Need advice about sicilian middlegame as black

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prr98

So im reviewing a game i won because i have lost only one game since i started to play chess again due to a tactical error (the game was won otherwise) and i would like advice on what should my plans be as black in the sicilian? any advice is highly appreciated ! :D

so my main question is how can i improve my middlegame and what my plans should be?

again, tahnks to everyone in advance :)

einstein99

Knight to b3 protects from queen side attacks and opens up tue d-file for rooks,this is a common move for white. Sicilian break is not good here(d5)He has too much power trained on that pos,also weakens e5 excessuvily,whete

does f3 knight go if he pushes toe5. I like pawn attack on queen side

pentiumjs

Hi prr98--what defines the Open Sicilian, and the reason it's so popular, is that it leads to an unbalanced game.  Instead of 1...e5, keeping things symmetrical, black plays 1...c5 and trades his c7 pawn for white's d2 one.  So the middlegame hinges on that difference: white has more queenside pawns and black has more kingside ones.  White has a half-open d-file and black has a half open c-file, etc.  Because of this, you want to pivot your attack around those c-file squares.  One common plan is ...a6, ...b5, and an eventual ...Nc4, often forking a Qd2/Be3 by white.  ...g6 with a possible ...Rxc3 exchange sacrifice is often seen as well, or just piling on the pressure against c2 if white castles queenside.

Your opening showed no major errors and you definitely wanted to neutralize the g2 bishop to get your b-pawn moving.  11...b5 was a little premature, and more effective moves would've been ...h6 or ...Bd7 with ...Rac8.  ...d5 is a good idea in most Sicilian middlegames, but don't overlook the chance for c-file pressure as mentioned: ...Rac8, ...Na5-c4, ...b4, etc.  Both of white's bishops have strayed toward the kingside and his defense is vulnerable in other sectors.  13...b4 was also premature without your rooks in play; you wanted ...Rfd8/...Rac8 before going on the offensive.

So ignoring the later blunders, you had a lot of right ideas in this one.  Your pieces found good squares, but you jumped the gun a little and shoved your queenside pawns without really improving anything.  Think about pressure and get your pieces lined up before you break with your pawns.  Otherwise by switching the order, you give your opponent time to see what's coming and his defenders show up to save the day.

einstein99

This other guy plays like cr*p.knigts are not effective ,rooks not aligned on d row, queen bouncing around like pinball, just position pieces effectively until he messes up then pounce!

einstein99

R/N sac. at c3 done from dragon with white having castled queenside.

aggressivesociopath

White played without a plan.

Instead of 10. Nb3, 10. Be3 to provide a guard for the a7-g1 diagnole, so he can move his f pawn looks like a better idea. 11. Bg5 especially followed by Bf4 is a waste of time, white begins to fall apart without any special effort from Black.

At a glance 10. Be3 Nc3 and either (a) 11. Rd1 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 e5 13. Be3 Be6 (exploiting the light squared bishop's absence from the queenside and threating Bc4) 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Bd7 with a radical change in the pawn structure, or (b) 11. f4 Nxd4 12. Bxe3 e5 13. Be3 Be6 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 exf4 16. Rxf4 Nd7 17. Rc4 Qd8 when White is more active, but Black has the e5 square look more natural.

EDIT No you are not insane; my initial post was missing words, and was generally unreadable.

TheGreatOogieBoogie

22...e5 doesn't look right to me, not losing by any means but looks overcommittal as you take a future ...d5 off the table.  You have the bishop pair so always leave options open that open the position.  Why not 22...Bf6 slicing across the center and shooing away the queen? 

prr98

Man you guys are great!!! :D i really enjoyed reading your analysis. Yes it seems that the d5 push really wasnt the best idea.

 pfren i never thought that 11.Bg5 is actually a bad now that i look at it it really does seem to be the case. As for 14...a5 i thout its dubious because it gives white queen the ability to pressure my pawns by going to the b5 square later in the game and yes the 15... Rac8 was made because i didnt have a plan.

einstein 99 yes the queenside pawn attack seems to make the most sense indeed. d5 really cant be accomplished for myself (black)

aggressivesociopath i agree that the 10.Be3 was better for white. I will look into the lines you have provided tomorrow.

pentiumjs tahnk you for the information you gave me on the open sicilian!

I need to step up my game a little bit because i will be playing in a national tournament for my school want to get to the top 10 its my last year! Smile