The Carlsen Variation of the Sicilian

"Have you ever heard of the Carlsen variation of the Sicilian defense?"

If not, that's bad news! You could be missing out on the latest fashion top players are pursuing in 1.e4 c5. This so-called "Carlsen variation" can be a great way to boost your cunning Anti-Sicilian repertoire. And as black, I can only suggest you avoid it by either not playing the Sicilian, or playing a different line on the second move. 

The great news is that this line can be implemented by most players of any level!

So what is this exciting variation championed by Magnus and luring your opponent out of book? Keep reading.

Well, since Magnus incited a craze when he played this line in 2018, Naka, Fabi, Moro, So, Dubov, Firouzja, Andreikin, Fedoseev and many other elite Grandmasters with a dominating score in Megabase.

It goes:

I'm sharing with you The Carlsen Variation: A New Anti-Sicilian by Carsten Hansen, but for a better price and more engaging experience, consider reading the book like me: on the Forward Chess interactive e-reader. Learn about all it's advanced features and testimonials in my previous blog posts/book reviews.

Here's the pivotal game, an embodiment of excellence ingrained in the enterprising variation. A breathtaking dynamic masterpiece executed with sharp precision against the Polish Grandmasters Najdorf/Scheveningen pawn formation.

The book weighs in at 17 Chapters, including the coverage of: Minor 5th moves, 5...Nf6, 5...g6, 4...a6, 4...Bd7, and 3rd move alternatives.

Now, rather than extract and present fragments of various chapters, here's the entire Chapter 17: 3rd move Alternatives. (Important to know if your opponent wants avoid your surprise!)

Please let me know your thoughts and if you'd like to see more blogs on Magnus's openings!