The Easiest Sicilian

THE EASIEST SICILIAN
Authors: Atanas Kolev & Trajko Nedev
Chess Stars (2008)
240 pages
$29.95

Reviewed by John Donaldson

The Bulgarian publishing house Chess Stars may be best known for its OPENING ACCORDING TO KRAMNIK and OPENING ACCORDING TO ANAND series but it also publishes excellent single volume opening books. The latest, THE EASIEST SICILIAN, is no exception.

The author’s choice of the Sveshnikov as the “Easiest Sicilian” might surprise some, but it makes sense if you think of the strategic complexities of the opening compared to other lines of the Sicilian like the Najdorf or Scheveningen. What it does require is a reasonable memory since key variations routinely extend past move twenty. However, Kolev points out that most games in the Svesnikov these days see White steer for the position reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 0-0 12.Nc2 Bg5 13.a4 bxa4 14.Rxa4 a5 15.Bc4 Rb8 16.b3 Kh8.

The Easiest Sicilian is arranged as follows:

● Foreword by Atanas Kolev (3 page)
● 1 The Rossolimo Variation 3.Bb5 (36 pages)
● 2 The Positional Variation 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 (20 pages)
● 3 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 0-0 (28 pages)
● 4 12.Nc2 Bg5 13.a4 bxa4 14.Rxa4 a5 15.Bc4 Rb8 16.b3 Kh8 17.Nce3 (23 pages)
● 5 Alternatives to the Main Line after 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Bd5 f5 (14 pages)
● 6 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.exf5 Bxf5 (11 pages)
● 7 The Main Line 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.Bd3 Be6 (20 pages)
● 8 12.0-0 (18 pages)
● 9 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5 (15 pages)
● 10 Unusual Seventh Moves 6.Ndb5 d6 (8 pages)
● 11 Unusual Sixth Moves (15 pages)
● 12 Rare Lines 3.c3; 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 (7 pages)
● 13 The Novosibirsk Variation 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 Bg7 (16 pages)
● Index of Variations (2 pages)

The authors have done a great job of presenting and explaining existing theory and offer many improvements in lines where Black is being challenged. The level of conscientious of the authors is quite high. Besides offering the regular Sveshnikov 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7 Bg5 a6 8 Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 the authors also examine the Novosibirsk variation (10…Bg7) as a backup system. This move order (10…Bg7) has the virtue of avoiding having to learn the sharp, but not unfavorable to Black lines arising after 10…f5 11.Bxb5 but the authors don’t feel it meets their goal of presenting a repertoire that Black can try to win with. They show a long line going 28 moves (!) which they judge to be slightly better for White but more importantly “where Black’s game is rather boring and not suitable for playing for a win.” Since Kasparov played 10…Bg7 twice, the authors hope that Black may have some trumps, but in the meantime the Novosibirsk is on the back burner.

Besides the Sveshnikov and attempts to avoid it (variations like 6.Nf3 instead of 6.Ndb5 or 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5) the authors give a 36 page examination of how to liven things up against the Rossolimo (3…Nf6) and how to meet 3.c3 with your Knight already committed to c6.

Playing a Sicilian line that offers good chances to win, that makes it easy to exploit second best attempts by White and doesn’t require profound positional skills, has to have some drawback and in the Sveshnkov it means learning some serious theory no matter how thematic the lines often are. Kolev and Nedev understand this, and to assist the reader in absorbing the material each chapter begins with a “quick repertoire,” where one learns the basics and need-to-know material that must be committed to memory. Next is a “step by step” section, where the nitty-gritty of the variation is presented and finally complete games are given to deepen one’s understanding of the variation.

Recommended for players 2000 to Grandmaster.

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