Move Order Tricks in the 2.Nc3 Sicilian!
In this post, I will share some move order tricks that White can employ to try to throw Black off in the Sicilian Defence, based on 2.Nc3.
Most players play 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 with some specific system in mind - such as the Grand Prix Attack (3.f4) or the Closed Sicilian (3.g3). However, if we are a bit flexible, we can set Black some problems, and potentially trick them into a type of position where they are not as familiar with the right moves and plans.
Let's rule out one independent attempt by Black right off the bat:
2...e5? This was my choice when I first faced 2.Nc3, as a 1300-rated junior over 16 years ago. However, it allows White an ideal setup with an early pawn break against Black's centre:
Black is already close to strategically lost in the final position above, as Black can't free himself with ...d5, and White's kingside pawn storm plays itself, now that the centre is stable.
2...g6?! This was my move in a 2011 GM round robin, when I was a 2400-rated FM going after my IM norms. It works quite well if Black is a Dragon/Accelerated Dragon player, who wants to keep flexible against White's Anti-Sicilian tries. However, it gives White an independent option of 3.d4! - as played by my GM opponent in the 2011 game - which gives White a very decent version of the Dragon:
In the game, Black avoided castling kingside, as after 8...0-0 9.Nge2, White benefits from having the knight on e2 rather than d4 - so that Black can't break in the centre with ...d5. Dubov tried to avoid castling and accelerate his queenside play instead - but without success.
2...a6 I played this in the late teens, as a way to try and confuse opponents out of their usual systems. It worked out fine for me at first, but as I started to play titled players, I found that the Closed Sicilian approach was a bit tricky to meet in practice. In particular, the following variation gives White decent chances for a kingside initiative:
The engine considers such positions equal, but in my experience, it is much easier to play White, who can follow with f5, e5 or g4-g5, depending on Black's next moves.
Of course, White can also place the knight on e2, which we will consider in the next part.
2...e6 I liked to play this move when I was an FM/IM, and liked going for the Kan Sicilian (with e6/a6) when White was already committed to Nc3 (thus avoiding Maroczy Bind setups with d4 followed by c4). It is quite effective against White's Anti-Sicilian tries - against which Black can play a fairly quick ...d5 - but we can still keep Black guessing as to whether we'll play a Closed Sicilian or Open Sicilian, by delaying the advance of our d-pawn:
None of these approaches force an advantage for White, but this does move order Black into a specific line of the g3 Kan Sicilian, which may not be in Black's usual repertoire. White can also switch back to a Closed Sicilian, in similar spirit to my suggestion against 2...a6.
If these positions are not to your taste, and you want something that sets Black more objective problems, then this Rossolimo-style line is a good alternative:
In both these lines, White has won many recent games at the Grandmaster level, so there's definitely the opportunity to set problems. Black can prefer 3.Nf3 a6, when White can choose between the g3 setups seen before, or just accept the transposition to the Kan Sicilian with 4.d4, having avoided some ...e6 Open Sicilians.
2...d6 This is the most likely move from a Najdorf player, and so it's not a big surprise that I mainly played it in the later stages of my chess career, when the Najdorf was one of my main defences to 1.e4.
However, White can again try to move order Black by keeping the option of both the Closed Sicilian and transposing to an Open Sicilian with d4:
In the final position of the main line, White is ready to go for a ready-made kingside attack with g4, f5 and so forth, while Black will take his chances on the queenside with ...b5-b4. The line is objectively equal, but often leads to decisive games - personally, I believe it is a bit easier for White to play in practice.
We can also use this as an Anti-Najdorf move order, transposing to the Open Sicilian when Black plays ...g6/...Nc6, but meeting 3...a6 with 4.g3, when Black's ...a6 move was not the most useful in the position.
Also, for those that like more aggressive systems, the Grand Prix is more effective when ...d6 was already played, as Black's thematic ...e6/...d5 in the early middlegame would now take an extra tempo:
We can see from this game that White has many interesting options, and is not limited to the standard 'develop the king's bishop, play d3 and hack Black's king'. White can either play an early d4 to transpose into an old-school Dragon line that may not be in Black's repertoire, or play Grischuk's trendy d4 gambit to surprise the opponent and set some fresh problems.
2...Nc6 This is the most common move, which was my preference as a junior, back when I played the Sveshnikov. However, the neo-Rossolimo line shown below gave me a lot of headaches:
We can see from the above game that White's idea behind Bb5 is to play a refined Grand Prix - doubling Black's c-pawns before going for the usual Grand Prix moves. That's why Black should play 3...Nd4, but recently White has been setting some problems with 4.Nf3 at a high level:
Admittedly, Black should be able to equalise with correct play - for instance, the eccentric 7...Nd4!? is probably an improvement in the main line - but the positions are quite unusual and interesting. In many lines Black either falls behind in development, or ends up in this slightly unpleasant structure with the doubled d-pawns.
Admittedly, there is a possible transposition to the Be2 Taimanov/Scheveningen in this main line - but you can deviate with other moves such as 7.a3 (Guseinov's preference) or 7.b3, which lead to original play.
Which of these lines appeals to you most as White? How has it worked for you in your games so far?
And for the Sicilian players - what would be your counter as Black to this repertoire?
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