Problems with :Sicilian Defence

As a new player i searched for what is the best response to e4 and it turned out to be C4 and it was mentioned also that the sicilian defence, would be a very hard opening since 1 mistake can have a big effect on the game, so i started playing the sicilian whenever i get e4, loosing in a championship 6 games with black wining 5 with white, and continued to learn sicilian variations and i became more handled to it, the problem is now iam doubting if my style is suitable with the sicilian defence, and i really don't know my style til now, with white i always play D4 Queens gambit Accepted or Declined, and am very comfortable with it, but with black other than the sicilian against e4 i never played anything different or know anything, please can someone tell me how can i choose another defence that is suitable with my style in defence, and how can i know my style? 

Blitz:

stats as white: 497 (54.6%) 378 (41.5%) 35 (3.8%)

stats as black:423 (46.9%) 431 (47.8%) 47 (5.2%)

Rapid:

stats as white: 279 (52.2%) 230 (43.1%) 25 (4.7%)

stats as black :277 (53.1%) 223 (42.7%) 22 (4.2%)

Until youre a titled player, the only style you have is blundering.

For someone seeking help with choosing openings, I usually bring up Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014).

http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html

I believe that it is possible to see a fair portion of the beginning of Tamburro's book by going to the Mongoose Press site.

https://www.mongoosepress.com/excerpts/OpeningsForAmateurs%20sample.pdf

Perhaps ZiadMsoliman would also want to look at Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006).

"If you find an opening here that appeals to you and you wish to find out more about it, the next step would be to obtain an introductory text devoted entirely to that subject." - GM John Emms (2006)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf

"Each player should choose an opening that attracts him. Some players are looking for a gambit as White, others for Black gambits. Many players that are starting out (or have bad memories) want to avoid mainstream systems, others want dynamic openings, and others want calm positional pathways. It’s all about personal taste and personal need.

For example, if you feel you’re poor at tactics you can choose a quiet positional opening (trying to hide from your weakness and just play chess), or seek more dynamic openings that engender lots of tactics and sacrifices (this might lead to more losses but, over time, will improve your tactical skills and make you stronger)." - IM Jeremy Silman (January 28, 2016)

Also, perhaps look at:

https://www.chess.com/article/view/picking-the-correct-opening-repertoire

http://chess-teacher.com/best-chess-openings/

https://www.chess.com/blog/TigerLilov/build-your-opening-repertoire

https://www.chess.com/blog/CraiggoryC/how-to-build-an-opening-repertoire

https://www.chess.com/article/view/learning-an-opening-to-memorize-or-understand

https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-perfect-opening-for-the-lazy-student

Be very careful of the word "best." A database shows you which move is more *popular* at the *master* level. The reason the Sicilian is great for masters is because they invite complications since they're playing for a win, and don't mind wracking their brains as Black to find the one move that will allow them to survive, just because of the chance that White might also go wrong somewhere. The Sicilian is not a weapon for beginners. It's like a guy learning to shoot a pistol with a Desert Eagle.

The solution is simple: play 1...e5 against 1. e4. Not only is 1...e5 next in popularity after 1...c5 in a database, but in theory it's more inherently drawish due to the symmetry.

Here are my own personal notes on all the database responses to 1. e4:

1...c5 {Sicilian Defense. #1 pop/20. w 36%. n 30%. adod-opening:asymmetry-strategy:undamped-strategy. decisiveness 70%.}
1...e5 {Double King's Pawn Game. #2 pop. w 41%. symmetry-strategyamped-strategy. early-control-from-center:classical-school. decisiveness 71%.}
1...e6 {French Defense. #3 pop/20. w 39%. center-hamipid-opening. -self-piece-blocking-of QB. more-counterplay-than Caro-Kann Defense.}
1...c6 {Caro-Kann Defense. #4 pop/20. w 37%. side-hamipid-opening. avoidance-of -self-piece-blocking-of QB by-pawn e6. -self-piece-blocking-of QN. -less-counterplay-than French Defense.}
1...d6 {Pribyl System. #5 pop/20. w 41%. center-hamipid-opening. can transpose-to Philidor's Defense.}
1...d5 {Scandinavian Defense. #6 pop/20. w 41%. early-control-from-center:classical-school.}
1...g6 {Modern Defense. #7 pop/20. w 37%. prepare-for fianchetto:early-control-from-flank:hypermodern-school.}
1...Nf6 {Alekhine's Defense. #8 pop/20. w 38%. develop. u-threaten e4-pawn. invite-pawn-advance e5.}
1...Nc6 {Nimzovich Defense. #9 pop/20. w 41%. develop.}
1...b6 {Owen Defence. #10 pop/20. w 47%. prepare-for fianchetto:early-control-from-flank:hypermodern-school.}
1...a6 {St. George Defense. #11 pop/20. w 45%. -unneeded-rp-prophylaxis.}
1...g5 {Reversed Grob. #12 pop/20. w 58%. -np-advanced-past-3rd-rank-in-opening.}
1...f5 {Fred. #13 pop/20. w 65%. -f-pawn-advance-in-opening.}
1...a5 {Corn Stalk Defense. #14 pop/20. w 61%. free R:-early-rook-development.}
1...Nh6 {"Greene Defense." #15 pop/20. w 58%. develop. -knight-rimization.}
1...f6 {Barnes Defense. #16 pop/20. w 65%. -f-pawn-advance-in-opening. side-hamipid-opening.}
1...h6 {Carr's Defense. #17 pop/20. w 49%. -unneeded-rp-prophylaxis.}
1...h5 {"Kadas Defense." #18 pop/20. w 56%. free R:-early-rook-development. No historical name exists.}
1...Na6 {"Dovzik Defense." #19 pop/20. b 52%. develop. -knight-rimization.}
1...b5 {"Gibson Defense." #20 pop/20. w 61%. prepare-for fianchetto. -np-advanced-past-3rd-rank-in-opening.}

Play philodor or berlin

Thank you Sir for giving this Info, I'll look towards all of them as soon as possbile.

What lines after 1. d4 do you play as White? As Black?

You might want to choose your defense against 1. e4 to harmonize with the other systems that you already feel comfortable with.

For example, if you play the Slav Defense against 1. d4 (by 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6) then you might want to try playing the Caro-Kann against 1.e4, because Slav (vs 1.d4) and Caro (vs 1.e4) Pawn positions can be so similar that there is actually a class of Pawn formations that is already referred-to as "Caro-Slav Formations".

If you prefer the Orthodox Defense to 1. d4 (by 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6) then you might consider playing the French Defense as Black against 1.e4, since again they share certain characteristics.

Someone who plays the King's Indian Defense against 1. d4 might prefer to use a fianchetto defense against 1. e4 as well... the Pirc, or the Modern, or the Sniper, or the Rat, for example.

This is one of the biggest mistakes that amateurs make, and it clearly shows that blueemu is nothing more than mediocre in strength.

The Slav and Caro-Kann are NOTHING ALIKE except Black's first 2 pawn moves and maybe where he places his Queen's Bishop!  That about ends the similarities.

Take the French.  What can be said about the French?  VERY FREQUENTLY, the center is blocked!  Not just semi-closed, like the QGD, but completely blocked.  Definitely the center two files, but then there are also times that the c- or f- file also gets blocked.  Understanding how to play blocked positions and the "Pawn Pointing Theory" is critical in the French.

Now let's think about QP openings.  Which one leads to a blocked center where you attack based on the direction your pawns are pointing?  Would that be the Queen's Gambit Declined simply because your two central pawns are the same?  White's central pawns are not the same, which already makes comparing the French to the Queen's Gambit Declined like comparing Apples to Oranges, or even worse, comparing Apples picked off a tree to Oranges that have sat on the ground soaking in leaked car oil for the last 4 hours!

So again, let's think about this.  Which QP opening features a blocked center at a high frequency, and especially in the main (classical) lines?  The King's Indian Defense!

And yes, anybody that tells me they need a defense to d4 that tells me they play the French against e4, I immediately tell them their answer is the King's Indian Defense!  Same thing applies vice versa!  If you need a KP opening and play the KID, the French is your answer!

Another absolute joke that I hear people claim is the King's Indian and Pirc are similar.  ABSOLUTELY NOT!

This is how you have to look at it.  Look for similar ideas when looking at the entire board.  Don't be looking for cases where your own pawns in the center happen to be on the same squares, but completely ignore White's structure, which directly impacts the position.  The board has 64 squares, not 32!

Diakonia wrote:

Until youre a titled player, the only style you have is blundering.

What

Bullshit.

Similar Pawn skeletons. Similar key squares. Similar Pawn levers. Similar maneuvering on interior lines, even to the point that the "Nest Method" is most commonly applied in Caro and Slav positions.

That class of Pawn formations would not be referred-to as "Caro-Slav" if there were no connection between the "Caro" and the "Slav"

And I'm going to call bullshit on you!

He're the proof!

In post 9, you utter the words "Orthodox Defense" and  "French" in the same sentence.  You do the same thing with the King's Indian Defense and Pirc Defense.

Here's the proof that they have nothing in common outside of the first couple of pawn moves.

In the QGD, where are White's pawns?  c4, d4, e3.  How about the French?  c2, c3, d4, e5 (Winawer) or c3, d4, e5 (Closed Tarrasch and Advance) or c2, e5, f4 (Classical) or c3, d4 (Exchange)

In the French, except the exchange, where are Black's pawn breaks?  c5 and f6.  QGD non-exchange lines?  c5 and e5!  NOT f6!

What about that d4 pawn?  In the French, it's White's main weakness.  In the QGD, it's White's strongpoint!

How about the Pirc and KID?  Black's main break in the Pirc is c5.  In the KID it's f5!

Slav and Caro-Kann.  The Caro-Kann sees the e-pawn traded in the main lines, and in the case of the Advance Variation, it's on e5.  Never is it on e3.  Slav?  Almost always on e3, occasionally e4 if White plays for the Ne5/f3/e4 lines.

Lines where the d5 pawn is traded.  In the Slav, White has 2 central pawns.  In the Caro-Kann, he has 1.  The games are nothing alike!  You almost never see Bb4 in the Caro-Kann lines where Black takes on e4.  You see it frequently in Slav lines where Black takes on c4.

Now, let's look at the correct way to compare.  Similar ideas.  Not similar squares for each pawn.  Semi-Closed positions with key squares that must be watched out for.  For example, the f5 square in the Ruy Lopez.  The e4 square in the QGD.  The semi-closed though not blocked nature of the position.  The fact that both openings follow opening principals to the letter, and don't have exceptions to them like the KID or Scandinavian, etc.

A QGD player has no business playing the French.  He should be playing 1...e5

A KID player has no business playing the Pirc.  He should be playing 1...e6

The list goes on and on!

So the "Bullshit" is on you boy!

Take your meds or something, ThrillerFan. You've really been going over the edge lately, with all of your profanity, insults, lack of logic, and always over issues of opinion, no less.

 You are picking specific lines that support your contention. That's easy to do, I can do the same.

Similarity between the Slav and the Caro Kann? In the old main line of the Caro-Kann (from which the expression "Caro Formations" is derived), Black's d-Pawn and White's e-Pawn were traded and White later plays c2-c4. The Spassky Variation is still a fairly popular main line in 2016.

This gives a Pawn structure like this:

"Building a repertoire ... we will take the idealized situation of someone starting from square one ... If you choose the Pirc against 1 e4, it makes sense to consider the King's Indian against 1 d4. ... Likewise, the Caro-Kann and the Slav fit together, ..." - GM John Nunn (1998)

... but what does some random GM know?

"Building a repertoire ... we will take the idealized situation of someone starting from square one ... The first step is to think about your personal style. Do you prefer open, tactical positions or closed, strategic positions? Does an attack on your king make you nervous, or are you happy so long as you have a counter-attack? Do you prefer main lines, or something slightly offbeat? Next, look at the various openings available, and see which ones fit in with your personal style. For example, when choosing an opening with Black against 1 e4, you might make some notes along the following lines: ... 1...c6: Solid positions, strategic, safe king. 1...e6: Closed positions, strategic. 1...e5: Fairly solid, but can lead to almost any type of position, depending on the follow-up. Petroff the most solid option. ..." - GM John Nunn (1998)

I've been playing the Smith-Morra ( Alapin's ) against the Sicilian.  I like it, because it steers the Sicilian to more classical lines, which I like.  It has an even record against the Sicilian.  Are their any openings that have a winning record against the Sicilian?

Thanks in advance!

OP:

No one below master really has a "style". Firstly, you cannot play chess by "style", as usually there is only one good approach that fits with the needs of the position. Secondly, you won't be able to find said approach with any consistency. So even if you somehow got a position where two different approaches were within 0.10-0.20 of the best move, you still would not understand enough about the position to find it two-thirds of the time. "Style" will never even have a chance to factor in to the game.

As a class player, making "stylistic decisions" is just a waste of time.

No one below master has a style, and even then, it doesn't manifest itself in the way low-rated players think. Instead, what most players have are preferences or attributes: the positions they feel most comfortable in, their tolerance for risk, and their general playing strength in all aspects of the game. Also of note is their unique (relative) strengths and weaknesses as an improving chess player. This doesn't constitute a style, as beginners like to put it. It is simply a set of subconscious biases in a player that affects the way they naturally play, whether good or bad. A player's attributes can and will change over time.