How to play Sicilian defense with white

Sort:
Oldest
Saade3000
I know “beginner” players shouldn’t play Sicilian but some players with around 1000 Eli use it and I would like to know how to play against it.
blueemu

You have several fully playable alternatives.

The Open Sicilian (2. Nf3 followed by 3. d4) is probably the best try for advantage, and it leads to an unbalanced game where both White and Black have advantages and disadvantages. But it also has a lot of theory, and if you encounter a "booked-up" opponent, you might end up in a bad position before you've even made it out of the opening. 

The Closed Sicilian (2. Nc3 followed by a K-side fianchetto) is slower, calmer and safer; but it also puts less pressure on Black and offers White less chance for advantage.

There are also a number of "anti-Sicilian") options, all of which are playable but none of which come close to refuting the Sicilian. These include 2. c3, 2. f4 and 2. Bc4.

Personally, I play the Open lines... with both White and Black.

As far as the old "beginners shouldn't play this" advice... it largely depends on your goals. If you are just trying to beat other 1000-rated players and improve your rating by a few points, then yes, play an opening you understand instead. If you are trying to learn as much as possible and improve your overall chess knowledge, then you should try to get exposure to several different types of opening and middle-game positions; and playing the Sicilian makes sense. Expect your rating to go down a bit, while your overall chess knowledge goes up.

kindaspongey

Possibly helpful:

My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White by Vincent Moret

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9033.pdf

Opening Repertoire 1 e4

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7819.pdf

Rhodes55

Dont be too caught up in this "beginner" type cast.

Having fun is perhaps the greatest teacher of the game, one is smarter more creative, and stays with the game longer.  One has to experiment in this game to find ones self so to speak, heh some of us are old and still looking but then having fun so still playing. 

YureaLily

play the alapin variation if you really didn't want to play against sicilian, or maybe try to learn wing gambit and smith-morra gambit if you're an "aggresive player" but smith-morra gambit can still transpose into a normal sicilian

i didn't really know the opening theory of them actually.

oh yeah don't use the bowdler attack as your main line, nt really recommended

 

staples13

Yes play 2. c3. After that the position is much easier to play for white than black

staples13
rychessmaster1 wrote:
staples13 wrote:

Yes play 2. c3. After that the position is much easier to play for white than black

This man KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING BOUT

Yes! Great post!

Rhodes55
Yet there is this and it is fairly forced and looks as French as they come.
So this is good for Black so how can 2.c3 be good for White?

 

staples13

That is the French Defense not the Sicilian

Rhodes55
staples13 wrote:

That is the French Defense not the Sicilian

Heheh yep

poucin
staples13 a écrit :

That is the French Defense not the Sicilian

This is the contrary because u will never reach this position after a french defence. While u could obtain it with sicilian.

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.c3? dxe4 thank you for the pawn!

1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.d4 d5 and here we are... Now white can go into an advance french with e5, or playing directly against black pawns with exd5 or Bb5 first, which is best.

Yigor
poucin wrote:
staples13 a écrit :

That is the French Defense not the Sicilian

This is the contrary because u will never reach this position after a french defence.

 

Never say never! peshka.png

 

 

AngryChessPlayer123

if you just learn a common basic set up (something like this for white)



for open Sicilian and avoid any tricky lines like the e6 variation, yugoslav attack and anything else, you should be fine until your opponents start learning all the theory 

Rhodes55

Meh position is what it is... I see nothing there for the better or equal player to avoid.

poucin
Yigor a écrit :
poucin wrote:
staples13 a écrit :

That is the French Defense not the Sicilian

This is the contrary because u will never reach this position after a french defence.

 

Never say never! 

 

 

A french player will always play 2...d5.

What about this move order :

 

MasterMaceWindu
This is the best way to play the Sicilian as white.

 

staples13
littleLizz wrote:

In the Sicilian, the best move objectively is 2.Nf3 and then 3.d4. You will have to learn some theory, though, especially if you're facing the Dragon. If your opponent knows a lot of theory or you just can't be bothered to learn 10+ moves, then play 2.c3. It's safe, solid, although a bit boring.

2. c3 is not boring

Yigor
poucin wrote:
Yigor a écrit :

Never say never! 

A french player will always play 2...d5.

What about this move order :

 

LoL The future generations could call it Saragossa: Poucin variation wink.png:

 

 

yay2

 

Forums
Forum Legend
Following
New Comments
Locked Topic
Pinned Topic