Against the Sicilian

• At a glance

  Against the Sicilian

  573 games against the Sicilian, 51.1%: your Najdorf holds up, but the Dragon, 5…Nc6 and two fork tricks cost you points.

  18 cards, one idea each. Swipe to move on.

• The big idea

  Against the Sicilian, you sign the oldest contract there is: 2.Nf3, 3.d4, and you open the game. The price: you trade your d-pawn for his c-pawn, and he keeps two center pawns against one.

• The big idea

  What you buy: a lead in development, the d5 square and a kingside attack while he looks for counterplay on the c-file.

• The big idea

  Your repertoire has a signature: 6.Rg1 against the Najdorf, played in 138 games, for 52%. It's your most frequent line, and it holds up.

• The big idea

  The lost points are elsewhere: 6.g4 against the Dragon gives away a pawn, 5…Nc6 leaves you at 43% over 45 games, and against 2…Nc6 3.Bc4 two fork tricks (…Nxe4 and …d5) keep coming back without you having the answer ready.

• The big idea

  Over 573 games you score 51.1%, a point and a half above your overall score (49.6%).

• The big idea

  This course doesn't change your repertoire: it keeps 6.Rg1 and 3.Bc4, and it fixes the five positions where your opponents knew something you didn't.

• Principle

  Against the Najdorf, 6.Rg1 then g4

  Your games: 144× · 53% of points

  The rook leaves h1 to support g4-g5, which drives away the Nf6, the guardian of d5. Your king has only one address left: c1, after Be3, Qd2 and 0-0-0.

• Principle

  The g4 push goes out supported, never alone

  Against …h5 you need h3 first, against the Dragon you need f3: a g4 pawn that nothing covers falls (6.g4? Bxg4) or opens the h-file for the Rh8.

• Principle

  Count the defenders of e4

  Your games: 44× · 58% of points

  With the bishop on c4, e4 is only defended in appearance: …Nxe4, Rxe4 d5 forks the rook and the bishop. Know the answer, 7.Bxd5, before you play Re1.

• Principle

  Two pieces en prise: save yours first

  Your games: 7× · 7% of points

  After 4.e5 d5, your Bc4 and his Nf6 are both attacked. 5.exf6 dxc4 gives him the bishop pair; 5.Bb5 saves the bishop and the Nf6 still has to retreat.

• Principle

  The 3.b4 gambit is a weapon, not an obligation

  Your games: 119× · 45% of points

  Against 2…e6, 3.b4 works for you in blitz, but the engine prefers 3.d4: keep the Open Sicilian at hand for longer games.

• Imbalance

  One center pawn against two

  Your games: 241× · 50% of points

  After 4.Nxd4, you have e4, he has d6 and e7: two center pawns against one. Your majority is on the queenside, his is in the center: if you wait, …d5 or …e5 frees his game.

• Imbalance

  The c-file against your king on c1

  He has a half-open c-file and a6-b5 pawns marching toward your castled king. Your race: g4-g5 and f4 before …b4 drives away your Nc3.

• Imbalance

  The d5 square

  Your games: 59× · 55% of points

  As soon as he plays …e5, d5 becomes a hole: no black pawn can cover it anymore. Driving the Nf6 away with g4-g5 means winning d5 for your knight.

• The trade-off

  What you gain

  • You impose your plan from move 6: Rg1 and g4 against the Najdorf, the line where you score 52%.
  • The development lead of the Open Sicilian: your pieces come out fast and your king heads to c1.
  • Against 2…Nc6, 3.Bc4 avoids theory and brings you 55% over 142 games.
• The trade-off

  What you give up

  • 6.Rg1 gives up short castling: your king has only one address, c1, facing the c-file.
  • Your g4 pushes sometimes go out unsupported: against the Dragon, it's a pawn given away.
  • Rare moves catch you without a plan: 2…Nf6 (27% over 11 games), 5…Nc6 (43%).
• That's all

  Your turn

  These ideas only stick once you play the moves. The chapters make you find the right ones.

  Start chapter 1

Card 1 of 18: Against the Sicilian

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