Fighting the Anti-Sicilians

Publisher: Everyman Chess 2007

The Sicilian Defence is by far Black's most popular answer to 1 e4 at all levels of chess. The reason for this is easy to understand: from the very first move Black unbalances the position and can play for a win without needing to take unjustified risks. This is particularly the case with the Open Sicilian, where Black can take comfort from the knowledge that his superior pawn structure ensures control of the centre and excellent long-term chances.

Faced with this problem, along with the fact that Open Sicilians generally carry a massive build-up of theory, it's unsurprising that many White players prefer to play one of the various 'Anti-Sicilian' lines on offer. These numerous alternatives to 2 Nf3 include the primitive but dangerous Grand Prix Attack, one or two wild gambits, and also some tedious and niggling variations such as 2 c3 and the Closed Sicilian, which are designed to stamp out any fun Black was envisaging when playing 1...c5.