Openings / c3 Sicilian
• Sacrifices on h7 or h6 are always in the air.
2. ... d5 LINE PRINCIPLES
• If Black doesn’t create an isolated pawn for White, his queen will be an easy target.
• White has tricky ideas with Na3-b5 or to support Bc4 and develop with a tempo.
• The resulting isolated-queen-pawn posi - tions mirror those in the Queen’s Gambit Accepted.
• White has the flexibility in playing for the b1-h7 diagonals, piling up on the e6- pawn, or pushing for d5 at the right moment.
• If Black permits White to capture dxc5 and then exchanges queens on d1, White can calmly keep the extra pawn. The onus is on Black to fight for a draw.
Sound simple enough? Let’s see these principles in action.
2. ... Nf6
Sicilian Defense, 2. c3 Variation (B22) FM Alisa Melekhina (2338) GM Alexander Shabalov (2652) Philadelphia International (2), 06.24.2011
The c3 Sicilian is not only a formidable weapon against experts and masters, but is tough to face for grandmasters as well. My biggest upset came as a result of the opening. I scored a win over GM Alexander Shabalov, one of America’s most dynamic and tactical players.
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6
even more difficult for Black to develop and renders White’s light-squared counterpart that much more powerful. 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 (5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bc4
Nb6 7. Bb3 d5 8. exd6 e.p. Qxd6 goes into a gambit that is more than fine for White. But why give Black extra chances when there is no need to sacrifice the pawn [and that’s coming from a die-hard gambiteer]?) 5. ... d6 Black is able to undermine White’s pawn center quickly. 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bd3 Bg4 places uncomfortable pressure on the d4 and e5 pawns.
4. ... e6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Be7 A standard placement for the bishop,
but practice has shown that this set-up runs into trouble quickly. 7. ... Nb6 8. Bd3 Bd7 9. 0-0 Bc6 is the optimal piece placement for Black. Since the e6-pawn hinders the light-squared bishop, it belongs on this diagonal.
8. 0-0 0-0 9. Qe2
because of the mate threat on h7; After 14. ... Nxe5 15. Bxe7 Nxf3+ (15. ... Nxc4 16. Bxf8 winning the Exchange) 16. Qxf3 Qxe7 17. Qxa8 Bb7 18. Qxa7 Qc7 19. Ba6! allowing White’s queen to escape untouched.
15. Bd3 g6 16. Bf6!?
Instead, I came up with Bf6 over-the-
board. It is designed to take advantage of Black’s weaknesses (I didn’t go Qe4 and Bd3 for nothing). It is beautifully placed on f6 and adds an extra layer of defense to the e5-pawn. While Black may be tempted to exchange the bishop if it were on g5, it is certainly not as desirable if my weak e5- pawn gets to f6. At the same time, I am paving the way for Ng5 at the right moment. 16. Qh4 is the main line, but Black has
proven that his position is solidly defended. He is also exerting pressure on the e5- pawn. If that pawn falls, so does White’s entire attack. 16. ... Bxg5 17. Nxg5 h5.
This line in particular prepares control
over the key b1–h7 diagonal. White’s pawn structure is perfectly situated to facilitate a piece attack.
9. ... Nc6 10. Nc3 Challenging the d5-knight and encour -
aging Black to capture on c3, thereby strengthening the pawn chain.
10. ... Nxc3 11. bxc3 dxe5 12. dxe5 Qc7
12. ... Qa5 is the more active alternative. However, Black’s pieces become constrict - ed if he tries to develop his light-square bishop with b6. 13. Qe4 Qa4!
A natural continuation given that White
cannot defend e4 with Nc3 and does not want to spoil his plan by going d2-d3. Never theless, this allows White to gain massive space in the center à la the Alekhine Defense.
3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 I prefer this move order. You can’t go
wrong with developing. Going 4. d4 imme - diately gives Black additional options that will thwart White’s main plans. 4. Nf3 beckons Black to play ... e7-e6. White should be pleased once Black’s light- squared bishop is locked in as it makes it
13. Qe4 White is ready to instigate the battery
along the b1-h7 diagonal. I have a choice of whether to begin with Bd3 or Qe4. The latter is more precise because it takes advantage of the pin on the c6-knight if Black continues his development with ... b7-b6. It also allows me to play Bg5 immediately because if I am forced to recapture the bishop, there will be a mate threat on h7.
13. ... b6 14. Bg5 Bb7 And the alternate line is worse 14. ...
Bxg5 15. Nxg5—e5 is indirectly defended
16. ... Rfd8 17. Qe3 A quiet, yet venomous move. The queen
has served its purpose on e4 by provoking g6. Now, it is a target of discovery attacks by the c6-knight. Dropping it down to e3 still defends e5 and the d3-bishop, while keeping the option of Qh6 open.
17. ... Rd7 Despite White’s aggression, the position
is solid and Black can only continue to develop. However, if he neglects the king - side ...
18. Rad1 There’s no reason to rush (18. Qh6 Bf8).
It’s important to consolidate and bring all of the pieces into the attack.
18. ... Na5
Too ambitious. I’m not too worried about losing the c3-pawn. 18. ... Qd8 More recently, a talented
youngster with a grandmaster norm tried to double with the queen instead of the rook. While he held out longer than the grandmaster, the c3 Sicilian tactics still prevailed. 19. Qh6 Qf8 20. Qh3 Bxf6 (20. ... h6 is unpleasant, but it holds) 21. Bxg6! a devastating sacrifice emblematic of the c3 Sicilian that made this game my favorite to date. 21. ... hxg6 22. exf6! Rxd1 23. Ng5!
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