Is this a good opening?

Generally speaking, white gets more of an advantage than black would like to allow out of this opening, since white has the bishop pair in an open position and the d pawn will become quite weak in the long term. Plus black doesn't have any real compensation for these concessions. This is of course exactly why d6 is more common.

no

Check the game explorer; there are 2000+ games with this line, so somebody must think it's OK.

 The only time this would be good is if you were white. Black shouldn't have done e5. In fact, I do not even believe that that is an actual "opening move." People may have played it, but is this move really in the books?? There are many moves people play in the opening which are definitely not opening moves. Black should've played Nf6 or g6. The only time you would press the e pawn is if white plays a closed Sicilian, which white is definitely not playing since he played d4, and then you would play e6 not e5.

Elisheba, chess is a richer game than you think. This is called the Lowenthal Sicilian; not only has it been written about in more or less every book on the Sicilian, the subvariation with 5.Nb5 d6! is called the Kalashnikov (a nickname that stuck) and there's been at least one book written solely on that variation: http://www.amazon.com/Sicilian-Kalashnikov-Everyman-Chess-Pinski/dp/1857442571/

Besides, are you aware of its bigger brother the Sveshnikov, 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 e5? That was for a while a few years ago THE biggest Sicilian, with half the world top playing it. It's also one of the oldest variations of the Sicilian I think, played in the 19th century.

no

Thanks Scarblac,

I could not remember the name of the opening.  White may think he/she can exploit the weakness at d6 but it's not so easy. 

I am not quite sure I remember the source but I believe Sveshnikov actually said 4...e5 was better than the line that his name is attached to. It is a tricky variation to play for both sides with lots of possibilities. Also it is not as well known. The fact that so many people said it was bad (when in fact is OK) probably makes it a good weapon to have as Black! 

From here white has a range of queen moves to choose from, all of them leading to an advantage because white has the 2 bishops and black has a weak d5 square.

8.Qd1

8.Qc7!?

8.Qxf6

8.Qd2

I never have seen someone ever open like this.

It's good for black, but I doubt someone'd open this way. But that's just me.

Looks like an interesting position. Even though white has an advantage with the bishops on an open board, all is not lost for black. Personally I would try to hang on to the light-squared bishop and possibly fianchetto it, castle kingside, put a knight on e7 and play for f5 as soon as possible.

Sveshnikov started playing this after a huge boom in theory in his namesake line.

Honestly it seems okay developing both knights IF there is a queen trade, but white is very annoying so I wouldn't use it.

The Kalashnikov sicilian was played in the macdonnel vs Labourdanis match but he variated and played Nxc6?! But yes this is fine but quite theory dense alot of knowledge is required to play this properly but you will get good results if you do so.

 Crab is nothing to the almighty Bongcloud.