Sicilian repertoire (CERTIFIED) Flashcards
Najdorf
Explain how to beat the Bg5 Najdorf after e6, f4, Be7, Qf3, Qc7
1. Long castles (Bd3 + Rhe1, g4 [Qh3 rare move and retreating] )
2. f5 ultra rare move
Indirect said to not play this line, so might have to change
Long castles: Nbd7
* If Bd3 with Rhe1, you play b5 with Bb7. If they sac Nd5, you take and play Kf8. If they go Nf5 with Qg3 after this, it loses after dxe4 and Qc5 idea.
* If g4, you play h6.
* If they retreat, you play b5. Then a line is a3, Bb7, Bg2, and g5 with the idea if they take, Ne5.
* If Qh3 ultra rare move, play Nc5 and Rg8
f5: Nc6 and bxc6 if they take
Najdorf
Explain what to do against the Be3 English atack Najdorf after e5 Be7
1. Nf3 Nd2 (rare moves)
2. Nb3 f3
Nf3 Nd2: play b5 b4
Nb3 f3: play Be6. After Qd2 go h5 and after Nd5 (rare move), Bxd5. Then Nbd7 and if Be2 go Qc7.
Najdorf
Explain how to beat the h3 Adams attack Najdorf after e5
1. Nb3
2. Nde2
Nb3: play Be7. After g4, play h6 and b5. There’s this line where if they went Be3 Nd5, you can play Bb7 and sac the rook on a8 but it’s rare.
Nde2: play h5. If g3, play Be7 and b5. Nd5 Qxd5 is rare, but you try to move to b8 and play Nd7.
Najdorf
Explain how to beat the Be2 Najdorf after e5 again
1. Nf3
2. Nb3
Nb3: play Be7. If they casle, you castle. Be6. Be3 with Qd3 is rare, but you go Nbd7. After Nd5 Bxd5, play h5 with Ng4 f5 ideas, or g6 Nh7 ideas if they prevent it.
Nf3: play Be7. Then Be6 castles Bxf6 [only possible if they played o-o and Bg5]. Then if they play Nd5, play Nbd7. Then if Bc4, go Qc8 and if Qd3 go b5.
Najdorf
Explain how to beat the Bc4 Sozin Najdorf after e6
1. Bb3
Bb3: play b5. Then Be7, Qc7. Then if Bg5 Qf3 e5, Bb7 and Bc5 are development ideas.
Najdorf
Explain how to beat the Bd3 Najdorf
Play e5. Nde2 is the critical but rare move. Play Be7, and o-o Be6.
* If opponent castles and plays Ng3 line there’s a Nd5 sac idea but this will never happen
Najdorf
Explain how to beat these Najdorf sidelines
1. g3
2. a4
3. f4
4. Nb3 + g4
There’s also queen moving Najdorf sidelines I may add in another card. Also Rg1 freak attack
There’s also other move 5 deviations that protect the pawn like the Prins variation
g3: e5. If Nf3, play Be7, and if Nh4, castle. Then play Bg4.
a4: e5. If Nf3 Bc4, play Be7 and Be6. If Bb3 rare move, develop with Nbd7.
f4: e5. After Nb3 kinda rare, Nc6. Then Be7.
Nb3 + g4: e6 b5. If a3 very rare move, play Bb7.
Anti Sicilians
Explain how to beat these Alapin Anti Sicilians
1. Regular Alapin (Bc4 variations, Qxd4 line)
2. Delayed Alapin (Be2, Bd3)
Regular: Nf6 Nd5. The plan is to play d6.
* If Bc4, play Nb6 with Be6 ideas. There’s a critical line here that goes exd6, Qxd6, o-o, Be6, Na3, dxc3. If Qe2 the line continues Bxb3, Nb5, Qb8, axb3, e6, g3, Qc8. If something else like Ne5 you may have to trade queens and double e pawns.
* If Nf3 d4 Qxd4, play e6, then Nc6 Bd7.
Delayed: Nf6.
* If Be2, play g6 and play like a dragon with e5 ideas.
* If Bd3, play Nc6 Bg4 e6.
Anti Sicilians
Explain how to beat these tricky gambits
1. Smith morra
2. Wing (a3, d4)
3. Delayed Wing
Need to add a better line against smith morra. Can use the GM molton video
Also need to learn the a3 Sicilian
Smith morra: Take Nf6. Transpose to Alapin
Wing gambit: Take.
* If a3, go d5.
* If d4, also go d5, but when they take, instead of recapturing play Nf6.
Delayed wing: Take. If d4, play Nf6. Whenever they play a3 take. Do the g6 dragon setup
Anti Sicilians
Explain how to beat these popular garbage setups
1. Bowlder attack
2. Italian vs Sicilian
3. f4 (Push, take)
4. d3 locked in bishop setups
5. c4
Bowlder: e6. Nc6 Nf6. Then try to develop with Qc7 a6 and so on
Italian: Nf6 then e6, a6. d5 and o-o ideas.
f4: d5.
* If they push, Nc6 with Nh6 idea.
* If they take, play Nf6 and e6, the tal gambit. Try to develop pieces and castle queenside.
d3 locked bishop: Nc6 Nf6 d5. If e5, undevelop the knight and play a good french.
c4: e6 Nf6 Nd5 equalizes.
Anti Sicilians
Explain how to beat these Fianchetto Anti Sicilians
1. b3 systems (e5, Nc3, Qf3)
2. Closed Sicilian with g3
Might need to Nf3 g3 setups or talk about specific lines later on
b3 systems: Play g6 and Nf6.
* If e5, play Nd5. Then if the queen attacks go to b4.
* If Nc3, you’ll have to double some pawns if Nd5.
* If Qf3, rare move but d6. Then if Bb5+, block with Nbd7. a6 idea.
Closed with g3: I don’t think Plitcha shows us how to beat it but I think you do a dragon setup like the grand prix and try to play on the queenside with Rb8. In most g3 setups d4 straight up equalizes. f5 is also an idea in the closed Sicilian ones.
Anti Sicilians
Explain how to beat these Bb5 involving anti Sicilians?
1. Moscow
2. Qxd5 Bb5 Chekhover
Moscow: Play Nd7 and after o-o, a6. After Bd3, play Nfg6. Then e6. If opponent did Re1 Bf1, there’s b6 Bb7 ideas.
Qxd4 Bb5: Play Bd7. If they take, recapture with bishop and Nf6. If they play Bg5 followed with o-o-o Rhe1, play e6 Be7 o-o.
Anti Sicilians
Explain how to beat these “dangerous” closed Sicilian setups
1. Grand Prix Attack
2. Magnus Carlsen variation (o-o-o, Bd3)
Maybe need to add the other moves after Qxd5 Nc6.
There’s also a Nf3 Nc3 closed Sicilian with h3 and a bunch of waiting moves in the Giri Najdorf course
Grand Prix: Play g6 Bg7. If Bb5+, block with Bd7. Nc6 if possible and e6 with Nge7 ideas. Don’t worry about the f5 pawn sac too much, it’s about whether to ignore with Nf6 or o-o, do exf5, or gxf5.
Magnus Carlsen variation: play g6. After b3 + f5 + Bb2, play Bh6 + f5 + Nf6.
* If o-o-o, play Rf8
* If Bd3, play Qa5
