Download PGN of February ’18 Anti-Sicilian games
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c3-Sicilian: 2...Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 [B22]
Jones, G - Anand, V saw 5...Nb6 6.Bb3 c4 7.Bc2 d5 8.exd6 Qxd6, a strong and ambitious line for Black:
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Gawain mixed up his lines and was busted by move 20, but of course White can do better.
In Jones, G - Svidler, P Black played the more solid 5...e6 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4 d6 8.0-0 Be7 9.exd6 Qxd6 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Re1 Rd8, and the players tested 12.a3 a6:
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White was never better and, in the end, was happy to draw.
c3-Sicilian: 2...g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.cxd4 d5 [B27]
I’ve never liked this line for Black, and after 3.d4 cxd4 4.cxd4 d5 5.e5 Bg7 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Bb5 Bg4 8.Bxc6+! bxc6 9.Nbd2:
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Howell, D - Bellon Lopez, J showed all the advantages of White’s position.
Rossolimo, Hybrid System 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1 [B51]
This line is solid for both sides and Adams, M - Pichot, A demonstrates some important attacking ideas for White after 7...Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 e6 10.d3 Be7 11.Nd2 0-0 12.Qe2 b5:
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Pichot plays rather carelessly but gets away with it!
Moscow Variation 3...Nd7 4.0-0 a6 5.Bd3 Ngf6 6.Re1 [B51]
Two model games for White against inferior lines.
Vidit, S - Harika, D shows the downsides of 6...b5 7.c4 b4:
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which has received some GM attention but doesn’t look great.
In Mamedov, R - Sarana, A Black let White push d4 after 6...e6 7.c3 b5 8.a4 Bb7 9.Bc2 Be7:
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which isn’t bad but seems rather dangerous.
Moscow Variation 3...Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Nxd7 [B52]
In Vidit, S - Korobov, A the players discussed the position after 5.0-0 Ngf6 6.Qe2 Qc7:
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In the game this approach was very successful, resulting in a capture on c2 in short order. However, White has ways to steer the game into typical Maroczy Bind positions.
3 c3 Variation 4.Be2 g6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+ [B50]
In Harikrishna, P - Gara, A, Black successfully defended the position after 7...Qxd7 8.Re1 Nc6 9.d4 cxd4 10.cxd4 d5 11.e5 Ne4 12.Nbd2:
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Although Hari generated chances later in the game, it seems that 13.Nc3 should be preferred.
Till next time, Sam
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