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2. c3
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The 2 c3 variation against the Sicilian is extremely popular. White
avoids the nasty complexities of the Open Sicilian and steers the game towards fairly pleasant positions. As usual, the best antidote for players of the Black pieces is to learn the theory - there are enough sharp
positions here to please any taste. After 2 c3, Black chooses between
2 ... d5 3 exd5 Qxd5 4 d4, where classical isolated d-pawn positions arise;
2 ... e6 3 d4 d5, similar in many respects to the French Defense.
2 ... Nf6, a distinctive counterattack,
2 ... d6, a tricky,
hypermodern line - the point is 3 d4 Nf6 where 4 dxc5 Nc6 is reasonable for Black (a temporary pawn sacrifice)2 ... g6 with the intent of 3 d4 cxd4 4 cxd4 d5! See the following examples: |
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Kotliar - Moulin [B22]
Eastern Masters NY, NY
[Rohde]
1.e4 c5 2.c3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 An antidote to the 2 c3 system that is now used frequently. If now 4 dxc5 with the idea 4 ... Nxe4?? 5 Qa4+ or 4 ... dxc5? 5 Qxd8+ Nc6, intending 5 cxd6 Nxe4, 5 Bd3 dxc5, or the pawn sac 5 f3 d5! 4.Bd3 Nc6 Black can also play 4 ... g6, avoiding the inconvenience of a later d4-d5 hitting the knight on c6. An interesting line is 4 ... g6 5 Nf3 Bg7 6 O-O O-O 7 Re1 Nc6 8 d5 Na5!? 5.Nf3 Bg4 5 ... g6 6 d5 is not so appetizing now for Black. 6.d5 Bxf3 Of course not 6 ... Ne5? 7 Nxe5 Bxd1 8 Bb5+ 7.gxf3 Ne5 8.Be2 Kotliar preserves the 2 bishops and bases his strategy on his space advantage. 8...g6 9.c4 Bg7 10.Nc3 0-0 11.f4 Ned7 12.Qd3 a6 White's original play has given him a good game, and he is about to embark on a kingside attack. But before staking everything on a direct attack, it is imperative to deny Black the chance for Benko-Gambit-style counterplay. Clearly correct is 13 a4! and if then 13 ... Qa5, then 14 Ra3! 13.h4? b5 14.cxb5 axb5 15.Nxb5 Ra4 The position has transformed, and Black has the superior practical chances. 16.Nc3 Rb4 It is hard to find a concrete follow-up to 16 ... Rd4 17 Qc2. 17.a3 Rb3 18.Qc2 Rb7 19.h5 Qa5 20.hxg6 fxg6 The correct recapture, despite the weakening of e6. Moulin now has the unusual task of combining Benko Gambit play with pressure on the f-file. But Kotliar's pawn center and control of the light squares is not to be underestimated. 21.Kf1 Rfb8 22.Nd1 Moving into a defensive mode. Things could have gotten wild on the sealer-sweeper 22 e5! dxe5 23 f5! 22...Nb6 23.Nc3 Ra7 24.Ra2 Na4 25.Nd1 Nb6 After all that work to get the knight to a4, he should have left it there and played 25 ... Rab7. 26.b3 Nbd7 27.Bc4 Nh5 28.Qe2 Rf8 29.Bd2 Qc7 30.Rh4 Rfa8 31.a4 Qd8 White has built up a fantastic position. Perhaps it was time for a4-a5-a6, but Kotliar decides that the time is ripe for a positional exchange sacrifice. 32.Rxh5 gxh5 33.Qxh5 Kh8 34.f3 Nb6 35.Bd3 Qe8 36.Qh3 Bd4 37.Nf2 c4 Suddenly Moulin becomes very active. 38.bxc4 Rxa4 39.Rc2 Ra1+ 40.Ke2 Na4 41.e5 h5 42.Qe6 Qf7 43.Qh6+ Kg8 44.Ne4 Qg7 The position is unclear after 45 Qxg7+ Kxg7 46 Ng5. 1/2-1/2
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I
had just lost to Kudrin in the penultimate round and it seemed that I had nothing left to play for but to get my entry fee back upon completing my schedule. But my opponenet in the last round, a recent arrival to the Philadelphia chess scene, had a half-point more than me and could win a major prize if he defeated me. Meanwhile, Fedorowicz, who had the same score as me, asked me if we could win anything by winning. I advised him that we couldn't, and he drew instantly with Valvo. I knew I had a long game in store, and was unable to console myself for my loss against Kudrin by going home early ...
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Khmelnitsky - Rohde [B22]
Atlantic Open
[Rohde]
1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 I have been playing the 2 c3 Sicilian myself lately and I am convinced that this is the best reply. 3.d4 d5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Be3 Although this is the standard move here, it only forces Black to play a clearly good system. White's best is to play 5 Nf3 and try to steer the game into Tarrasch French channels. 5...c4 6.b3 cxb3 7.axb3 White has achieved the exchange of his a-pawn for Black's c-pawn, but Black has no problems because a) his development is easy, and b) White's center is immobile - if White plays c4 then the b4 square is weakened. 7...Bd6 8.Bd3 Ne7 9.Qc2 Nbc6 10.Ne2 So far it has all been very amusing, and now I should have ended the games by playing 10 ... h6, followed by castling. But I could hardly resist playing the same "joke" on my opponent. 10...Qc7 11.Na3 Threatening the embarassing 12 Nb5, which 11 ... a6 will not prevent! 11...Qd8 I know I just wasted two tempi, but I had to save the dark-squared bishop. 12.Nb5 Bb8 How strong is his knight on b5 anyway? It can only go back to a3, unless he weakens b4 by playing c3-c4. And after I play a7-a6, my rook on a8, the "pinnee", will be no more useless than his rook on a1, the "pinner". 13.h4 Much better was 13 Ng3 threatening 14 Nh5 and if 13 ... Ng6 14 0-0 with the idea f2-f4-f5. 13...a6 14.Nf4 Ng6 Effectively bullying the knight off f4. 15.Nh5 0-0 16.f3µ The battle for king-side space begins in earnest...
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