so I'm still looking around for other options myself.

----------

(p. 15)
A Study Plan
We have accepted in this book a
broad distinction between two kinds
of chess players, 'positional' and
'combinative'. It is most important
that a player should adopt an opening
which leads to the type of game suited
to his own individual style. Some
players have a flair for combination
and are happiest when conducting an
attack against the enemy king. For
them we recommend, as White,
study of one of the open games from
chapter 3, The Grand Prix Attack
against the Sicilian (p. 65), the Four
Pawns Attack against the King's
Indian (p. 149) and so on. With Black,
the Sicilian Defence and the Yugo-
(p. 16)
slav Variation of the King's Indian
are recommended.
   The other type of player, who pre-
fers a more steady kind of game, with
accumulation of slight advantages
and pressure against definite weak
points in his opponent's game, needs
a different opening repertoire. He
should adopt, as White, the Ruy
Lopez or the Queen's Gambit, the
Averbakh Variation against the
King's Indian (p. 150), the Tarrasch
Variation against the French (p. 81)
etc. With Black he can try the French
or Pirc Defences, according to
whether he prefers blocked or open
positions, while against  1 d4 he
should employ the Nimzo-Indian and
Bogoljubow lines.

Harding, Tim, and Leonard Barden. 1976. Chess Openings for the Average Player. Mineola, New York.

Most of us reading chess.com are not playing at a level where we need be much concerned about Black equalizing easily at the master level and up.

For that matter even GMs still play the KIA and the Closed Sicilian. If I'm not mistaken, I ran into Carlsen game where he played a Grand Prix reversed as Black and won.

The power to force the opponent into an opening scheme that you have carefully worked out is an advantageous use of the white pieces, even if objectively speaking it is about equal. I hope this book helps you understand the King's Indian Attack and that you win many games with it.

--Neil McDonald, "The King's Indian Attack: Move by Move"

That said, I am surprised how poor the stats are for White in the Closed Sicilian. By these numbers, Black has not only equalized but has gained the equivalent of White's first move advantage.

Well the problem is black played 2...Nc6

I think the Closed Sicilian does better against 2...e6 set ups

Playing the Grand Prix Attack against 2...Nc6 is considered Risky/Gamble.

I wrote an article about it.

http://www.chess.com/blog/X_PLAYER_J_X/understanding-the-grand-prix-attack

@Fiveofswords you mean at class level of course. Obviously not master+ level.

I prefer 2. c3 the Alapin. IMHO it is great for an amateur player.  The 2. ..d4 lines are fairly straightforward and good for white.

Book is 2. ..Nf6 and the mainline is practical, simple and natural.

What do you think of the Grand Prix Attack? Most of you are out of my zip code ratings-wise so I'm curious.

Well I like it and use it from time to time. I even created an article about it.

I think I have gotten to a point were I'm not exclusive in my opening lines. Like I do play the Closed Sicilian, KIA, Grand Prix, Open Sicilian/Macrozy Bind, Open Sicilian/Fischer-Sozin Attack, Open Sicilian/ Yugoslav attack

I wouldn't consider myself a master of all of them or anything. However, I do often get a good game. I think eventually every one does that. I can't just have 1 opening all the time. I would bored myself to death lol.

To be completely honest.

My style is some what positional. However, I never tryed to be a positional player when I started playing chess. It just sort of happened according to my mood.

All I have ever done was play lines that try and reflect how I felt that day.

I don't like alot of risk and I'm a cautious person. So I'm naturally most days play lines that reflect that mood which is why I have leaned toward being a positional player.

However, I would be a liar if I didn't say some days I felt wild. Some days I add so much chaos and risk on the board. The board catches fire and I have to get a fire extinguisher. An in truth on days like that I can't play a positional line. It would end horrible for me. Chess is a game of the mind and if your mind is feeling aggressive and attacking. Than you must play a line that offers you aggressive attacking chances. Otherwise you will lose.

You will defeat yourself psychologically. An that is not even a chess rule thats like a life rule. If you are not fully commited into doing something mentally and physically than you are not going to do well.

How can you win the chess game if you are feeling aggressive and your position is positional. You will cause yourself so much torment during that game. You will get frustrated not liking your position. You will start thinking negative thoughts about your line, about your skills, and you might even think negative thoughts about your opponent. All becuase you are not playing the way you should be playing and during this whole process you will not be focusing on the board. You will not be trying to find the best move. You will waste time on yourself and your opponent instead of on the position.

It is a real issue. Happens every day in chess. I have played maybe 500+ games in blitz just on this site. An out of those 500+ games I probably lost half.

About 250 lost games I would imagine. An do you know what. I bet out of those 250+ games I must of had negative thoughts to myself, my position and, my opponent least 3/4ths of those losses.

I would even go as far as to say I thought my opponents were cheating me with an engine at least 1/2 if not more during those games.

However, in truth when all the BS excuses are out of the way. Do you know how many games I actually have found that had exact engine moves? I would say only 5.

5 out of 250.

Which only shows 1 thing. Excuses is what makes you lose in chess.

An I have been trying to limit my excuses. Its a slow process but I believe it has helped me improve slowly.

X_PLAYER_J_X: Thanks for that. informative, insightful and honest.

I was curious about the Grand Prix. Alburt and Dzindi recommend it in their repertoire system, "Chess Openings for White Explained."

I have a weakness for liking f4 for White and f5 for Black that's not rational, going back to those great Botvinnik Dutches and Spassky Closed Sicilians, so the Grand Prix seemed kinda up my alley. Except that it's really kind of a tactical mess that I don't find attractive at all.

I can believe that it rolled a lot of Black players when it was first unveiled and I'll bet it still does well against unprepared Black class players.

I'd enjoy hearing from any current Grand Prix aficionados.

Your Welcome. Yeah the Grand Prix Attack is one of the lines I use when I'm having an aggressive day lol.

I wrote an article about it. Which is the below link.

http://www.chess.com/blog/X_PLAYER_J_X/understanding-the-grand-prix-attack

It can be very aggressive. Sometimes it turns into an all out king hunt. It mainly depends on what moves black does.

Ideally the Grand Prix Attack does very well against lines that do not counter in the center so aggressively.

The Grand Prix Attack has a few different move orders. I prefer the move 2.Nc3 as a nice waiting move to see what black does in response.

The Grand Prix Attack does well against 2...d6 Sicilian Set ups.

So lines like the Sicilian Dragon, Najdorf, Some cases Scheveningen if they play 2...d6 move order.

The Grand Prix Attack is like an all out flank attack to the black king usually. Blacks best response is to counter the flank attack with a center thrust of the pawns.Usually with a d5 pawn thrust in the center. Which if the D pawn wants to go to d5 to counter whites attack. Lines that commit the D pawn to like d6 early in the opening have poor results for black.

Lines that do not do so great are lines like 2...e6 or 2...a6

I cover why in my article. So I probably will not explain all of it again lol. However, yeah its a nice line to know. I play it against 2...d6 players. usually if they play another move like 2...e6 for example than its better to just play something esle. An I have examples of other lines you can play if they go down that 2...e6 route etc.