Tuesday 17 March 2009

How to hack the Sicilian

Years ago the late Hugh E. Meyers commented that the Sicilian was just a bad opening, and that Black only won if "White misplayed his kingside attack". As I read this quote when I was young and impressionable, I (a) never played the Sicilian and (b) tried to blast away on the kingside as much as possible. Of course (b) doesn't always work, and it is only later in life that I've even begun to ignore (a).
However I still cheer for White when I see a Sicilian, and the following game demonstrates the sort of plan I wish I could execute every time 1.e4 is met by 1. ... c5. Indeed it has some similarity with the attacking ideas found in the Grand Prix Attack, especially 12.Qe1 and 8.f4 followed by 9.f5

Nisipeanu,L (2675) - Cvitan,O (2542) [B42]
10th ch-EUR Budva MNT (7.44), 12.03.2009

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.0-0 Qc7 7.Kh1 d6 8.f4 g6 9.f5 Bg7 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Bg5 Bd7 12.Qe1N Nc6 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.Qh4 Qe7 15.Rf4 Rae8 16.fxg6 1-0

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