The BEST Chess Opening Against The Sicilian Defense - Every Move is a Trap!

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In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov shows you how to crush the Sicilian Defense as White with a solid yet tricky opening variation. It is the delayed Alapin variation which happens after the following moves: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3.

This seemingly simple move is so powerful as it helps you to establish strong central pawns. And not just that, there are so many tricks, traps, and pitfalls along the way and Black would end up losing if they are not careful.

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► Chapters

00:00 Crush the Sicilian Defense as White
00:38 3.c3 Delayed Alapin Variation
04:04 Why delayed Alapin Variation?
06:05 Deadly traps and tricks
09:15 Key move you should remember
11:47 Can you find the best continuation?
12:05 Final variation

#GMSmirnov #SicilianDefense #ChessTraps #OpeningTraps

[skankhorde]

At 12:00

1. Qe6+ Qe7
2. Bd7+ Kf8 (or Kd8)
3. Be3

or

1. Qe6+ Kf8
2. Bd7 fg
3. Rb7 Qf6
4. Qd5 w/ c4, c5, c6 coming while keeping the Black king on the back rank so the rooks can't connect to defend against the advancing P.

[Primitive_Code]

That final variation with the bishops and queen attacking the black king looks amazing!

[justmajic]

@Remote Chess Academy. Looking at time 7:36 in your video. After white Nc3, black does not trade. They play Nb4.
This variation seems to throw off whites options for attack. And explanation on this variation seems very interesting.

[ant]

At 12:00 I play Rfe1. Most of black move, I'll Rxe5+. I can't list all variations but I believe covered all situations. Tell me if black has a way to survive these. Let's see after Rfe1, if black:
1. fxg5 Rxe5+ Bxe5 Qxe5+ if black:
1.1 Qe7 Qxh8+ if black:
1.1.1 Qf8 Re1+ Kf7 Bc4+ Be6 Bxe6+ game over by 1 bishop diff and still non stop checks.
1.1.2 Kf7 Bc4+ Be6 Bxe6+ Qxe6 Qxa8 game over (black almost counter checkmate!)
1.2 Kf8 Qxh8 Ke7 Qg7+ Kd6 Rd1+ Ke6 Bxd7+ game over
1.3 Kf7 Bc4+ Be6 Rxb7+ game over
2. Bxb5 Rxe5+ if black:
2.1 fxe5 Bxd8 game over
2.2 Kf7 Qe6+ Kf8 Bc1! Qa5 Rb3 game over
3. Qe7 Rxe5 Qxe5 Bxd7+ if black:
3.1 Kd8 Qxe5 game over
3.2 Kf7 Be6+ Qxe6 Rxb7+ mate in 2
4. Rg8 Rxe5+ Kf7 Bc4+ Be6 Bxe6+ Ke8 Bc4+ fxe5 Bxd8 game over
5. Bf8 Rxe5+ fxe5 Qxe5+ Be7 Qxh8+ Kf7 Bc4+ Be6 Qxh7+ Kf8 Bxe6 mate in 1
6. Kf7 Bc4+ Be6 Qxe6+ Kf8 Qf7#

[raimundotavares]

11:57 My first tought was Qe6. Black has 2 moves, cover the check with the Queen and after that Qxd7 black queen recaptures Qxd7 and after Bxd7 and Kxd7 White can play Rxb7 gainning the dark squared bishop. However after Qe6 black plays Ke8 neither Bxd7 or Qxd7 doesn't work as after xG5 material is equal, you can still play RxB7 if you played Bxd7 before and White is up a pawn and maybe still has a attack as the rook and queen are both in the 7th rank. Since after Qe6 Ke8 seems a good response and not that winning maybe rook on F to e1 (don't remember the notation for that) seems a good move bringing another piece to the attack and if black is greedy and takes the bishop Rxe5 seems mate in 2.After the move Re1 black doesn't seem to have good moves + you are threatening to take the e5 pawn anyways as the e6 pawn is pinned due to the Queen so Re1 is my final answer. Thank you for putting this type of questions in the video it's a very good tatical trainnig better than AI generated puzzels it's very interesting! Just cheked with the engine Re1 is a big blunder and makes position equal.Ops! Qe6 is the move for anyone wondering!

[scottjasper]

Thank you for this, Igor. I have been struggling with the Smith-Morra Gambit lately and wanted a new weapon. This is perfect.

[bggines_]

Great video! I'm now tempted to play 1.e4!. Eversince i watched your video regarding Italian versus Two Knights game there's not a single white player that moved the antidote 5 or 6.d4 so, until now i'm using that two nights addictively😊! Played maybe like a hundred times?

[kcice]

I started watching your videos about half a year ago and so far I'm up 300+ rating points, love your content man! Was also wondering if you could cover even more additional lines in the bishops opening / tennison gambit as well sometime in the future :).

[innosphere]

I got to 1768 from 1127 in 3 months just by watching and practicing regularly from your videos

[thomasb]

in my experience the best response to whatever white plays in move 2 - Alapin or Nf3 is 2.g6 - the hyperaccelerated dragon - my absolute favorite opening

[TheAnshuman]

@12:00 white can play Bxf6 taking a pawn and attacking the queen, so black plays Bxf6 taking white bishop.

But now, Bxd7+ Qxd7 Qxf6 gets the bishop back and attacks the rook on h8. So Rf8 but now we get another pawn with Qxe5+.

Now if Qe7, then we play Qxe7 Kxe7 Rxb7+ winning a third pawn with a check. Or if Kf7, then Rfd1 is pretty strong!

[j.thomas]

Against ...2 d6, there is also the very sharp Ginsberg Gambit : 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bc4 Nxe4 6. Qh5 e6 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Nxe6

[bachianm]

Thank you, GM Smirnoff! Interesting and challenging as always.

[GMIgorSmirnov]

► Chapters

00:00 Crush the Sicilian Defense as White
00:38 3.c3 Delayed Alapin Variation
04:04 Why delayed Alapin Variation?
06:05 Deadly traps and tricks
09:15 Key move you should remember
11:47 Can you find the best continuation?
12:05 Final variation

[paulmagoto]

Very informative. Practise makes perfect

[junibestcf]

Hello Igor,

I played the delayed alapin and could win with white today with my team 😀

Thanks for the video !

[chandrakarnati]

12:04 the best move is qe6 if qe7 blocking the check then we can take the bishop with our bishop. So eventually winning a piece will be tesulting in a winning game

[theinquisitor]

I love this video - thank you. I always play e4 planning to play the bishop's opening but then I don't know what to do against the Sicilian. This has given me some ideas.

[rodrigorosenfeld]

I always play e6 rather than d6 when playing the Sicilian and so do most of my opponents. Do you have any videos on how to respond to e6? Usually I'll play Smith-Morra against the Sicilian, but I'm starting to consider g4 as an alternative response to the Sicilian.

[lohitakshanavneeth]

I think if anybody wants to play any offline tournament and they play e4 first thing they should learn is how to counter the sicilian defense. This video sorts the purpose perfectly. Great video quite helpful