Sicilian in Correspondence Chess

Particularly Najdorf and Svechnikov but also Dragon are popular openings at ICCF and I met both openings in many rated games, including in several team matches for Team Sweden. ICCF starts Najdorf 6 Be3 events at regular basic. Thematical tournaments are by the way not rated. I will however not post any Correspondence Chess games at my site.

I qualified to play in 4 different Najdorf final events by winning 3 different events. I was surprised to play in one of the finals since one of the events I won said nothing about final. Many events does not have finals even if it is the same opening as events with a final.

After 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 white has two respected options that are a grey area of being an open sicilian or not where white white aims for a Marocy Bind setup. I have played the Chekhover variation, 4 Qxd4, in a few games, where there has been developments where white plays Carlsens 5 Qe3 as a reply to Nc6. But Qe3 is better after that a6 or Bd7 are inserted or after that Nf6 Be2 are inserted than after a direct Nc6 where Bb5 is preferable, meeting Bd7 with Qd3 but it also leads to an equal game. The other respected grey area option is to play 4 Nxd4 and reply Nf6 with 5 f3 called the the Prins variation. I tried the line in one Correspondence Chess games and black equalised very easy while the line worked better in over the board games.

The Chekhover variation can also be played in a none Marocy Bind way based on active piece play instead, leading to a more or less standard Open Sicilian type of positions with equal chanses. I tried it an Correspondence Chess leading to an equal game that became a draw.

Reversed Dragon is also a very popular opening at ICCF, I met in many rated games, including in several team matches for Team Sweden.

A new anti Sicilian, played by WCH Magnus Carlsen as well as half of the world elite, has appered after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 with the idea of meeting 2 .. d6 with 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 with the plan b3 Bb2 0-0-0. Also new idea to avoid Najdrof proper has emmerged where white black 2 Nc3 3 Nge2 (Tiviakov DVD) or 3 Nf3 (Kaufmann book and some other book). The idea is to enter open sicilian if black can not reach Najdorf with e5 setups. White often plays g3 Bg2 before d4. If white has played 3 Nf3 he can also play Bb5 setups vs some move orders. Kaufmann invented and intresting line after 2. Nc3 g6 3. d4 where white white basicly plays a Yugoslav 9 0-0-0 but with the Knight at e2 instead of d4 cutting down theory and black get less counter play since Bh6 can be played faster and Knight can quickly move to c1 and defend a2 as well. The latest white repertour book proposed 2 Nc3 vs c5 and Carlsen system vs d6, Bb5 vs Nc6 and Nf3 vs e6 and Nge2 vs a6. This often lead to Open Sicilians while ruling out several black systems on the way.

Latest developments for white are to play 2 Nc3 and follow up with 3 d4 vs both d6, e6,g6 and a6 and play Bb5 with Nc6. I works well in over the board games but gives very little in Correspondence Chess after that the surprise value dissapeard.

I my black games in Correspondence Chess in none thematical events I have played several sicilians like several Kalachnikov games as well as a Dragon proper game and some Accelerated Dragon and Hyper Accelerated Dragon games and I even tried Classical Sicilian in one game.

In thematical tournaments at ICCF