In this and the following video lessons we will look at the Sicilian. We start with an introduction to the Sicilian in general, and then we will have a look at the origins and the typical structure of the Scheveningen system.
I have often advised young players who started with 1.e4 e5 to switch to 1.e4 c5. It is good to learn other types of positions and the Sicilian tends to be more dynamic than the positions arising after 1.e4 e5.
"But the Sicilian is so theoretical," I hear many juniors and club players say. "I could never master all that." On the one hand, this is true, but on the other, it never hurts to learn something new, and "not hindered by too much knowledge" you can see if you become a better player when you are in unfamiliar territory.
Good players can improvise and if you know the strategic ideas of the lines you play you will often have success against players of your strength.
This is why I often recommend to study the Scheveningen Sicilian, in which Black often develops in a very natural way. This video lesson below discusses a few general ideas and plans.
Janofsky-Boleslavsky, Groningen 1946, was an early game with the Scheveningen. Black managed to achieve the thematic ...d6-d5 break and equalized easily. In the diagram position, White played 19.Kh1 and refrained from taking the pawn on a5 with 19.Nxa5. But was he right - or can White take pawn on a5 with impunity?
This week’s show (for Premium Members only)
