Download PGN of April ’23 Anti-Sicilian games
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c3-Sicilian: 2 c3 d5 3 exd5 Nf6!? [B22]
We took a detailed look at this aggressive gambit line for Black in the May update last year. My conclusion then was that it’s a good practical try, but probably not entirely sound from a theoretical point of view. However, in the game Fitzsimons, D - Fier, A from the recently-concluded Reykjavik Open, I completely forgot my analysis and stumbled into a line that we haven’t considered at all!
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I played 5 c4 in the above diagram, whereas the only move I checked in the May update was 5 Qb3. Both of these options are the top two engine choices, but the line I went for in the game allows Black to sacrifice another pawn with 5...b5!, a chance that the creative Brazilian GM jumped at. However, after 6 Qxb5 Rb8 7 Qa4, Black innovated with the move 7...g6? which really shouldn’t give him enough compensation (7...e6! being far more challenging for White to face).
The game turned out to be incredibly messy, with Black sacrificing an exchange in addition to the two pawns, even gaining an advantage after my far less than perfect defence. The game was ultimately drawn after many adventures. While 7...g6? probably shouldn’t be repeated, this line is playable if Black goes for 7...e6 and I’ve explored this in detail in the notes.
c3 - Sicilian: 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 c3 d5 4 exd5 Qxd5 5 Na3!? [B22]
I never thought I’d get the opportunity to annotate a Kramnik game in the Anti-Sicilians, so I hope the reader will forgive me for including this one! Luckily for us, the line “Big Vlad” chose in Kramnik, V - Gukesh, D from the Armageddon Championship has only been covered once in the archives and could do with an update. Kramnik went for the unusual 5 Na3!? in the below diagram:
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Delaying the advance of the d-pawn is a rare but quite sensible option for White. Kramnik’s simple play may have lulled his young opponent into a false sense of security, as Gukesh uncharacteristically blundered early on and was lost by move thirteen!
I’ve checked Black’s most popular approaches in the notes. Several of the mainlines lead to French Tarrasch-style positions (and sometimes direct transpositions to this opening!), which could certainly make this line a good choice against Sicilian specialists. More ambitious tries from Black lead to interesting and double-edged play where White has good chances to seize the initiative. Food for thought!
Carlsen Variation: 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 Nf6 6 b3 e6 7 Bb2 d5 8 exd5 exd5 9 0-0-0 Be6 10 Bb5!? [B23]
Our next game features a near-novelty on move ten. While watching the game Tari, A - Vignesh, N R at the Reykjavik Open, I was struck by how bad things looked for Black very early on! Tari played 10 Bb5!? in the below diagram:
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This has only been played once before by Vallejo Pons towards the end of last year. While the engines rate it as equal, it’s a natural developing move and White’s position seems easier to handle. Black replied with 10...Qa5!? and after 11 Nge2, Rc8?? would already have been close to lost for Black if Tari had found 12 Qg5! White was still better after the game’s 12 Kb1?! and won after some adventures. More tests are definitely needed!
Closed Sicilian: 2 Nc3 a6 3 g3 Nc6!? [B25]
Next up is another exciting game of mine from the Reykjavik Open. This was a rare all-ginger battle against the always enterprising GM Simon Williams (oddly enough, I also played another red-headed GM, Gretarsson, a few rounds previously!) The game Fitzsimons, D - Williams, S featured an interesting move-order from Black:
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3...Nc6!? was Simon’s choice. This is far less common than the automatic 3...b5 but I think it’s very sensible. Simon thwarted my attempt to transpose into the Yilmazyerli game from last month by preparing to meet 4 Nge2 with 4...g6!?, when I felt that an Open Sicilian transposition from White looked fairly toothless, but perhaps it is a better try for an edge. I kept things in Closed Sicilian territory by playing 4 Bg2 g6 5 d3 Bg7. In principle, this should be a slightly more favourable version of the usual Closed Sicilian lines, as Black has committed to ...a7-a6 early on, when ...Ra8-b8 is generally more useful. However, it’s doubtful as to whether White can really claim any significant edge from this. I felt that the best attempt was to go for 6 Be3 d6 7 f4!? hoping to transpose into the old mainline, where ...a7-a6 may actually prove to be a loss of time and/or harmful in certain variations. The game heated up very quickly, with Simon sacrificing an entire Rook, despite the Queens already having been exchanged! After I mishandled the position badly, the game petered out to a draw. I think Simon’s move-order is quite clever (depending on what the Black player's Open Sicilian variation of choice is) and deserves to be more popular.
Rossolimo Variation: 3 Bb5 e5 4 0-0 Bd6 5 c3 [B30]
Nakamura tested this recently-popular Rossolimo line several times from the Black side in online events this year. The game Fedoseev, V - Nakamura, H from the Chessable Masters went straight down the mainline of this variation:
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White chose the unusual (and new for our site) 7 Bb3!? provoking 7...c4 8 Bc2. This is So's recommendation in his Chessable 1 e4 course and it gives White additional possibilities to undermine Black's Queenside pawn chain. The Bishop retreat chosen by Nakamura on move ten shouldn't equalise, but the alternative mentioned in the notes looks very playable. In any case, White should have taken measures to prevent Black's Kingside counterplay. Instead, Fedoseev greedily pursued Black's weak d-pawn at the expense of his development and paid the price. I'm looking forward to seeing more tests of this line over the coming months.
Rossolimo Variation: 3 Bb5 e5 4 0-0 Bd6 5 d4!? [B30]
Nakamura wasn’t the only top player to give this line a whirl in the Chessable Masters. The game So, W - Carlsen, M saw Magnus defending against Grischuk’s very dangerous gambit idea for the third time!
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Carlsen chose 5...Nxd4 (which he has now played twice as often (!) as his original response, 5...exd4) and So continued with 6 Nxd4, while I also update the lines after 6 Bc4 in the notes). Carlsen recaptured with the c-pawn, and after the further 7 c3 Bc5 8 b4 Bb6, So deviated from my previous analysis with 9 a4?! which didn’t provide him with enough play for the pawn after Carlsen’s accurate reaction. In fact, the soon-to-be-former World Champion controlled the game very well and never really gave White a chance to equalise. After missing a few quicker wins, Carlsen eventually showcased his trademark technique by grinding down his opponent in a Rook and opposite-coloured Bishop ending. This line seems to be holding up well for Black and I’m sure it will only become more popular.
Rossolimo: 3 Bb5 g6 4 0-0 Bg7 5 c3 Nf6 6 Re1 0-0 7 d4 cxd4!? [B31]
The game Navara, D - Pat, V from the Extraliga featured a Rossolimo line that is supposed to be quite promising for White. Black played 7...cxd4!? in the below diagram:
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This is considered to be inaccurate, as White’s Knight gains access to the c3-square after 8 cxd4 d5 9 e5 Ne4 10 Nc3!, and I've also covered the popular alternative, 10 Bxc6!? in the notes. Plat responded with 10...Nxc3 11 bxc3 Na5!? aiming to create counterplay down the c-file. Navara continued with the natural 12 Bf4 and I've covered other promising alternatives in the notes. In general, White has strong attacking chances in this line, but Navara misplayed the position somewhat, and Plat found some great defensive moves to reach a winning ending.
Moscow Variation: 3 Bb5+ Bd7 4 Bxd7+ Nxd7 5 c3!? [B52]
Finally, we’ll take a look at a rather rare move-order from White in the Moscow Variation. The game Daulyte - Cornette, D - Mammadzada, G from the European Individual Women’s Championship featured the immediate 5 c3!? instead of the almost automatic 5 0-0 in the below diagram:
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Sam covered this in the archives, where Dubov somewhat speculatively put the idea of delaying castling to use by sending his King to the Queenside instead. This is not the only difference, however. After the typical sequence 5...Ngf6 6 Qe2 e6 7 d4 Be7 8 e5, with castling included for both sides, Black could comfortably play ...Nf6-e8 here, which is well-known to be fine. In the current position however, Black is more or less obliged to place the Knight on d5, either before or after exchanging on e5, and it’s not clear if Black can fully equalise.
In the game, Black chose the immediate 8...Nd5, and the Knight was immediately kicked by 9 c4 The best route for Black’s Knight appears to be d5-b4-c6, whereas Mammadzada’s choice in the game, 9...N5b6?! turned out to be disastrous after the further 10 exd6 Bxd6 and now the very strong 11 b4!, which is actually a novelty. Black loses material by force here and wasn’t able to survive for much longer. This early c2-c3 idea is a tricky move-order for Black to deal with! Perhaps Black’s best bet is to follow Dubov - Grandelius from the archives or deviate even earlier with 6...Rc8!? See the notes for more details!
Until next time, David
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