Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: Sicilian Alapin

by Robert Ris
6/18/2026 – For many players, the Sicilian Alapin remains a very unpleasant variation to face with Black. The game Muzychuk-Divya from the 10th round of Norway Chess is a good example what Black definitely needs to avoid. Up till move 13 the players were following a game I played myself back in 2003 (bringing back some painful memories😉) in which I got blown off the board in only 26 moves. Divya's treatment of this particular variation wasn't any better, and soon she found herself in big trouble. Muzychuk obtained a massive attack and decided to transform her advantage into an endgame with an extra exchange. In addition, I will show some extra examples by strong grandmasters to illustrate White's attacking chances in this line and recommend a few improvements as alternative ways to play with Black.
This video course offers you a complete, clear repertoire for Black against the moves 1.Nf3 and 1.c4. The recommended variations are easy to learn and not difficult to remember, but also pose White serious challenges.

For many players, the Sicilian Alapin remains a very unpleasant variation to face with Black. The game Muzychuk-Divya from the 10th round of Norway Chess is a good example what Black definitely needs to avoid. Up till move 13 the players were following a game I played myself back in 2003 (bringing back some painful memories😉)in which I got blown off the board in only 26 moves. Divya's treatment of this particular variation wasn't any better, and soon she found herself in big trouble. Muzychuk obtained a massive attack and decided to transform her advantage into an endgame with an extra exchange. In addition, I will show some extra examples by strong grandmasters to illustrate White's attacking chances in this line and recommend a few improvements as alternative ways to play with Black.

Looking for a realistic way to play for a win with Black against 1.e4 without taking unnecessary risks? The Taimanov Sicilian is a reliable system, and hence one of the best options out there!

Exercise: White to move

Feel free to move the pieces on the live diagram!

Can you spot a convincing way to finish off the game with White?

Feel free to move the pieces on the live diagram!

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Topics: Fast and Furious
Robert is an International Master who mostly spends his time training and coaching talented youngsters. On the PlayChess server The Fast and the Furious is a popular show where he explains sharp opening lines for a wider audience. He is also a well-known ChessBase author who produced numerous DVDs and regularly contributes to ChessBase Magazine as well. Since 2015 he is the organizer of the Dutch Rapid Championships in his home town Amstelveen. He has started a YouTube channel with chess analysis as well.
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Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f3

6/5/2026 – This week there is a truly remarkable new concept in the Sicilian already on move 3! After the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 the bizarre looking move 3.f3!? was played by Nihal Sarin in his game against Alexander Donchenko at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial in Armenia. Admittedly, the move isn't entirely new as it has been played by a few top GMs (including Carlsen and Nihal himself!) in some online and shorter time control games. Despite its weird appearance, this little pawn move still has some points which will be discussed in detail. Eventually the game turned into some Dragon type of position, in which Black was objectively speaking doing fine, but the German GM lost track in the middlegame and White got the chance to seize the initiative and launch a massive attack against the black king. An inspirational new approach in the heavily analyzed world of the Sicilians!
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Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: Trompowsky

5/28/2026 – Trompowsky fans are in for a treat this week, as we are looking at a spectacular 22 moves miniature played at the Chinese Championships. Personally, I was glad to see that the players Bai Jinshi and Li Shilong followed a line I do recommend in my course The Top-Tier Trompowsky. Black opted for the well-known pawn grabbing idea with ...Qb6xb2 but soon found himself far behind in development. Bai didn't hesitate and was willing to invest two more pawns to launch a massive attack against the black king. Just when it looked as if the black king found a safer place, White came up with another powerful idea (see diagram).

Video

60m English The Elephant Gambit

The Elephant Gambit (1.e4.e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) has never really been given the attention it deserves. It is a very useful surprise weapon. Let us list the advantages of playing this particular opening: 1) Shock value 2) It is very aggressive. Black can take over the initiative early. 3) Many tricky lines 4) Unorthodox. Black is basically taking the game to the opponent as early as move two. Not many openings do that! It's a perfect opening for young players and club players to adopt. Let Andrew Martin select a repertoire for you on this 60 mins, which, if used with discretion, will rack up the points. I am sure that you will enjoy this unusual tour of the Elephant Gambit.

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