Opening Lanes looks at the ...e5 Anti-Anti-Sicilian

International Master Gary Lane runs a very informative, interesting, and entertaining column at ChessCafe.com called Opening Lanes, in which he answers reader questions about various chess opening variations. 

In this month's column, he answered a question I posed, about the variations 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5 and 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5. I was excited to see a titled player look at these variations, especially a Bishop Opening's specialist like IM Lane (Since 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 c5 transposes).

You can read his analysis in PDF format.

I have been posting analysis on meeting Anti-Sicilians with ..e5. There were not many games to be found featuring this move, and very little freely available analysis. I already have surveyed 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5, and will return to this line in more depth in the future. I am also going into more depth with 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5 (which could also arise from the Bishops Opening).

I may eventually pen a larger response to IM Lane's analysis, although I doubt there is much to be critical of (after all, he's hundreds of rating points stronger than I, and probably has more time and resources to boot!). That being said, after 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5 3.f4, the only third move he analyzed for White, I would prefer 3…exf4 over either 3…d6 or 3…Nc6 (the options he covered in his article).

My analysis on 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5 3.f4 will be posted in the near future, since it is anyway the next option in my series of 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5 (It will be line D).

Please check out IM Lane's column, and let me know what you think!

(The pictures above are from Chesscafe.com; I claim no right on them, providing them only for aesthetic pleasure.)

Combating Anti-Sicilians with ...e5: Anti-Bc4 (Line C)

This post is concerned with the line 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5 3.Nc3, or Line C in the series. See the introductory post for this series for Line A, as well as an explanation of the entire variation and some database statistics. 

This is part of a larger series on meeting anti-Sicilian lines with …e5. In a previous post, I covered how this move can successfully be employed against the Rossolimo Siclian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5).

In the introduction to this series on ..e5 against the anti-sicilians, I point out that Black needs to take care of d5, anticipating moves from White such as Nc3-d5, Na3-c4, and c3 followed quickly by d4. The move Bc4 also introduces pressure against f7. Black should be on guard for moves like Ng5 (which in the initial position is not possible due to Qxg5).

1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5

A) 3.Qh5

B) 3.c3

C) 3.Nc3

D) 3.f4

E) 3.b4

F) 3.Nf3 (Followed by c3, O-O, d3, or b4)

Click 'Read More' below to see the analysis. Stay tuned for continued analysis of this variation, from Lines D through F (Links will be activated once the posts are up.) 

I try to provide as comprehensive and accurate analysis as I can, but as a class player with limited time and computer resources, I've probably missed quite a bit. 

Please let me know what you think, and add any of your analysis in the comments section!

Combating Anti-Sicilians with ...e5: Anti-Bc4 (Line B)

This post is concerned with the line 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5 3.c3, or Line B in the series. See the introductory post for this series for Line A, as well as an explanation of the entire variation and some database statistics. 

This is part of a larger series on meeting anti-Sicilian lines with …e5. In a previous post, I covered how this move can successfully be employed against the Rossolimo Siclian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5).

In the introduction to this series on ..e5 against the anti-sicilians, I point out that Black needs to take care of d5, anticipating moves from White such as Nc3-d5, Na3-c4, and c3 followed quickly by d4. The move Bc4 also introduces pressure against f7. Black should be on guard for moves like Ng5 (which in the initial position is not possible due to Qxg5).

1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5

A) 3.Qh5

B) 3.c3

C) 3.Nc3

D) 3.f4

E) 3.b4

F) 3.Nf3 (Followed by c3, O-O, d3, or b4)

This post has been vastly expanded, as part of blog renovations described in an earlier post. If you would like to see the original analysis, please email/contact me.

Combating Anti-Sicilians with ..e5: Anti-Bc4 (Line A)

In this post, I'll begin to look at answering either 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 or 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 with …e5. This is part of a larger series on meeting anti-Sicilian lines with …e5. In a previous post, I covered how this move can successfully be employed against the Rossolimo Siclian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5).

Where the move ..e5 against the Rossolimo drew parallels with the Ruy Lopez, the reply …e5 against the Bc4 attack will appear similar in some lines to the Guicco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5). However, the presence of a pawn on c5 instead of the Bishop, together with the weakness of the d5 square, makes for some important differences.

In the introduction to this series on ..e5 against the anti-sicilians, I point out that Black needs to take care of d5, anticipating moves from White such as Nc3-d5, Na3-c4, and c3 followed quickly by d4. The move Bc4 also introduces pressure against f7. Black should be on guard for moves like Ng5 (which in the initial position is not possible due to Qxg5).

Unlike the line with Bb5, the Bishop on c4 may prove to be a target for Black, and White needs to watch out for a6-b5, which may threaten to capture the Bishop. Furthermore, the Bc4 move does less to put pressure on the Black e-pawn, and gives the second player more flexibility in their response.

In this post, I will only cover line A. In subsequent posts, I will consider several other variations. Lines A through E concern with the immediate 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5, while Line F considers a delayed version 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 e5.

1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5

A) 3.Qh5
B) 3.c3
C) 3.Nc3
D) 3.f4
E) 3.b4
F) 3.Nf3 (Followed by c3, O-O, d3, or b4)

It is worth noting that, if Black can successfully meet 2.Bc4 with ..e5, then he has a defense not only against a rare anti-sicilian, but to the Bishop's Opening as well (Replying to 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 with …c5). Even if White can secure a space advantage or some initiative, it makes a good surprise weapon against a weaker opponent, if you are prepared to suffer a bit!

Out of 29 games that open with 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e5, White is winning 70% (W19 D3 L7). Download the full opening report. Remember, with these small samples sizes, the numbers may not have much significance! As always, they can be skewed by some games in which Black lost for reasons unconnected with their opening play.

Also, remember to check back to this post occasionally; I will continue to do analysis and update the post if necessary (I wasn't able to complete the survey at the time of the posting). If you spot an error in my analysis, or think you have a better idea then what I came up with, please post your moves and lines in the comment section!

This post has been updated and is still under construction!; for an explanation, see my post describing the blogs renovation. If you would like the original, truncated analysis on all of these variations, please email/contact me.  The full analysis of remaining lines will be posted eventually.

Combating Anti-Sicilians with ..e5: Anti-Rossolimo

This post is a continuation in a larger series, providing here some opening analysis, statistics, and games. Please see the previous post for an introduction to the topic of meeting the Anti-Sicilians with an immediate …e5

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5

White has several plans in this position. They can try to exploit the d5 square with Nc3, or the d6 and d5 squares with Na3-Nc4, possibly followed by Nc4-e3-d5. They can try to achieve the pawn break c3 and d4, hoping for a trade that will undermine Black's structure. Some players will attempt to trade on c6, and others still will rely on a slight lead in development by playing O-O, delaying selection of one of the above plans until Black commits.

Out of 259 games starting from this position, White scores ~61% (128 wins, 58 draws, and 73 losses). A more telling statistic, however, is the average rating of each player and their performance; if the White players from this sample are consistently stronger, then it is to be expected that the will win more often.

Average ratings and performance

White rating: 2285 (200 games); White performance: 2330 (59% vs 2265)
Black rating: 2265 (195 games); Black performance: 2190 (37% vs 2285)

The performance differential is also in White's favor. One should keep in mind, however, that this is still a fairly small sample size of games, and even if the statistics are unfavorable, it doesn't indicate that the line is unplayable. Furthermore, quite of number of the Black losses occur late in the game, after Black has already equalized (that assessment is my own, coupled with confirmation from SCID's engine).

You can download the full SCID opening report (in PDF format), which includes a theory table, as well as the PGN file containing the games. In addition, I've condensed the lines presented here (with annotations) into one single PGN file, available for download.

In most of the variations below, I will include statistics and reports on those specific lines, despite the fact that the small sample size for some makes them almost meaningless. Again, keep in mind that statistics aren't everything.

These variations will be split up into 4 different sections:
A) Miscellaneous 4th moves from White
B) 4.Bxc6
C) 4.c3
D) 4.O-O

This is my first large analysis post, and so you can expect updates to the lines (as mistakes are found) as well as updates to the format. Read ahead, and make sure you check back often!

Combating Anti-Sicilians with ..e5: Introduction

To paraphrase Vizzini, one of the villains from the Princess Bride, most people think twice about going against the Open Sicilian (as White) when death is on the line. This is true in the ranks of amateurs and when playing games in blitz or online; often, this will leave Black facing various Anti-Sicilian setups, such as the Rossolimo and Moscow variations, the Alapin Siclian, the Closed Sicilian, the Grand Prix, and a variety of gambits (Morra, Wing).

Fortunately, there are a number of ways Black can successfully combat these openings, and usually can chose a setup that is similar to their favorite line in the Open Sicilian (Dragon players can fianchetto, Taimanov players can play ..e6 and ..d5, etc). Players who employ the Sveshnikov variation (A group of which I am an occasional member) are often at a loss to achieve similar play versus the Anti-Sicilians as they do when playing the Open Sicilian.