Download PGN of November ’24 Anti-Sicilian games
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2 Na3 Sicilian: 2...e6 3 d4 d5 [B20]
Those who meet 2 Nf3 with 2...e6 may also go 1 e4 c5 2 Na3 e6 when 3 Nf3 d5 4 exd5 exd5 5 d4 Nf6 6 Bb5+ already forces Black to be fairly precise, something which 6...Bd7 7 0-0 c4?! wasn’t in Dauner, B - Mardell, J.
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The knight was well placed on a3 to support 8 b3 and quickly came round to c3 as White obtained a big early initiative.
2 Na3 Sicilian: 2...Nc6 3 Bb5 [B20]
Black’s standard response to 1 e4 c5 2 Na3 is 2...Nc6 when 3 Bb5 gives the position a definite Rossolimo feel:
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We’ll take a look at Black’s main options here, including 3...e6 when 4 Bxc6 bxc6 5 d3 Ne7 6 f4 gave White the easier position and he quickly took control in Bauer, C - Njili, K.
2 Na3 Sicilian: 2...d6 3 c3 [B20]
In Charochkina, D - Druzhinina, O, we take a look after 1 e4 c5 2 Na3 at both 2...g6 and 2...d6 3 c3 Nf6. Here 4 g3 is normal, but in the game White preferred 4 Nf3!?:
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Should this be classified as a 2 Na3 variation or B50, as the position could also come about via a 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 c3 Nf6 4 Na3 move order? I’m unsure, but in any case Black has little to fear.
2 c3 Sicilian: 2...d5 3 exd5 Qxd5 4 d4 Nf6 5 Nf3 e6 6 Na3 a6 [B22]
After 1 e4 c5 2 c3 d5 3 exd5 Qxd5 4 d4 Nf6 5 Nf3 e6 the engines quite like 6 Na3 when 6...a6 is Black’s simplest response, as well as Caruana-approved, as we’ll see. After 7 Nc4 Nbd7 Caruana’s opponents have liked 8 Ne3, but 8 Be2 is likely more challenging:
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In this tabiya Black has three main options, of which 8...Be7 9 0-0 0-0 10 a4 gives White an edge. Instead, 8...b5!? is Black’s most ambitious choice and will be seen in Kevlishvili, R - Bilych, O, while the more solid 8...cxd4 9 Qxd4 Bc5 is covered in Hansen, E - Andreikin, D, which is an impressive and instructive win by Black.
2 c3 Sicilian: 2...Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nf3 e6 6 cxd4 d6 7 Bc4 [B22]
Via a 1 e4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 Nf3 d6 5 d4 cxd4 6 cxd4 Nc6 7 Bc4 move order then 7...e6 an important tabiya arose in Zhakshylykov, E - Navara, D, after 8 0-0 Be7 9 Qe2 0-0. Here White has a few options, of which 10 Rd1 has been fairly trendy, but the older, direct approach that is 10 Nc3 dxe5 11 dxe5 Nxc3 12 bxc3 Qa5 13 Qe4 was seen in the game:
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Here 13...Qa4 has long been theory’s choice, to dissuade Bd3, but Navara preferred 13...Rd8!?, a choice he may have soon regretted as he came under heavy pressure on the kingside.
2 c3 Sicilian: 2...Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 Nf3 d6 5 Bb5+ [B22]
The move order 1 e4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 Nf3 d6 continues to hold up fairly well for Black. 5 Bb5+ is a recent try from White, but after 5...Bd7 6 Bc4 (attacking the knight on d5) 6...e6 7 d4 dxe5 8 Nxe5 Nc6 Black is both solid and developing quickly:
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White can seize the bishop-pair, but not the advantage and in Stevic, H - Svane, F, a noted c3 Sicilian expert was rather butchered after Black quickly castled long.
Will Black also manage to castle queenside in any games in the December update? I don’t know, but do stay tuned!, Richard
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