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Chess Openings Analysis
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Sep 15, 2015
0
#4
Well, nothing is going to tell you "why" the Sicilian works.
What it sounds like you are looking for is something like the "Move by Move" series by Everyman Chess (www.everymanchess.com - There may be a tab in the menu for the Move by Move series, otherwise do a title search, not subject search, for Move by Move)
Sep 16, 2015
0
#5
(p. 182)
SICILIAN DEFENCE
(1 P-K4, P-QB4)
MENTIONED by Polerio in 1594, given its name by the Italian master
Greco in the seventeenth century, the Sicilian received its earliest
practical tests and a big boost in popularity in the MacDonnell-La
Bourdonnais match (1834), Staunton v. St. Amant match (1843), and
the great London Tournament of 1851. Since then it has experienced
repeated refutations and rehabilitations. But "age cannot wither nor
custom stale its infinite variety." Barely a year passes which does not
cause us to re-evaluate some variation. Today the defence is a regular
in every tournament, and one should refrain from 1 P-K4 unless
prepared to confront it.
The Sicilian owes most of its effectiveness to the semi-open Queen's
Bishop's file produced after White plays P-Q4 and the inevitable
exchange of pawns. With 1...P-QB4
Black immediately puts pressure on the Queen's
flanks and plans complete liberation with ...
P-Q4. The move also strikes at Q5 and
QN5, half opens a file and frees the Queen.
From the strategical point of view the Sicilian
has the advantage of allowing a large choice of
pawn-configurations. Moreover it avoids pre-
pared variations and certain drawing openings
like the Giuoco Piano and Four Knight's Game.
The dominant theme is struggle--in the opening,
in the middle-game--hardly suitable for those who wish to play for
a draw. The greatest danger is that White will get the upper hand
in the centre and then break through with a winning attack on the
King's side. By and large the end-game tends to favour Black since
White ofen weakens his position by early, ambitious King's-side pawn
advances. The Sicilian is Black's most dynamic, asymmetrical reply to
1 P-K4. It produces the psychological and tension factors which
denote the best in modern play and gives notice of a fierce fight on the
very first move.
Evans, Larry, and Walter Korn. 1965. Modern Chess Openings, 10th Edition. New York: Pitman Publishing Corporation.
Of the recent general books about openings, perhaps the talkiest is Fundamental Chess Openings by Paul van der Sterren. It is pretty long, though.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626173432/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen128.pdf
Hello! Is there a website, or some other source of information, where I can find analysis and detailed explanations of openings? Like, why does the Sicilian Defense work, or not work? Stuff like that.