The Sicilian Alapin: Essentials (White Repertoire)

By Theo van Stratum

A White repertoire built around the Alapin Variation against the Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5 2.c3), the most popular way to sidestep the main-line Open Sicilian entirely while still fighting for a real central advantage. Covers Black's four main tries -- the critical 2...d5, the thematic 2...Nf6 met with White's own 3.e5 advance, the flexible 2...e6, and the fianchetto with 2...g6 -- each with the standard cxd4 recapture and the knight's characteristic detour through a3 toward c4.