You ask if this video is crazy or worthwhile? From someone who has not yet gained much theory regarding the Sicilian, the video was a FANTASTIC overview. I will definitely view it more than a few times. Thank you, as always, for your great technique and obvious preparation. Please keep them coming. Looking forward to the Najdorf!

If you watch the video please do comment, Dennis is very interested in feedback for this type of video.

It's never a bad idea to give those of us who aren't that broad, some information on these lines. I always enjoy the videos with a little history/back story in them. Dennis always does a good job of explaining the principals & ideas behind the opening moves, like in his Catalan video. This being a like a basic intro to the Sicilian Defense, he can't explain everything but for the time he allotted himself, Dennis did a fantastic job.

I like this. I've been thinking about playing open sicilians as white (I've been playing 2.c3 but I'm getting a bit bored of it recently) but the volume of theory has put me off a bit. This kind of overview with a few common lines is very useful.

Great video. Anyone interested in the Kalashnikov check out Nunn V Nataf (1999)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1333500
Nataf delays the development of his knight with 6. ... Be7 to prevent Bg5. Later he sac's a pawn and a rook to open up the White king's position. White's pieces sit in on Queen side looking on as Black launches a mating attack.

It is a great opening at club level.

nice overview, the way i interpretated the video was more like a "preview" of a movie. You can't see the whole story, but you get a good idea of what to expect.
Nice job! I am looking forward to viewing the najdorf and you even mentioned "the ruy in 10 minutes!" What might be intresting for viewers is to look at perhaps two example games (if possible) and you show the first one: for example players with a lower rating against each other and discuss what mistakes they make, or what moves that resemble a poor understanding of the position. And then another game, between to titans and explain the positive points of their moves (ofcourse the analysis shouldn't be al that long, but just some general ideas and some smashing tactic in the end is always nice)

The lines i counter a lot are the english atack, the dragon, and the one with e5, Nb5, Bg5 and so on, also, in the najdorf, i have an intresting line also other onces you mentioned: the one with f4.
I had problems with black facing the folowing line: 1)e4 c5 2) Nf3 d6 3) d4 cxd4 4) Nxd4 Nf6 5) Nc3 a6 6) Be3 In this position, i have found an intresting line in the databases beginning with 6)... Ng4 I have found that most of the lines continue with 7) Bg5 h6 Bh4 g5 9) Bg3 Bg7
But i wonder, what would happen if: white ignores Ng4 and continues with something else? Is taking the black bishop really best? and also: what if: Bc1?

A bigger problem is the closed sicilian with Nc3, g3, Bg2 and ideas such as: f4
I cannot find a good way to counter this idea... a quick queenside attack doesn't seem to do the trick for me. I am looking for a way to counter in the centre, and neutralise whites kings side play. The main reason i find this worth discussing is that the white kingside resembles a kings indian set up (in my humble opinion) and i wonder what to do about it?

It's not that i lose a lot against these systems, it's just that when i lose, i lose like a patzer...

If i may i would like to ask this question: How come i lose more ofthen with black facing 1) d4... I am used to playing 1) e4 myself, and i just can't stand the passive position i get with black facing d4... Do you have any sugestions?

wish you all the best,

Steven.

Instructive jokes are the best ones . Nicely done overview, it's always good to know what's out there.

I don't really know anything about the Sicilian other than the c-file and c3 and d4 are usually problems for white, so I just try to prepare for that stuff. Nice to see an opening primer on the site. It's so hard for a beginner/intermediate player because everyone says "Don't study openings, study tactics bla bla" but at the same time, everyone seems to know openings which is funny. I don't know the names of any opening variations other than the main names. I guess my chess training is just really confused right now. Here I am studying endings, taking a break from tactics, but still having trouble in the opening. Hmm, maybe I'll take on an opening or two next.

I have studied and played this line quite a few times with 6...Ng4. I Like to play it with both colors, but it is very deep in theory indeed. It depends on the mood I am in when I play White. Most often I will play 7.Bc1 and Black usually just drops the knight back to f6 when I will switch to my other favorite line as White with 8.Bg5 which returns the game to the 6.Bg5 Najdorf two moves later (and two moves closer to time control).

If I were White I certainly would not let Black trade the knight for the bishop, it just doesn't seem logical to me.

Hi Dennis... It's me The guy who mentioned covering the Sicilian in 15 and the Ruy in 10... I didn't think you'd take me seriously - but I am so glad you did!

I know quite a bit of theory in many Sicilian lines, though sometimes my desire to be creative may not show it in some of the videos I present on CV.TV

Seriously, thank you! This was a righteous presentation. You covered some lines that I only briefly looked at earlier in my life and discarded without finding the 'reason' for the lines, and then here you are and the 'reason' was revealed in two different lines; The c2-c4 line against the O'Kelly and the Tal line against the Grand Prix. Cool stuff.

My mouth is watering for your presentation on the Najdorf.

Hi Dennis,
sorry to say I didn't like this as much as others. I was certainly entertaining and a good overview, but I feel this put the entertainment purpose in front the chess training. For me I felt it just wasn't that helpful, not because I already knew everything but (just like using a blitz game for training) because it was too quick and superficial to offer a lot of insight.

Re: Fast Sicilian
Hmmm. I'm not able to access the "Fast Sicilian" by Dennis Mono.which I'm sure will be great (hint,hint, please do more) and even though I can't get it to load at all, I am convinced it will be great. Now, can you please tell me how to access the video. I pressed play and nothing happens!

The video was fast, yes but for me it was like going down the shopping aisle- I got to see some lines that looked interesting and saw others that I wouldn't be comfortable with so it was an excellent way to select lines for further study- thanks Dennis!

A very useful video for several reasons. I don't play the Sicilian with black and don't see most variations with white because of my reportoire choices. I play that Qxd4 business against 2. ... d6, a Rossolimo when 2. ... Nc6 sometimes transposing into the Qxd4 Sicilian and I setup a delayed c3-Sicilian when 2. ... e6. That said, I'm considering entering (more) main line territory with 2. ... e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4.

Also, it helps put my universe in order knowing the english-speaking world still hasn't figured out how to pronounce Scheveningen . To Dennis' credit, he gets it almost right, except for the CH. That's supposed to sound as the ch in loch (scottish-english) or Bach, but most certainly never a K. I admit, it's a bit nit-picky.