Thread by @NikolaosNtirlis

♟️Get Serious with 1.e4! #1

In this new series of 🧵, we will develop a serious opening repertoire with 1.e4!

I'll share serious, practical, fresh and theoretically challenging lines for White.

And I'll invite several strong GMs to comment!

We start with the Sicilian! 👇

2/ In particular, two Sicilian lines are considered among the soundest defenses for Black:

1. The Najdorf, and
2. The Sveshnikov

Let's try to crush them! 😎

3/ We start with the Najdorf:

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 we play 6.a4! 💡

4/ White would love to:

- Play a4-a5
- Take the knight on c6, if it goes there
- Play g4, if allowed

So, 6...Nbd7?! 7.g4! and 6...Nc6?! 7.Nxc6 and 8.a5 are great for White!

5/ Always the Scheveningen set-up is a solid choice for Black:

6... e6 7. a5 Be7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O Bd7 (9... Nc6 10. Nxc6!) 10. Be3 Nc6 11. Nxc6! - see the model game Demchenko Donchenko, Reykjavik 2021

6/ Let's see the main line:

6...e5 7. Nf3 (D) and we are threatening Bg5, so one of the main Black tries are:

7... h6 8. Nd2 d5 9. Nxd5 Nxd5 10. exd5 Qxd5 11. Nc4 and White holds a small edge.

7/ The other main line goes:
6. a4 e5 7. Nf3 Be7 8.Bg5 Be6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Nd5 Nd7 11. Bc4 (D) Rc8 12. Qe2 like Dominguez Perez -Giri, Chess24.com 2022, or even 2. b3!?

White has a safe small edge in these lines.

8/ Let's move on to the dreaded Sveshnikov! Our starting position is
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 and here I recommend the rare, but strong: 9. Nab1!? (D)

The b1-knight will go to d2 and c4 (or f4), or even to c3!

9/ A move that has been see a few times is 9... Ne7!? which prevents 10.a4 (do you see why?)

We can play 10. Nd2 (D) or even 10. Bd3!? with the idea 11.b4!? and 12.a4 is evaluated by the engines as a bit better for White!

10/ The main line goes:
9. Nab1 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. a4 b4 12. Nd5 O-O 13. Bc4 Bg5 14. O-O and now 14... Be6 15. Qd3! was seen in Kramnik- Fedoseev, Lichess 2022.

If 15...a5 16. c3! gives White a safe small edge.

11/ Another option for Black is 14...Kh8!? as played by Grischuk, intending ...f5.

White has easy play after 15.c3! bxc3 16. Nbxc3! (D) and if 16...f5?! 17. b4 with a sizeable advantage for White!

12/ What do you think? Do you feel ready to challenge these traditional, big Sicilian lines?

Do you have questions about specific positions?

Let's discuss them here!

13/ Share your ideas, comment and repost this thread, to allow Twitter to show it to more feeds so that more can participate in the discussion!

Stop playing the London.
Stop playing 1.b3.
Get serious with 1.e4! 💪😎

I'd like to thank @fins0905 who came up with the idea of the name "Get Serious with", in a discussion a few years ago (reacting to my initial "Be Serious" proposal 🤭).