Answers.Body: <p>I don't think that 3.Bc4 is so bad that Black should get an advantage. I believe that Adams played it several times with decent results, and it's not the worst way to avoid deep theory. But Black has easy equality.
  You can play ..a6 (to which he will usually play a4) and ..e6. What then is that Bishop doing? Having played against it once or twice I agree that it's boring but there is not much you can do about it.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-09-09T18:59:31.887Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-09-10T15:36:32.923Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-09-10T15:36:32.923Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Philip Roe
Answers.Body: <p>There's unfortunately no way to immediately punish this kind of play - it just leads to a slow Sicilian setup.  Here are a few ways you can play against it (after the move 3. Bc4):</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>e6, Nf6, Be7, 0-0, Nc6, a6.  Now you have a few plans, but the main one is to push ...d5.  If White plays Bg5 to prevent this (since now your Nf6 is under attack), you just complete your development with Bd7 and Qb6.  It seems hard for you to do much, but remember that you are always poised to strike in the center should White move a piece away.  You could also prepare the move: Nd4.</p></li>
  <li><p>Dark squared strategy: Nf6, Nc6, Bg4, g6, Bg7, 0-0.  The point of this setup is to control the central dark squares.  Nc6 and Bg7 control e5 and d4, while Bg4's role is to take out Nf3 (White's main defender of these squares).  Your plan would be to try and push b5 (Rb8, a6, etc) and also play Nd7 (opening up Bg7).  This kind of position seems easier to play than the above line, but it is also easier for White to execute a plan.</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Those two setups are the main ones.  An important note: If you're a Najdorf player, do not play Nc6 until White has committed his pawn to d3.  If you play Nc6 too early, White could play d4 in one go.  Now you're stuck in an open Sicilian line with your Knight on c6 (normally in the Najdorf the Knight is better suited on d7).</p>
  
  <p>This kind of game with 3. Bc4 can be quite boring to play, but at least you aren't required to memorize 20 moves of theory like in the 6. Bg5 main lines :)</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-09-09T20:57:57.840Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-09-09T20:57:57.840Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Inertial Ignorance
Answers.Body: <p>There are a couple antidotes to non-open Sicilians. 1. lock down on the dark long-diagonal 'typically with fianchetto' and often sinking a knight in on d4; combined with queenside expansion or 2. try to get d5 in; this is a strategic goal in most Sicilians and with the Bishop on c4 to tempo against White doesn't have the e4-e5 response.  </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-09-12T17:55:04.377Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-09-12T17:55:04.377Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ywapom
Body: <p>I usually answer <code>1. e4</code> with the Sicilian, then after <code>2. Nf3</code> I play <code>2...d6</code> hoping for a Najdorf or other open Sicilian lines. I have quite a hard time though with slow set up like <code>3. Bc4</code> followed by <code>d3</code> and <code>Nf3</code> (not necessarily in this order). I tend to lose against these set up (I just find them boring). 
  What plan would you recommend for Black? I feel like refusing to play <code>d4</code> early in the game should be punished but I don't see how. Thanks in advance!</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-09-09T18:22:59.290Z
Comments.Text: Do you mean that you play 2... d6? Because that's how you enter a Najdorf. 3. Bc4 is quite terrible against 2... e6 as the bishop is on a useless diagonal. Against 2... d6 it's marginally better.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Cleveland
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-09-09T18:28:14.790Z
Comments.Text: Yes, it was typo
Comments.UserDisplayName: loukios
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-09-09T18:31:20.147Z
Comments.Text: I was writing an answer for the closed Sicilian, and then I see that you say Bf4 without d3 first. Is that supposed to be Bc4?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Pablo S. Ocal
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-09-09T18:33:24.397Z
Comments.Text: Damn, I've made typos all over the place!
Comments.UserDisplayName: loukios
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-09-10T04:33:37.823Z
Comments.Text: How can White play e3 if he already played e4 on the first move? Is that another typo?
Comments.UserDisplayName: bof
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-09-10T09:24:56.243Z
Comments.Text: I wrote the question a bit fast. Not sure it deserves a downvote though.
Comments.UserDisplayName: loukios
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-09-10T10:46:27.927Z
Comments.Text: @Cleveland *"Against 2... d6 it's marginally better..."* I wouldn't say it is a marginal line against 2...d6 - there is a whole bunch of theory about it and if Black doesn't know what they are doing they can easily collapse (there are at least 3-4 different thematic sacrifices on e6 that win the game for White *unless* you know your theory pretty well as Black).
Comments.UserDisplayName: gented
Tags: <opening><sicilian-defense>
Title: Answering slow Sicilian set up (including Bc4) as Black
ThreadText: # Answering slow Sicilian set up (including Bc4) as Black
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-09)
  
  I usually answer `1. e4` with the Sicilian, then after `2. Nf3` I play `2...d6` hoping for a Najdorf or other open Sicilian lines. I have quite a hard time though with slow set up like `3. Bc4` followed by `d3` and `Nf3` (not necessarily in this order). I tend to lose against these set up (I just find them boring).
  What plan would you recommend for Black? I feel like refusing to play `d4` early in the game should be punished but I don't see how. Thanks in advance!
  
  **Tags:** opening, sicilian-defense
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Do you mean that you play 2... d6? Because that's how you enter a Najdorf. 3. Bc4 is quite terrible against 2... e6 as the bishop is on a useless diagonal. Against 2... d6 it's marginally better.  
  > **username_0**: Yes, it was typo  
  > **username_2**: I was writing an answer for the closed Sicilian, and then I see that you say Bf4 without d3 first. Is that supposed to be Bc4?  
  > **username_0**: Damn, I've made typos all over the place!  
  > **username_3**: How can White play e3 if he already played e4 on the first move? Is that another typo?  
  > **username_0**: I wrote the question a bit fast. Not sure it deserves a downvote though.  
  > **username_4**: @username_1 *"Against 2... d6 it's marginally better..."* I wouldn't say it is a marginal line against 2...d6 - there is a whole bunch of theory about it and if Black doesn't know what they are doing they can easily collapse (there are at least 3-4 different thematic sacrifices on e6 that win the game for White *unless* you know your theory pretty well as Black).  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2017-09-09. Score: 2
  
  I don't think that 3.Bc4 is so bad that Black should get an advantage. I believe that Adams played it several times with decent results, and it's not the worst way to avoid deep theory. But Black has easy equality.
  You can play ..a6 (to which he will usually play a4) and ..e6. What then is that Bishop doing? Having played against it once or twice I agree that it's boring but there is not much you can do about it.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2017-09-09. Score: 1
  
  There's unfortunately no way to immediately punish this kind of play - it just leads to a slow Sicilian setup. Here are a few ways you can play against it (after the move 3. Bc4):
  
  * e6, Nf6, Be7, 0-0, Nc6, a6. Now you have a few plans, but the main one is to push ...d5. If White plays Bg5 to prevent this (since now your Nf6 is under attack), you just complete your development with Bd7 and Qb6. It seems hard for you to do much, but remember that you are always poised to strike in the center should White move a piece away. You could also prepare the move: Nd4.
  * Dark squared strategy: Nf6, Nc6, Bg4, g6, Bg7, 0-0. The point of this setup is to control the central dark squares. Nc6 and Bg7 control e5 and d4, while Bg4's role is to take out Nf3 (White's main defender of these squares). Your plan would be to try and push b5 (Rb8, a6, etc) and also play Nd7 (opening up Bg7). This kind of position seems easier to play than the above line, but it is also easier for White to execute a plan.
  
  Those two setups are the main ones. An important note: If you're a Najdorf player, do not play Nc6 until White has committed his pawn to d3. If you play Nc6 too early, White could play d4 in one go. Now you're stuck in an open Sicilian line with your Knight on c6 (normally in the Najdorf the Knight is better suited on d7).
  
  This kind of game with 3. Bc4 can be quite boring to play, but at least you aren't required to memorize 20 moves of theory like in the 6. Bg5 main lines :)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2017-09-12. Score: 0
  
  There are a couple antidotes to non-open Sicilians. 1. lock down on the dark long-diagonal 'typically with fianchetto' and often sinking a knight in on d4; combined with queenside expansion or 2. try to get d5 in; this is a strategic goal in most Sicilians and with the Bishop on c4 to tempo against White doesn't have the e4-e5 response.
  
  
  ---
  
  