Sicilian defense - English attack.

Date: 14 Feb 2005 21:14:47
From:
Subject: Sicilian defense - English attack.

Hi all,

What is white best approach in this situation

e4 c5
Nf3 d6
d4 cxd4
Nxd4 Nf6
Nc3 a6
Be3 e5
Nb3 Be6
f3

Now, black can freely play d5 and get into a comfortable position. How
does white approach the position if black plays d5.

After exd5 Nxd5
Nxd5 Qxd5
Qxd5 Bxd5

Black looks very comfortable. Have I missed anything?

Thanks in advance
-Saba

Date: 18 Feb 2005 07:41:13
From:
Subject: Re: Sicilian defense - English attack.

Thanks. your reply was very useful.

-Saba

Date: 17 Feb 2005 04:08:16
From: Douglas L Stewart
Subject: Re: Sicilian defense - English attack.

Out of 2437 games after 8 f3 in my database 8 .. d5 has only been played
30 times and White has scored 77%. Not promising statistics.

Let's try to figure out why.

8 .. d5
9 exd5 Nxd5
10 Nxd5 Qxd5
11 Qxd5 Bxd5
12 O-O-O

Here is where Black seems to go wrong and probably why the statistics
are so bad. 12 .. Bxb3 trades off Black's only developed piece and
scores very bad.

12 .. Be6
13 Na5!? (has never been tried)
13 .. b5
14 Bd3 f5 !? (it's hard to see much that is better)
15 Rhe1 Nd7
16 a4! (the only move I see to keep White's initiative alive)

Now I think White has a little bit of pull, for instance

16 .. bxa4
17 Bc4 Bg8
18 Bxg8 Rxg8
19 Nc4 O-O-O (or .. Be7)
20 Rd5

I think White has at least a slight advantage here.

The bottom line is that 8 .. d5 appears to be playable, but it leads to
an endgame that is easier for White than for Black. If someone is
playing the Najdorf they're usually hoping for something more dynamic
than an early endgame. I think the move is played infrequently because
it's just not the type of continuation that someone playing the Sicilian
is hoping for.

---
Douglas L Stewart
[email protected]
President, Mississippi Chess Association
http://www.mcachess.org

[email protected] wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> What is white best approach in this situation
>
> e4 c5
> Nf3 d6
> d4 cxd4
> Nxd4 Nf6
> Nc3 a6
> Be3 e5
> Nb3 Be6
> f3
>
> Now, black can freely play d5 and get into a comfortable position. How
> does white approach the position if black plays d5.
>
> After exd5 Nxd5
> Nxd5 Qxd5
> Qxd5 Bxd5
>
> Black looks very comfortable. Have I missed anything?
>
> Thanks in advance
> -Saba
>