Answers.Body: <p>First of all: what is the Sveshnikov Sicilian?</p>
  <p>The Sveshnikov Sicilian arises after the following moves:</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5
  </code></pre>
  <p>After <code>6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5</code>, now the &quot;real&quot; Sveshnikov Sicilian position begins:</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;r1bqkb1r/5ppp/p1np1n2/1p2p1B1/4P3/N1N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq b6 0 9&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>Now, White has two main ideas to play: take the knight: <code>9. Bxc6</code>, or jump right in with <code>9. Nd5</code></p>
  <p>So, this is actually easy to learn. The first 8 move was all theory, and you just need to learn two game plans with two different moves by Black. If your opponent doesn't know the game plan, I think you'll have an advantage</p>
  <p>But, the real problem is: there's no guarantee that your opponent will play right into the Sveshnikov Sicilian. White can play <code>2. Nc3</code> instead of <code>2. Nf3</code> (close Sicilian), or how about <code>3.Bg5</code> instead of <code>3.d4</code> (Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo attack). That's only 2 lines of so many more. That's the main problem with the Sicilian defense: there're just so many damn lines, and each line has its own theory.</p>
  <hr />
  <p>Conclusion: so it is possible for a ~1500 (or even lower-rated) player to understand the Sveshnikov Sicilian and its middle games. The problem here is you don't even have a chance to play it.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-12-25T10:43:05.237Z
Answers.Text: What are these 2 middle game plans?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Hauptideal
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-12-26T08:09:03.050Z
Answers.Text: @Hauptideal to face two main moves: `Bxc6` and `Nd5`
Answers.UserDisplayName: TheFakeGrandmaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-12-24T09:29:22.370Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-12-24T09:29:22.370Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: TheFakeGrandmaster
Answers.Body: <p>As indicated in first answer, you cannot be sure your opponent will follow the line of a particular Sicilian.    Fundamental question is whether you respond to 1 <strong>e4</strong> with <strong>...c5</strong> . Although I've played in local clubs for several years I'm a low level amateur with Elo ranging between 900 &amp; 1300. I've discovered that when you reply the Sicilian <strong>...c5</strong> to players under about 1600, <strong>75 % of the time they respond with an anti-Sicilian.</strong> There's only four anti-Sicilians : Smith-Mora Gambit, the Alapin, the Grand Prix Attack and the Bb5 systems( Rossolimo &amp; Moscow ). The latter are sort of a hybrid between an open &amp; an anti-Sicilian. I thoroughly learned to handle these four. If my opponent steers toward an open Sicilian I just do the best I can with the Sveshnikov or the Scheveningen with Najdorf move order. After about 600 games I discovered my wins playing Black were greater than as White. Because many local players open 1 e4 and I feel so comfortable against anti-Sicilians.
  I suspect so many prepare and play an anti-Sicilian because they want to avoid the vast complications of an open Sicilian.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2022-02-28T15:31:46.547Z
Answers.Text: this is something I experienced as well while experimenting with the Sicilian. The so-called "Anti-Sicilians" are in fact not scary for Black and I scored very well without knowing much theory. In the open Sicilian however, not knowing theory can be severely punished. And I wouldn't play an opening that I don't know how to play properly in the hopes that testing variations do not occur. Because they will eventually. My thinking however was, that the open Sicilian is much harder for White to play because black has so many different setups and Black only needs to know this one, White many more.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Hauptideal
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2022-02-27T19:41:42.133Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2022-02-27T19:41:42.133Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: dlemper
Body: <p>I've read countless times, that beginners should not play the Sicilian.
  On the other hand, one often reads that the opening does not matter for beginners.
  There are many courses claiming the included lines are &quot;easy to learn and understand&quot;, such as chessable's &quot;Magnus Sicilian&quot; course on the Sveshnikov variation.</p>
  <p>Is this merely a marketing claim to sell difficult-to-play and theory-heavy variations to weaker players, or is it possible for a ~1500 player to understand the Sveshnikov Sicilian and its middle games, even against more experienced or stronger players?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-12-24T09:36:47.687Z
Comments.Text: I tell my chess kiddies again and again to drop the giuco melloyello as soon as possible and play Sicilian (any). This will get them a lot of losses initially (especially against other beginners who memorized endless lines without understanding them) but their playing strength benefits. Learning tactical eye and a familiarity with different structures is crucial when you want to get better.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-12-24T18:53:29.727Z
Comments.Text: @HaukeReddmann, I definitely agree with the approach in going for more tactical lines, but is Sveshnikov a good way to go about it? If black misplays it, and doesn't get any compensation for weak d5-square, the game becomes very difficult to play for black, and there are not a lot of tactics in the position. And in order not to misplay the Sveshnikov, black would have to understand the subtleties of the position, which I don't think are straight forward.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Akavall
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-12-24T19:04:33.413Z
Comments.Text: @Akavall: On beginners level, you don't die from a blatantly weak square :-)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-02-28T16:11:46.550Z
Comments.Text: Just do it! This entire "some openings have magical properties" thing is BS
Comments.UserDisplayName: David
Tags: <opening><sicilian-defense><beginner><sveshnikov>
Title: Play/learn Sveshnikov Sicilian as a beginner?
ThreadText: # Play/learn Sveshnikov Sicilian as a beginner?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2021-12-24)
  
  I've read countless times, that beginners should not play the Sicilian.
  On the other hand, one often reads that the opening does not matter for beginners.
  There are many courses claiming the included lines are "easy to learn and understand", such as chessable's "Magnus Sicilian" course on the Sveshnikov variation.
  
  Is this merely a marketing claim to sell difficult-to-play and theory-heavy variations to weaker players, or is it possible for a ~1500 player to understand the Sveshnikov Sicilian and its middle games, even against more experienced or stronger players?
  
  **Tags:** opening, sicilian-defense, beginner, sveshnikov
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I tell my chess kiddies again and again to drop the giuco melloyello as soon as possible and play Sicilian (any). This will get them a lot of losses initially (especially against other beginners who memorized endless lines without understanding them) but their playing strength benefits. Learning tactical eye and a familiarity with different structures is crucial when you want to get better.  
  > **username_2**: @username_1, I definitely agree with the approach in going for more tactical lines, but is Sveshnikov a good way to go about it? If black misplays it, and doesn't get any compensation for weak d5-square, the game becomes very difficult to play for black, and there are not a lot of tactics in the position. And in order not to misplay the Sveshnikov, black would have to understand the subtleties of the position, which I don't think are straight forward.  
  > **username_1**: @username_2: On beginners level, you don't die from a blatantly weak square :-)  
  > **username_3**: Just do it! This entire "some openings have magical properties" thing is BS  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2021-12-24. Score: 2
  
  First of all: what is the Sveshnikov Sicilian?
  
  The Sveshnikov Sicilian arises after the following moves:
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5
  
  ```
  
  After `6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5`, now the "real" Sveshnikov Sicilian position begins:
  
  ```
  [FEN "r1bqkb1r/5ppp/p1np1n2/1p2p1B1/4P3/N1N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq b6 0 9"]
  
  ```
  
  Now, White has two main ideas to play: take the knight: `9. Bxc6`, or jump right in with `9. Nd5`
  
  So, this is actually easy to learn. The first 8 move was all theory, and you just need to learn two game plans with two different moves by Black. If your opponent doesn't know the game plan, I think you'll have an advantage
  
  But, the real problem is: there's no guarantee that your opponent will play right into the Sveshnikov Sicilian. White can play `2. Nc3` instead of `2. Nf3` (close Sicilian), or how about `3.Bg5` instead of `3.d4` (Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo attack). That's only 2 lines of so many more. That's the main problem with the Sicilian defense: there're just so many damn lines, and each line has its own theory.
  
  ---
  
  Conclusion: so it is possible for a ~1500 (or even lower-rated) player to understand the Sveshnikov Sicilian and its middle games. The problem here is you don't even have a chance to play it.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: What are these 2 middle game plans?  
  > **username_4**: @username_0 to face two main moves: `Bxc6` and `Nd5`  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2022-02-27. Score: 2
  
  As indicated in first answer, you cannot be sure your opponent will follow the line of a particular Sicilian. Fundamental question is whether you respond to 1 **e4** with **...c5** . Although I've played in local clubs for several years I'm a low level amateur with Elo ranging between 900 & 1300. I've discovered that when you reply the Sicilian **...c5** to players under about 1600, **75 % of the time they respond with an anti-Sicilian.** There's only four anti-Sicilians : Smith-Mora Gambit, the Alapin, the Grand Prix Attack and the Bb5 systems( Rossolimo & Moscow ). The latter are sort of a hybrid between an open & an anti-Sicilian. I thoroughly learned to handle these four. If my opponent steers toward an open Sicilian I just do the best I can with the Sveshnikov or the Scheveningen with Najdorf move order. After about 600 games I discovered my wins playing Black were greater than as White. Because many local players open 1 e4 and I feel so comfortable against anti-Sicilians.
  I suspect so many prepare and play an anti-Sicilian because they want to avoid the vast complications of an open Sicilian.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: this is something I experienced as well while experimenting with the Sicilian. The so-called "Anti-Sicilians" are in fact not scary for Black and I scored very well without knowing much theory. In the open Sicilian however, not knowing theory can be severely punished. And I wouldn't play an opening that I don't know how to play properly in the hopes that testing variations do not occur. Because they will eventually. My thinking however was, that the open Sicilian is much harder for White to play because black has so many different setups and Black only needs to know this one, White many more.  
  
  ---
  
  