The Open Sicilian for White: free opening course
After 2.Nf3 and 3.d4 White opens the centre and gets a lead in development. You learn one reliable main line against each big Black system. They are the Najdorf, the Dragon, the Classical, the Taimanov, the Sveshnikov and the Accelerated Dragon. The traps show the common Black mistakes and how to punish them.
Key ideas
- Open the centre with d4 and take back with the knight. White gets more space and faster development.
- Against most systems use the same plan. The bishop goes to e3, the queen to d2, and White castles long.
- When the kings stand on different wings, push the kingside pawns fast. Speed matters more than a pawn.
- The d5 square is the key. Put a knight there when Black cannot trade it.
- Against the Accelerated Dragon build the Maroczy Bind with pawns on c4 and e4, and squeeze Black.
The 6 variations in the course
- Najdorf: English Attack 6.Be3: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 … — Against the Najdorf White sets up the bishop on e3, the queen on d2 and long castling. Then the f-pawn and the g-pawn march against Black's king.
- Dragon: Yugoslav Attack 9.Bc4: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 … — Against the Dragon White guards e4 with the f-pawn, castles long and opens the h-file. The bishop on b3 keeps an eye on f7 and the king's side.
- Classical: Richter-Rauzer 6.Bg5: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 … — Against the Classical White pins the f6 knight, castles long and pushes the f-pawn. A pawn break in the centre wins the bishop pair.
- Taimanov: 5...Qc7 6.Be3: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 … — Against the Taimanov White uses the English Attack set-up. When Black pins the c3 knight, guard e4 with the f-pawn. Keep the queen active in the centre.
- Sveshnikov: 7.Bg5 and 9.Nd5: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 … — Against the Sveshnikov White fights for d5. The bishop trades off the f6 knight. The a3 knight comes back through c2, and White opens the a-file.
- Accelerated Dragon: Maroczy Bind 5.c4: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 … — Against the Accelerated Dragon White grabs space with c4 and e4. Black has no freeing pawn break, and White keeps a long, safe edge.
Traps you will learn (2)
- Sveshnikov: 7...Be7 drops d6 — In the Sveshnikov many players develop the bishop to e7 too early. White takes the f6 knight, and the b5 knight grabs d6 with check.
- Taimanov: 9.a3 drops e4 — A warning for White. When Black pins the c3 knight with the bishop, guard e4 with the f-pawn. Kicking the bishop with the a-pawn loses the e4 pawn and more.
How the opening courses work
Each course teaches an opening in a few main variations. For every move you read why it is played, which other moves are good, and which tempting moves are mistakes and why. Each course also shows the traps of the opening: the ones you can set and the ones to avoid.
After a lesson you play the moves yourself in a drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them (spaced repetition). 30 line courses add many short lines per opening, a few new ones a day, and every named opening, more than 3,800 lines, has a lesson of its own.
Questions and answers
Is the The Open Sicilian for White course free?
Yes. The The Open Sicilian for White course on chessGM is free, with all 6 variations, 2 traps, the drills and the review. There is no paid plan that unlocks more.
Who is the The Open Sicilian for White course for?
It is a course at advanced level, written for players rated around 1900.
How do I practise this opening?
After each lesson, play the moves yourself in the drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them, and you can try the opening in games against the bots.