Cyrus the Great

I think I hold the world record for the greatest number of chess books written (or co-written) and published. At the last count I managed to identify 199, with several of them translated into a total of 13 different languages. Last week, a new book by the prolific Cyrus Lakdawala dropped through my letterbox. Lakdawala seems to be producing a book every month and I fear he is threatening to overtake me.

His latest tome is an exposition of various methods of combating the Sicilian Defence. These include an early c3, in order to build up a formidable pawn centre for White, a quick Bb5 and the feared Morra Gambit where White immediately plays 2 d4 and then continues in sacrificial style with 2 … cxd4 3 c3, rather than trying to recapture the pawn. This is not a book for theory hounds who wish to follow the main lines based on 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 followed by 3 d4; it is for free spirits.

Anti-Sicilians: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala is published by Everyman Chess.
My comments are based on those in the book.

Pirrot-Rotstein: Bad Worishofen 2003; Sicilian

1 e4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 d4 cxd4 5 Qxd4 For White, the entire line looks like ambition outstripping ability. The 5 Qxd4 line isn’t played very often, and is mainly used as a surprise weapon to throw Black off, theoretically. 5 … e6 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Qe4 b6 8 g3 White decides to neutralise Black’s coming … Bb7 with a fianchettoed bishop on g2. However what he underestimated, or failed to consider, was that Black is by no means obliged to play his bishop to b7, since a6 will be available. 8 … Qc7 9 Bg2 Ba6 The wizard’s spells compel absolute obedience.