The Sicilian with 2…Nc6

• At a glance

  The Sicilian with 2…Nc6

  137 games, 54.4%: IMRosen plays 2…Nc6, and the Rossolimo 3.Bb5 is the line he meets most.

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

• The big idea

  Your games: 480× · you score 57%

  Against 1.e4, IMRosen plays the Sicilian, then 2…Nc6 against 2.Nf3.

• The big idea

  Your games: 63× · you score 45%

  Against the Rossolimo 3.Bb5, he chooses 3…d6 and 4…Bd7; against 3.d4, he plays the open lines with …Nf6 and …d6, or the Accelerated Dragon with …g6.

• The big idea

  Your games: 3× · you score 17%

  137 games, 54.4%, roughly his overall score with Black, 53.8%.

• The big idea

  Your games: 3× · you score 17%

  The analysis finds no recurring IMRosen move disputed by Stockfish in this family: the difficult positions come from the plan, not from one specific move.

• The big idea

  Your games: 28× · you score 38%

  The course follows White's choices: the Rossolimo with 6.Bf1 then 6.Bxc6, the 4.Bxc6+ exchange, the Richter-Rauzer, the Accelerated Dragon with 7.Bc4, then the Maroczy.

• Principle

  Against Bb5, the d7 bishop undoes the pin

  Your games: 51× · you score 42%

  After 3.Bb5 d6, the d7 bishop covers the e8-b5 diagonal: if the White bishop takes on c6, Black recaptures with a piece and keeps the structure.

• Principle

  …Bg4, then Bxf3

  Your games: 28× · you score 38%

  When the White bishop retreats to f1, the Black bishop comes out to g4 and trades itself for the f3 knight. Black then keeps a solid structure with …e6.

• Principle

  Recapture on c6 with the bishop

  Your games: 14× · you score 36%

  Against Bxc6, recapturing with the d7 bishop keeps the structure and the diagonal toward e4. Recapturing with the b-pawn gives White an edge.

• Principle

  Trade on d4

  Your games: 10× · you score 75%

  In the open Sicilians, …Nxd4 trades White's central knight and frees the queen for …Qa5.

• Imbalance

  The c-file against the center

  Your games: 14× · you score 36%

  After …cxd4, Black has the half-open c-file and a central majority. White has space and a lead in development.

• Imbalance

  The bishop pair against development

  Your games: 5× · you score 90%

  In the Rossolimo, White often gives a bishop for the c6 knight: Black keeps the bishop pair, White gains time.

• Imbalance

  The Maroczy bind

  Your games: 8× · you score 38%

  With c4 and e4, White stops …d5 and …b5. Black looks for trades to get some air.

• The trade-off

  What you gain

  • One system against 2.Nf3: 2…Nc6, then …d6 and …Bd7 against the Rossolimo.
  • No recurring move disputed by Stockfish in this family.
  • Against 4.Bxc6+, 5 games and 90%.
• The trade-off

  What you give up

  • Against 6.Bf1 Bg4 7.h3, the position reached 16 times scores only 34%.
  • Against 6.Bxc6, the position with 8…Rc8 scores only 36%.
  • Against the Accelerated Dragon with 7.Bc4, White has often had the initiative.
• 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 16: The Sicilian with 2…Nc6

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