Why play the Anti-Sicilian with 2.Nc3?
Imagine preparing the mainline, starting with 3.d4 Open Sicilian. You’d have to prepare against a minimum of 7 lines like the Najdorf, Dragon, Classical, Scheveningen, etc., each with its separate theory.
At the very least, it would take you a few months to prepare and remember those lines! Also, because the theory is sharp, almost anybody with computer skills can cook up a dangerous line with Black and use it against you.
On the other hand, you could save time by preparing sidelines like 2.d4, 2.f4, 2.d3 but forget about fighting for an opening advantage...
That’s why our GMs have offered the Closed Sicilian with 2.Nc3. It's easier to prepare compared to the mainline and you still have more than great chances to fight for an opening advantage.
Against 2...d6, which is Black's 2nd most popular reply, the Grand Prix Attack offers great attacking chances.
Below, you can see some of the positions from the video course.
Many of our students have had excellent results in this line, often crushing stronger players in the opening itself!
Also, our GMs have tested these lines with engines, and the repertoire will serve you well even against titled players.
Let’s jump in!
Additional Resources: This is the 1st Part of the Anti-Sicilian series, Black’s 2…d6 move. Once you finish it, please watch the 2nd Part, which covers 2.Nc3 Nc6.
What you'll learn
- A step-by-step guide to playing the Grand Prix Attack after 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4!, covering the important variations, sidelines and improvements.
- The key ideas behind the Grand Prix Attack setup.
- How Black can get crushed within the first 25 moves if they don’t know the right way to continue.
- Model games to help you understand this line better.
- How to carry out a swift attack, right from building it with maneuvers to finishing off the game with sacrifices!
Lesson Plan 40 episode(s)
Students give this course an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars.