EXPERTS ON THE ANTI-SICILIAN
Authors: Avrukh, Aagaard, Bauer, Persson, Greet, Pavlovic,
Cornette, McNab, Shaw, and Nielsen
Quality Chess (2011)
440 pages
Paperback $25.95/Hardcover $37.95

Reviewed by Jeremy Silman

This extremely useful book brings in a host of well-known chess writers to find the best ways to deal with all the very annoying anti-Sicilian lines that players of all ratings use to avoid main line Sicilians. Great research, hard work, and computer help not only leads to great analysis, but also to a number of important theoretical novelties.

The systems in question are:

Boris Avurkh – 3…e6 vs. the Grand Prix Attack. This line centers around 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 e6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb5 Nge7 6.exd5 exd5 7.Qe2 f6! when White’s main choices are 8.d4, 8.Bxc6+, and 8.0-0.

Jacob Aagaard – A Classic Repertoire against 2.c3. The recommended line is 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 when Jacob takes a deep, thorough look at 4.Bc4, 4.Nf3 e6 5.g3, 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4, and 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d6 6.Nf3 e6

Tiger Hillarp Persson – Beating 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 with 3…d6. The lines explored are: 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3, 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.c4, 4.Bxc6+ bxc6 5.0-0 Bg4 6.d3, 4.Bxc6+ bxc6 5.0-0 Bg4 6.h3, 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1 Bg4 8.d3, 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1 Bg4 8.d4!?, 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bxc6!?, 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Ba4.

Tiger Hillarp Persson – Beating 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ with 3…Nd7! and now the breakdown is 4.c3, 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 a6 6.Bxd7+ Bxd7 7.Bg5, 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 a6 6.Bxd7+ Bxd7 7.0-0, 4.c4!?, 4.0-0.

Andrew Greet – Moscow Variation with 5.c4: 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 and now 9.f3 0-0 10.Be3, 9.0-0, 9.f3 0-0 10.b3, 9.f3 0-0 10.Bg5, 9.f3 0-0 10.Nde2, 9.h3, 9.b3.

Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4. After 3…Nf6 4.d3 Bauer looks in great depth at both 4…e6 and 4…Nc6.

Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3 – …g6 lines. Here Bauer explores 4…g6 5.Bd3 Bg7 and then takes a serious look at 6.0-0 0-0 7.Bc2 e5 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 Nc6 (and 9…cxd4), and at 6.Re1 Nc6 (6…e5). He also explores every nook and cranny of 6.Bc2 0-0 7.0-0 Nc6.

Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3 Nc6. Now the 5.d4 gambit is given, as well as the more serene positions that occur after 5.Bd3 (Bauer then ponders the worth of 5…e5, 5…e6, 5…g5!?, and 5…d5 6.e5 Nd7)

Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3 – rare lines. These “rare” lines are: 4…Bd7, 4…a6, 4…e6, 4…e5, 4…b6, and 4…Nbd7.           

Christian Bauer – King’s India Attack. This old Fischer (and amateur!) favorite is given a close look, with Black playing 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 (3.g3) 3…Nc6 4.g3 and now 4…Bd6, 4…g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 d5 7.Nbd2 Nge7 8.Re1 0-0, and 4…Nf6 5.Bg2 d5 (5…Be7) 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.0-0 and now Black can play 7…Qc7, 7…b6, 7…0-0.

Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.e5 d4. White can then play 5.Bb5+, 5.Bc4, 5.cxd4, 5.Na3, 5.g3, and 5.Bd3. Almost 30 pages are given to these lines!

Milos Pavlovic – A 10-minute repertoire against the Closed Sicilian. The line he recommends is tried and true 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 (6.Be3) 6…e5.

Matthieu Cornette – Tiviakov Grand Prix. This is 2.Nc3 Nc3 3.Bb5 and now Cornette explores 3…e6, 3…d6, 3…g6, and 3…e5.

Matthieu Cornette – 3…Nd4 – early deviations. Grand Prix: 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4.

Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 g6. Grand Prix: 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 g6 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Nxd4 cxd4 7.Qf3! Nh6 8.Ne2 0-0 9.d3 Ng4! 10.Bb3 d6 11.Qg3 (11.h3 and 11.0-0 are also analyzed) 11…a5 12.a4 Qb6!

Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nf3 – minor lines. Grand Prix: 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nf3 Ne7 (5…a6) 6.Nxd4 cxd4 7.Ne2 Nc6 8.0-0 and now 8…Bc5, 8…g6, 8…Be7.

Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nf3 – 5…Nf6 6.0-0. Grand Prix: 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6! 6.0-0 a6 (6…Qc7!?) 7.d3 (7.a4) 7…b5 (7…Qc7!?) 8.Bb3 Nxb3 9.axb3 Bb7 10.e5! Nd5 11.Ne4 Be7 (11…f5).

Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 – 5…Qc7. Grand Prix: 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2!? Qc7.

Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 – 5…Nf6 6.0-0 a6 7.a4: Grand Prix: 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2!? Nf6 6.0-0 a6 7.a4 d5! 8.exd5 exd5 9.Ba2 Bg4 (9…Bd6, 9…Nxe2+!?, 9…Ne6!?).

Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 – 5…Nf6 6.0-0 a6 7.d3. Grand Prix: 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 Nf6 6.0-0 a6 7.d3 b5 8.Bb3 Nxb3 9.axb3 Bb7 and now Cornette looks at 10.Bg5, 10.Ng3, and 10.f4 d5 11.e5 d4 12.exf6 dxc3 13.fxg7 (13.f5!?).

Colin McNab – Beating 2.a3 with 2…g6. The main line runs 3.b4 Bg7 4.Nc3 b6 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.Rb1 Nf6 7.d3 0-0 8.Bd2 e6 and things aren’t working out too well for White.

Colin McNab – Beating 2.f4 with 2…d5. McNab looks at 3.exd5 (3.Nc3) 3…Nf6 4.Bb5+ Bd7 (4…Nbd7) 5.Bxd7+ Qxd7 6.c4 e6 7.dxe6 (7.Qe2). He shows that this is just as good as it was when I was playing it a million years ago.

Colin McNab – Beating 5.f3 with 5…e5. 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.f3 e5 6.Bb5+ (6.Nb3) 6…Nbd7 7.Nf5 d5.

John Shaw – 2.d3 – A Black repertoire. 2.d3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 (5.g3) 5…d6 6.0-0 f5!? 7.c3 e6.

Peter Heine Nielsen – Beating 2.b3 with 2…g6. 3.Bb2 Nf6! 4.Qf3!? (4.Nc3 and 4.e5 are also analyzed) 4…Bg7!? (4…Nc6!?).

Let’s jump to the point: I don’t know how any Sicilian player worth his salt (from 1500 to grandmaster) can do without this book!

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