Sicilian Defence - 2.Nf3: Black's Second Move Alternatives

2.Nf3: Black's Second Move Alternatives

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3, Black has some rarely played options apart from 2...d6, 2...Nc6 and 2...e6. These include:

• 2...g6 is the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon or Hungarian Variation, which can transpose to the Dragon or the Accelerated Dragon. Ways for White to prevent this include 3.c3, 3.c4, and 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4, although Black can also meet 3.d4 with 3...Bg7 4. dxc5 Qa5+.
• 2...a6 is the O'Kelly Variation (also called Tartakover–O'Kelly Variation). The idea is that 3.d4 runs into 3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5, when Nb5 is prevented, and Black will equalize by playing ...Bb4 and ...d5 at some point. However, after 3.c3 or 3.c4 it is unclear how 2...a6 has improved Black's position.
• 2...Nf6 is the Nimzowitsch Variation. It bears some similarity to Alekhine's Defence. White's strongest reply is to chase the knight by 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nc3 and now (a) 4...Nxc3 5.dxc3, when 5...b6?, as Nimzowitsch played and recommended, loses to 6.e6! f6 7.Ne5! or (b) 4...e6 (the main line) 5.Nxd5 exd5 6.d4 Nc6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qxd5 Qb6 (8...d6 9.exd6 Qb6 is also played) 9.Bc4! Bxf2+ 10.Ke2 0-0 11.Rf1 Bc5 12.Ng5 Nd4+ 13.Kd1 with sharp play favoring White.
• 2...Qc7 is the Quinteros Variation. It will frequently transpose into a standard line such as the Taimanov Variation or Paulsen Variation, or else White can play 3.c3 in the style of the Alapin Variation, where Black's queen may not be so well placed on c7.
• 2...b6 is the Katalymov Variation, after the Kazakh/Russian master Boris Katalymov. It is generally considered better for White, however it has frequently been played by the French GM Christian Bauer. Other GM's, including Gata Kamsky, have occasionally used it as a surprise weapon.
• 2...f5 is known as the Brussels Gambit, named after Brussels, Belgium. This used to be thought highly dubious, but has been somewhat rehabilitated by 3.exf5 Nh6, known as the Double-Dutch.