Sicilian Defences TIER LIST | Pros And Cons Of Each One | GM Molton
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 20. 07. 2024
- Hi guys, a common question I get asked from players looking at learning the Sicilian is which one to play? There are so many choice so I decided to put together this list as a rough guide on what to expect in each line.
Hope you enjoy!
Intro: (0:00)
Taimanov: (00:26)
O Kelly: (00:47)
Classical: (01:24)
Nimzowitsch: (01:51)
Scheveningen: (02:15)
Kan: (02:55)
Kupreichik: (03:33)
Pin: (03:59)
Four Knights: (04:22)
Paulsen-Basman: (04:49)
Najdorf: (05:09)
Katalimov (b6): (05:28)
Hedgehog: (05:42)
Hyper-Accelerated Dragon: (06:10)
Accelerated Dragon: (06:32)
Dragon: (06:56)
Kveinis: (07:21)
Godiva: (08:00)
Dragondorf: (08:24)
Kalashnikov: (08:35)
Sveshnikov: (08:59)
Outro: (09:47)
Twitch đ„: / gmmolton
Lichess: lichess.org/@/Molt7n
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Private Online Chess Classes: 50movesmagazine.com/collectio...
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Forgot to mention, I have put them into each TIER but didn't individually rank each one inside. Have fun playing the Sicilian!
Any questions just let me know đ
@@MoltonChess can you make a detailed najdorf lecture/theory video? I like the way you teach
Can you please do a ranking for each line. You can answer here as well. @Molton
@Molton also, can you share your thoughts about Grivas sicilian (theory, power, play style, difficulty etc.)
@@onatkorucu842 Grivas is a perfectly playable opening maybe I put it in the middle. Theory: Low Play Style: Usually transposes to a Scheveningen trying to avoid a lot of White's options Difficulty: Average
This is the exact video I needed. Wanted to start learning the sicilian, plenty of vids explaining the positions, but none of them compared them on a learning and difficulty level like this one. THANK YOU
Glad it helped, fun to try many different ones out
This is a very good video, nice and compact with a lot to branch off of to learn and expand upon ! đ
Could you do one for White's perspective? Grand Prix, Alapin, etc... Thank you for the content!
Sure, will look into it!
@@MoltonChess merci!
+1
Open Sicilian: S Tier
Everything Else: Garbage
@@blazeinbow19 says 800 elo
Thanks for the Sicilian overview. It's good to see them all over a few minutes đ
You're Welcome đ
Just found this channel and really like your presentation! Would like to see more tier lists in this format in the future.
Thanks noted for future videos!
I just discovered your channel today and I found your videos very instructive and enjoyable.
Glad it helped!
Absolutely amazing video, very good concise description of everything for someone who wants to start off or even for someone who wants to try out some different variant....its kind of very specific to the open sicilian though but it does the job đ€đ»đ€đ»
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Great content. Thanks for ranking Sicilian variations!
You're Welcome!
I'm going to watch this video a few times, nicely done
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Super cool video haha love it â„
Thanks
Now how come no body knows about this channel ... fantastic work ..â„ïž
Thank you đ
Fr fr
Thank you for this. With White (pieces) I play 1. e4 thus, I only play the Sicilian Defense from the White side (of the board). I find this information very useful.
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Thank you for this!
I suggest to make a specific channel/segment with "tier list" theme.
Noted!
I often, at a high rating at 27+, have quite a bit of success with the katalimov. I usually end with either a win, or a draw (mostly draw though ). Of course, I use it as a trick like you said, but at the same time it works a lot too if you know the main lines.
If you know a side line really well and no one plays it then you automatically become an expert in it! :)
Really good and underrated channel
Thanks!
Been playing something between a Kan, Taimanov and French Variation.
King for putting the classical as top
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Great video, thanks ! I am missing the Quinteros Variation 1 e4 c5 2 nf3 Qc7 3 d4 cd 4 Nxd4 a6 5 Nc3 Nf6. Closely related to the Kan and quite underrated in my opinion. One commonly suggested answer is 3 c3 but it's not as much of a drawback as for the O'Kelly (and 3 c4 is quite ineffective here). White can also force Black to play something else, such a Taimanov/Paulsen after 3 Nc3 but then Black has also cut out certain options for White.
Would you agree that it at least belongs in the "respectable" box ?
Yes looks like similar idea to the OKelly. I played Kan my whole life and never knew about this!
@@MoltonChess I'll send you a link to my study on lichess
Why did you place the Dragon above the Accelerated Dragon? More of a taste thing? Which would you recommend for me, an 1800 whose main opening is the Petrov and I'm looking for an aggressive alternative to play for a win?
Love the Kan & hedgehog setup! How do you decide whether the knight should go on c6 or d7?
Me too, it's my main Sicilian! Typically the knight will often always go to d7 especially in the hedgehog. However, you can bring the knight to c6 if you want to trade some pieces or support a b4 pawn break, just watch out for Nd5 tactics when you do :)
@@MoltonChess Thank you for the reply! Just discovered your channel and I look forward to watching more of your videos!
What about the Taimanov variation ( hope I spelled it correctly ). Is it a solid chess opening because it looks fire đ„ but is it as strong as it sounds?
Here's my list (and criteria):
God Tier (played at the very top and theory is still cutting edge, and pose real problems for white):
Najdorf
Sveshnikov
Taimanov
Dragon
Champion (very solid and played at top levels, but don't pose the biggest problems to white):
Kan
Scheveningen
Classical
Four Knights
The Dragon might belong in Champion Tier, because theory has developed how to defuse it, but still goes in God Tier because of its historical importance.
Scheveningen might be moved to God Tier because of its historical importance, except the Keres Attack has all but refuted it, and it's always played with the Najdorf move order these days.
Respectable (will still give black a solid position, but if white knows the best ways to handle them, they lose their bite, and even give white a bit of an edge):
Accelerated Dragon
Hedgehog
Dragondorf
Kalashnikov
Just tricks (don't exactly lose, but could land you in a worse position if white knows how to refute them; if not, you can get a better position):
Pin
O'Kelly
Hyperaccelerated Dragon
Trash (also played for tricks, but you get a pronouncedly worse position if white doesn't fall for it):
Lady Godiva
Paulsen-Basman
Kupreichik
Nimzowitsch
Kveinis
Katalimov
This is amazing! Thank you!
But this is a tier list primarily against 2. Kf3 (open Sicilian).
What is your favorite response against the closed Sicilian opening?
And against the c3 Alapin Sicilian opening?
And against the (delayed) wing Sicilian opening?
Thank you again for all you are doing for the chess community!
There's alot of options here, might do a video later on these options.
I think a noob rule of thumb I'm learning is not to try the dragon setup if I've played e6. So against Bowdler attack I can't fianchetto the bishop since I'll probably play e6.
Thats a good point
Accelerated dragon and Kalashnikov are 2 of my favourites not just for their cool names
:)
hey great video thx :)
Thanks for watching đ
Interesting topic
Sicilian is great!
Awe our national game thank u đ
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You forgot to mention the tricky Lowenthal Variation! Not optimal, but it leads to very different types of structures and it is often unfairly dismissed out of hand.
Yeah it's quite an easy and tricky opening to play, forgot to be put in.
What he calls the Kalashnikov here is actually the Lowenthal, where the Kalashnikov is the main continuation.
@@usageunitThese days, Lowenthal tends to be used for the variation with 5.a6 whilst the Kalashnikov goes 5.d6.
Hi sir, as someone who plays e4, how are we supposed to prepare against each sicilian? Sometimes my opponents will play variations that Im unfamiliar with (eg: Najdorf variation after White plays Bg5, Black has a lot of alternatives to play). Is it a lot?
Easiest way for White is to pick an Anti Sicilian option and learn that well. Otherwise if you play the open Sicilian you will need a system against every option for Black
@@MoltonChess Ok thank you sir. Love your videos.
Good shit
Cheers
could you please make a video on how you shoot and edit your videoes, i want to start a chess channel but i have no clue how to get started. Also, could you make a theory light, but still high quality, Sicilian repertoire?
You can use some software such as OBS or streamlabs to film the videos
I've been interested in the Kan sicilian for quite a while and I was wondering what some good sources for it would be and if it would be suitable for me as an intermediate player to use.
I played the Kan Sicilian as my main line all the way up to 2400 although you have to be comfortable playing Hedgehog type positions which is the only major drawback. I would have a look through the database for some games annotated or not to help get an understanding of the positions. I will probably do a video on both these openings at some point soon as well.
@@MoltonChess thank you for the reply, I'm looking for a sicilian that I may be interested in and the Kan was the one as it has a high success rate and isn't seen too often. I will try to look for annotated games and maybe get some good ideas as I'm just trying to get comfortable with better openings that aren't just gambits.
Usually when I play the Sicilian Defense White Retakes with the Queen instead of the Knight, and Iâm currently looking around for a variation like that if one exists.
0:30
So that is a move often seen at the lower levels. The problem for white is that we get quick developement and we should be fine
@@Joel-vw9mo
I learned a few Sicilian Tricks and stuff, and I play it from time to time, but after 4 months Iâve pretty much switched to The Dutch and Caro-Kann.
I know 26 different openings but I really only use 5 unless itâs unrated and just for fun.
By knowing I donât mean to the T every variation, I mean I know the openings, the ideas behind them, and I know a couple Variations.
As a 1900 uscf player who has been playing French the entire time, should I switch to najdorf, sveshnikov, or taimanov? I am a tactical player, hence why im trying to switch from the French.
Sure if you are looking for some more open/tactical positions to play than Sicilian is a great option
Great video. Do you think the black side of the Rauzer is much weaker than the Najdorf to the extent that it would matter for a club player?
I don't think it matters much unless you are at Master level. :) Also Classical is slowly coming back into popularity.
@@MoltonChess Did you know that Australia is World Telechess Champion?
@@MoltonChess really? i was thinking to learn it as first Sicilian but this Reuzer stopped me ... i was thinking to go directly for Najdorf so i will not have to change later
@@Ryu53898 Maybe start Najdorf first
@@LastGM What about Four Knights? looks nice
What do you think of the Lowenthal Variation of the Sicilian?
I think it's really tricky and good choice to catch many White players off guard
Hi! Great video but I was just wondering what the risks of the classical sicilian are.
Just the Bg5 Rauzer is difficult to play against. Perhaps nowadays I would drop the Classical to somewhere in 2nd Tier instead along with the Scheveningen since they both have slight problems.
@@MoltonChess Thank You so much!
Scheveningen will always be my numero uno.
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Najdorf đ
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What about Lowenthal variation? E4-C5, Nf3-Nc6, D4-Cd, Nxd4-E5, Nb5-A6, Nd6+-Bxd6, Qxd6-Qf6
I love this variation and played it more than Najdorf cuz it's not that hard and actually playable
Yep the Lowenthal is a very tricky variation and easy to learn too
@@MoltonChess engines don't like it tho
@@VladimirPutin-wt5yh You don't always have to follow the engine exactly. It might work better at certain levels more than others though
GM Molton,
I'm a bit confused (maybe more than a bit!).
Is there a Nc6 accelerated dragon? and the Najdorf accelerated dragon?
Nc6 accelerated dragon would be:
e4 c5
Nf3 Nc6
d4 cxd4
Nxd4 g6
And the Najdorf accelerated dragon would obviously be:
e4 c5
Nf3 d6
d4 cxd4
Nxd4 g6
But which to use when?
And what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Thank you for any insight!
The Accelerated delays d-pawn and avoids the dreaded Yugoslav attack but runs into the Maroczy Bind. The regular d6 Dragon you have to play against the Yugoslav
If you are black pieces, do you have a preferred different Sicilian response depending on what white's 2nd move is?
After 1. e4 c5, if white plays Nf3 (open Sicilian), what is your preferred response?
After 1. e4 c5, if white plays Nc3 (closed Sicilian), what is your preferred response?
After 1. e4 c5, if white plays c3 (Alapin Sicilian), what is your preferred response?
After 1. e4 c5, if white plays a3 (delayed wing gambit Sicilian), what is your preferred response?
After 1. e4 c5, if white plays d3 (Molton Sicilian), what is your preferred response?
This would make for an amazing video!
Thank you for considering.
Working on this video soon :)
@@MoltonChess against 2. Nf3 (open Sicilian) I play 2. a6 (O'Kelly)
and against 2. Nc3 (closed Sicilian) I play 2. e6 (French)
and against 2. c3 (Alapin Sicilian) I play 2. d5
But I am just a beginner, so maybe these are not the best individualized responses
As white..
e4 c5
e4 cxd
c3 dxc
Nc3 ...
Or head for KIngs Indian Attack. Both on advice of Leonard Barden. If black doesn't respond to c3, I rejoice in a strong centre.
Coach, can intermediate player use Sicilian Najdorf or Sicilian Classical to play? Or any other Sicilian you can recommend for intermediate player?
Yes of course both of those are fine. You can try any of the other ones also. Apart from the very bottom tiers I would almost everything else is fine to try out
@@MoltonChess tq Coach for the advice! But is it correct that I heard we need to archive 2000 rating 1st if we want to play Sicilian opening, is the statement correct Coach?
No you can play Sicilian before 2000 it's not a problem.
@@MoltonChess thank you very much Coach, your channel is very helpful to me & my daughter for playing chess
Thanks for the tier list đ. Sveshnikov god tier for sure but Kalash only respectable ? Why ?
Sveshnikov is generally regarded as a bit more solid than the Kalash since that allows White a few extra options. Although if in the future someone discovers a way to play the Kalashnikov at the highest level of chess than I would definitely reconsider my placement. :)
@@MoltonChess thanks đ
Maghsoodloo seems to be playing the Kalashnikov with excellent results. Especially the idea of g6+Bg7 vs 6.c4 looks interesting. My impression was actually that the Kalash is the more solid since you hang back with b5 while in the Svesh there's a randomise option of different piece sacs on b5 that can be very tricky to face.
Can someone list down the names of the books that was shown in this video
They are not visible.
Which books were you referring to?
@@MoltonChess All , if possible
Do you mean the openings mentioned in the video? It should be in the description
@@MoltonChess in description i can find all the important lines in Sicilian opening
I believe you drag and drop the books on each mentioned lines
I am looking for the names of those books
This is a cool list but a lot of Sicilians transpose to 1 another so you should learn all the similar defences. I play the accelerated dragon but that can often transpose to dragon and dragdorf positions and sometimes I get forced into the classical
That is true, Sicilian is full of transpositions and using them well can help you avoid some dangerous systems.
Where would you put the Löwenthal?
In the playable/respectable Tier. Not so popular but perfectly fine.
In terms of aesthetics, the Scheveningen and Najdorf are surely S-Tier.
What do you recommend for positional players that hates a lot amount of theory??
I'm thinking of Hegdehog though, but di you have any thoughts of opening for me??
Hedgehog is good to avoid theory or Hyper-Accelerated dragon perhaps. Though Sicilian in general is not exactly positional :)
@@MoltonChess ohhh thanks, but what opening do you recommend to play positionally versus e4 ??
@@samuelkeanu4508 1...e5 or Caro-kann are perhaps for positional but play whatever you enjoy. I quite like Sicilian myself :)
@@MoltonChess Thanks for the advice, there's no youtuber who response as many as comments as you do...
Best sicilian is accelerated dragon for below 2200 and Najdorf for above 2200.
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If white plays d4, can black still play f5? Is that still sicilian defense?
I don't think the gambit is any good though. You will just be a pawn down. Unless you mean 1.d4 f5 in which yes you can
That's the Dutch defense, which is also a strong opening.
Why is Kalashnikov so much lower than Sveshnikov?
I find positions are similar but can be a tad more weakening and White has some extra options. Which might make it less popular but its still good
@@MoltonChess . Interesting. GM King recently released a course on the Kalashnikov and I was thinking about trying it out since Carlsen has played it in OTB games.
Yep it's worth trying out though especially these new lines with g6 included are interesting
You didnt include sicilian defense hyper accelerated dragon fianchetto pterodactyl defense
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Najdorf with e6/a6 and Sveshnikov. Played both. However, it's simply too much theory to absorb when opening c5, because the majority of the time you will NOT get to use your knowledge of the Sicilian. White will force you to play something else like the Alapin, Rossilimo, Smith-Morra gambit, Gran Prix attack, Closed Sicilian or other openings that seek to avoid main theoretical Sicilians altogether. FAR TOO MUCH study and memorization is required. Recently switched to the Caro-Kann, with far less to know.
which one is easy and good for begineer?
O'Kelly, or many of the e6 Sicilians I quite like
@@MoltonChess thank you
Team Taimonov đȘ
no mention of the Lasker?
That is the same as the Sveshnikov I think?
@@MoltonChess ah it is, I sometimes transpose to it from the Benoni and score quite well this way
;-; kveinis got me from 1200 to 1500 with black ;-; but to be fair it's harder to play when you get to 1500
Yeah different openings will work better at different levels. I think just try different ones until it stops working then change it up if you need.
@@MoltonChess thanks lol I switched to the kan now it's my favorite opening
There's no way Classical and Scheveningen are God tier. Champion or respectable for sure. I also disagree with many of your other choices but these two are the biggest thorns.
I think openings are very subjective. But a lot of the other ones on the list can lead back into Scheveningen and Classical structures too. So I think being familiar with these middlegame structures can be very helpful too. That's my thoughts
Najdorf seems to be best.
please do a tier for white!
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That's tricky. After 1 e4, black can play
... g6
... Nf6
... e6
... e5
... d6
... d5
... c6
... c5
... One Australian, I forget which, famously played Nc6
... a6 Nigel short dazzled his opponent with this. I think it was Karpov.
Transitions in the above abound. eg Black can play g6, Bg7, Nf6, d6 and O-O in almost any order.
And white can play the equivalents of all of the above on move 1.
@@Australianchessplayer this is as a response to the sicilian. which is basically the open sicilian on top and a tier list of anti sicilians which could be a huge help
Hye GM Molton, is it God tier or good tier?
Top one is God Tier :)
@@MoltonChess if i intermidiate i should use god tier or champion tier Sir?
I think at intermediate it doesn't matter so much can pick any you enjoy playing most. Even the mid tier ones are fine too since people might not know them as well :)
@@MoltonChess ok Sir, i will try my best, thank you for your advice
I am a begginers but i like dragondorf cause i like the counter play i usually play well when people castle queen side
Magnus played the dragondorf last week and won a very nice game too. Not many people expect it
5
:)
dragon variation hyper acelerated
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I genuinely believe all Sicilians are playable unlike Ruy lopez
Yep pretty much every Sicilian is
Interesting you have the O'Kelly in the "Just Tricks" column. Statistically the O'Kelly has the highest success rate against White out of all the Sicilians.
I do play it myself and even made a video on it in ny starter Sicilian recommendation. Its mainly because most people dont realise d4 is not the best response.
The success rate likely depends on the class of players who play it. If club players are regularly beaten by their betters, likely they will look for something with a better reputation.
My siscilian svasnikov
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Me whenever i see 1. e4 c5:
"Play 2. d4 to avoid theory."
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you forgot the lowenthal sicilian
As a few people mentioned, I rate it quite highly in Club and tournament level
I'm afraid of sicilian had lost most of the game in this opening đŁ
Yep tough but fun opening to play :)
o kelly in just tricks? ....đđ„
I actually recommend as my favourite Starter Sicilian in a previous video so I wouldn't worry too much if that's what you want to play :)
Best: Classical. Brilliant: Godiva. Cool: Najdorf. Good: Taimanov. Not so good: Pin. Hope it is not: O Kelly.
Want to know how good these variations are? Well it depends on the balance.
At most levels it really doesn't matter. Just pick what you like to play most. Objectively perhaps Najdorf is best but I played Taimanov most of time and sometimes Classical even though there are some slight drawbacks it is still okay to play.
I like the part where you put the classical in the best tier; its my fav
What makes you like taimanov best? Im not saying I dont like taimanov
I started learning the Kan first so Taimanov was most similar. No other reason. Classical I learnt after that.
Only 3 sicillians belong in god tier. Najdorf, Sveshnikov and Taimanov
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Ur not a real gm right? Or are u from Australia?
Oh wait u are, mb. But u have kinda British accent, and ur not from britian
I am Australian :)
That's a bit of a rude question, but Moulthun is a Grandmaster from Australia.
ratings.fide.com/profile/3204405 (It even looks like he's wearing the same shirt in his FIDE profile picture)
It's quite straightfoward to verify if someone is a titled player by using FIDE's website.
You know that real GMs come from Russia, or perhaps China, or nowadays even from India. Never from Australia :D