Sicilian Attacks: Powerful Charges & Typical Tactics

Sicilian Attacks: Powerful Charges & Typical Tactics
GM Yuri Yakovich
New in Chess, 2010
Paperback, $21.82 (new) on Amazon

This is the third book by Yakovich, after The Complete Sveshnikov Sicilian (Gambit, 2002), and Play the 4.f3 Nimzo-Indian (Gambit, 2005). Those books were well-reviewed, and this effort makes the author 3 for 3.

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Struggling Against Mainline Sicilians? This Book WILL Help!

A familiar dilemma

The biggest headache that normally dissuades tournament players from opening with 1.e4 is the Sicilian Defense (1…c5) — specifically, the Open Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 and then 3.d4).

Of course, it’s possible to employ an anti-Sicilian, but this is already a partial victory for the second player. While systems with 3.Bb5(+) or an early c2-c3 are respectable, your opponent should not be afraid of these. I would not recommend employing lesser setups like the Smith-Morra Gambit or Grand Prix Attack every time.

Allowing Black to enter their pet mainline system is intimidating for the non-professional. But I have decided that this is a lesser evil than switching to the closed games (1.d4, 1.c4, 1.Nf3, etc.), as the second player has endless options there, too.

Besides, I have always enjoyed studying opening theory and reaping the rewards of my efforts. I strongly believe players don’t study their openings enough.

Which approach versus Open Sicilians?

It’s possible to face mainline Sicilians without playing in a berzerker fashion — check out IM Timothy Taylor‘s interesting 2012 book Slaying the Sicilian which advocates for a quieter approach like playing an early Be2 in many lines. World Champion Anatoly Karpov and perennial Candidate Efim Geller scored a ton of points this way.

Of course, many players dream of launching breathtaking attacks against the Black king.

Even if you’re an attacking-challenged player like I am, you can play aggressive setups if you study well and learn important ideas. The systems Yakovich discusses also have a sound strategic basis. The English Attack and Yugoslav Attack are well-covered, for example, but you won’t find ultra-aggressive “is-this-completely-sound?” stuff like the Velimirovic Attack or Perenyi Attack.

Yuri Yakovich. Photo: FIDE

Sicilian Attacks is the guide you need.

The Russian Grandmaster wrote a dense book (only 208 pages!) with lots of variations and computer analysis, no doubt about that. But it also contains generous text annotations and key diagrams, so you won’t get lost in a forest of endless lines. This is not a database dump!

You’ll have to take your time with this book, but you won’t be left scratching your head. An ambitious player rated 1500 would benefit, but the 1800-plus crowd will really make hay with Sicilian Attacks.

So, what’s in it?

Contents

Really, the only major system not covered is the Sveshnikov! And it’s much easier to find explanatory material for White on that setup than some of the others reviewed here.

Sample Pages

A typical page in this book. Dense analysis, but good commentary to help the reader navigate it. Well worth the needed time investment to absorb the main ideas.

At the end of each section, the author includes these “Conclusions” — a nice touch!

Yakovich’s chapters on facing the Yugoslav Dragon is the best I have seen anywhere, and alone worth the price of the book. He also makes sense of “strange” nuances in different Sicilian variations understandable.

Sicilian Attacks is really a middlegame book — plenty of discussion of pawn structures and piece placements, sometimes going as far as the endgame. That’s why you should not be put off by the 2010 publication date, at all.

Highly recommended for players willing to put in the work to play the Open Sicilian.