"Winning with the Sicilian Defense: A Complete Repertoire
Against 1 e4," Revised 2nd Edition by Jeremy Silman,1998 Chess
Digest, English Algebraic Notation, paperback, 353pp., $22.50

Reviewed by Glenn Budzinski

"Winning with the Sicilian Defense A Complete Repertoire
Against 1 e4," Revised 2nd Edition is a tome of 353 pages, which
provides a system, or repertoire, of opening variations for playing
the Black side of the Sicilian. A significant portion of the book is
devoted to the Accelerated Dragon, where Black plays an
immediate g6 after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cd4 4 Nxd4, rather than
entering the Dragon proper with Nf6. 

The work consists of a total of seven parts and includes some
complete games, but mostly game fragments, analysis and ideas.
The initial part, segregated into five chapters, covers the
Accelerated Dragon, which occurs after the moves 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3
Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6. As anticipated, there is a particular
focus on how Black should best meet the Maroczy Bind, 5 c4. Part
Two examines Black's best lines against the Rossolimo Variation,
3 Bb5 g6. Closed lines with 2 Nc3 Nc6 and either 3 f4 (transposing
to the Grand prix Attack) or 3 g3, the Closed Sicilian, are
discussed in Part Three. Subsequent sections are devoted to the
Alapin, 2 c3; the Smith-Morra Gambit, specifically the variation 2
d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 Nxc3 Nc6 5 Nf3 d6 Bc4 e6 7 0-0 Be7 8 Qe2
a6 9 Rd1 Bd7; 2 f4 with ...d5, the Grand Prix Attack, and unusual
White second moves, such as 2 b4 (the Wing Gambit), 2 b3 2 c4, 2
g3 and 2 d3. 

Part One, Chapter 5, devotes more than 50 pages to the Maroczy
Bind which, according to Silman, "is without a doubt, White's best
answer" against the Accelerated Dragon (p. 107). "Encyclopedia of
Chess Openings, Volume B," 1997 edition (ECO) provides
coverage under lines B36 through B39, but the move order
advocated by Silman, 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cd4 4 Nd4 g6 5 c4
Nf6 6 Nc3 d6, is contained only under B 36. ECO's B 37-B 39
cover an early Bg7, which it considers to be the main line for Black
against the Maroczy. Additionally, after 7 f3/Be2 Nd4 8 Bd4,
Silman offers coverage of the transposition to the King's Indian
Defense, a line that ECO discusses in a separate volume under that
opening, rather than included as part of the Accelerated Dragon. 

For the purposes of this review, this writer looked strictly at the
Accelerated Dragon/Maroczy Bind material and excluded
transpositions into the King's Indian. 

Silman begins by examining responses to four White 7th move
alternatives: f3, Be2, Nb3 and Nc2. In the 7 f3 line, Silman and
ECO (via transposition) arrive at the same position after 7...Nd4 8
Qd4 Bg7 9 Be3 0-0 10 Qd2 Qa5 11 Be6 12 Nd5 Qa2. ECO
assesses the line as leading to a minimal White advantage, while
Silman, on page 141, states that "Black's chances after 12...Qxa2
are not as good as was once thought", whatever that may mean.
Thus, 7...Bg7 was discovered, transposing into positions akin to
the Samisch Variation of the King's Indian.

ECO line B 36 includes all of Silman's options after 7 Be2 Nd4 8
Qd4 Bg7: 9 Bg5, 9 Be3 and 9 0-0. 

A certain conflict arises in the 9 Bg5 variation. Silman gives 9...0-0
10 Qd2 Be6 11 Rc1 Qa5 12 f3 Rfc8 13 b3 a6 14 Na4 Qd2+ 15 Kd2
Nd7 16 g4 f6 17 Be3 f5 18 ef5 gf5 19 h3 Rf8 20 f4 Rad8 21 Nc3
d5 22 gf5 Bf5 23 cd5 Nf6 24 Bb6 Rd7 25 Ke3 Rc8 as equal in Am.
Rodriguez-Antunes, Matanzas 1994 (p. 120). ECO, however,
offers 20...d5 21 cd5 Bd5 22 Rhd1 Rac8 23 gf5 b5 24 Rc8 Rc8 25
Ke1 Bc6 26 Nc5 Nc5 27 Bc5 Bf6 28 b4, with the advantage in
Beliavsky-Tiviakov, Groningen 1993. 

9 Be3 begins a complicated line which may transpose into the Bg5
variation at various points. Both sources continue with 9...0-0 10
Qd2 Be6 11 f3 Qa5 12 Rc1 Rfc8 13 b3 a6. Silman now examines
four possible options, 14 Nd5, 14 a4, 14 0-0 and 14 Na4 (p. 129).
ECO transposes to this point and suggests either 14 Nd5 Qd2 15
Kd2 Nd5 16 cd5 Bd7, with an even position in Spassky-Petrosian,
Moscow 1969, or Hort-Mecking, Petropolis Interzonal 1973, 14 a4
Qb4 15 Nd5 Nd5 16 ed5 Qd2 17 Kd2, "+=". Silman picks up
where ECO left off in Spassky-Petrosian by following Dorfman-
Gdanski, Polanica Zdroj 1993 and Petrosian-Fischer 1971, both of
which ended as draws. After 14 Na4, ECO follows Am.
Rodriguez-Antunes, but with a different move order than given by
Silman: 14 Na4 Qd2 15 Kd2 Nd7 16 g4 (considered to be White's
best move by Silman, who refers the reader to the transposition to
Am. Rodriguez-Antunes, discussed earlier, pp. 133-4)16...f5 17 ef5
gf5 18 h3 Rf8 19 f4 Rad8. If this all seems a little complicated, it's
only because it IS complicated.

Part Three, "Closed Lines With 2 Nc3", contains another
significant chunk of material. Beginning 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6, White
now has two choices: 3 f4, transposing into the Grand Prix Attack
(which is also covered separately in Part Six under the move order
1 e4 c5 2 f4) or 3 g3, the Closed Sicilian.

All of ECO's Grand Prix material can be found under variation B
21, while Silman's 2 Nc3 with f4 to follow, falls under B 23.
Closed Sicilian lines are covered in ECO as B 24 through B 26.

The Grand Prix is covered in some detail in two separate parts of
the book. Apparently, Silman's rationale for devoting a separate
chapter to 2 Nc3 is that "White has avoided the Tal Gambit" (p.
196), which is not explained until more than 100 pages later, in the
1 e4 c5 2 f4 Grand Prix section.

Exploring further, one finds that Silman gives 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3
f4 g6 4 Nf3 Bg7 5 Bb5 Nd4 6 Nxd4 cxd4 7 Ne2 Qb6 8 Bd3, and
continues 8...d6 9 c3 dxc3 10 dxc3 Nf6 11 Qb3 Qc7 12 Be3 0-0 13
h3 Nd7 14 0-0 Nc5 with equality, as in Popov-Inkiov, Sofia 1980
(pp. 198-203). ECO recommends the slightly more recent
Romanishin-Sisniega, Taxco Interzonal 1985, 8...d5 9 e5 f6 10 c4
e5, giving Black a small advantage.

In addition to 5 Bb5, White can also try the double-edged 5 Bc4.
After 5...e6 6 f5 Nge7 7 fxe6 8 d3 d5 9 Bb3 d5 10 exd5 exd5,
ECO's main line is 11 0-0, labeled as "White's sharpest
continuation" by Silman (pp. 210-213) Both sources offer 11...c4
12 dxc4 dxc4 13 Qxd8+ Nxd8 14 Nxb5 cxb3 15 Nc7+ Kd7 16
Nxa8 bxc2, Wedberg-Kharlov, Haninge 1992. ECO continues with
analysis by Wedberg, leading to an unclear position after 17 Rf7
Bb7 18 Rd2 Kc8 19 Rc2 Nec6 20 Bf4 Ba8 21 Rac1. In a footnote,
Silman cites Blatny's recommendation of 18...Nd5 as giving "Black
a clear plus" (p. 212,) but continues to follow Wedberg-Kharlov
with 17 Bf4, a game eventually won by Black anyway.

Evidently, Silman is something of an authority on the position after
11 0-0. For instance, both he and ECO examine the alternative
move 11...Bxc3 and include the game K. Thompson-Rhine, corres.
1992 after 12 bxc3 c4 13 Ng5 Bf5 14 dxc4 dxc4 15 Qe2 cxb3 16
axb3 Qd5 17 Ba3 b4, all of which was initially recommended by
Silman in the first edition of "Winning With the Sicilian Defense".
ECO continues with Silman's original analysis after 18 Bxb4,
which resulted in a 22 move draw, while Silman, on the other
hand, picks up with Thompson-Rhine after 18 cxb4, won by Black
in 28 moves. His parting comments on this particular line are that
"things aren't completely clear after all, though White appears to be
the one trying to equalize..." (p. 211).

The complexities of the opening can be further witnessed in the
variation of the Closed Sicilian after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 g3 g6 4
Bg2 Bg7 5 d3 d6 6 f4 e6 7 Nf3 Nge7 8 0-0 0-0, when Black is
confronted with having to be prepared for no less than ten (!)
possible White 9th moves (p. 231).

Part Five contains Silman's Black recommendations against the
Smith-Morra Gambit, 1 e4 c5 2 d4. Specifically, he looks at the
variation 2...cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 Nxc3 Nc6 5 Nf3 d6 6 Bc4 e6 7 0-0
Be7 8 Qe2 a6 9 Rd1. ECO, in B 21, offers 9...b5 10 Bb3 Ra7,
unclear. Silman, however, suggests 9...Bd7!, as does Graham
Burgess in his Winning With the Smith-Morra Gambit from 1994.
Both authors now examine 5 White alternatives, 10 Bf4, 10 Be3,
10 a4, 10 a3 and 10 h3. 

After 10 Bf4, Silman follows Burgess-Stage, Gudbjerg 1993,
10...e5 11 Be3 Nf6 12 Rac1 0-0 13 a3 Rc8, when Black equalizes
after 14 b4 b5 15 Bd5 Nxd5 16 Nxd5 Be6. Curiously, Burgess
deviates from his own game and gives the inferior 13...h6?! as his
main line, which led to a White victory in Moore-Hjertenes, 1990.

Looking at 10 Be3, Silman continues with 10...Nf6 11 Bg5 Qc7 12
Rac1 0-0 13 Nd5 exd5 14 exd5 Ne5?, noting that he believes that
Black can now play 14...Na7, when White has to try 15 Qxe7 Rae8
16 Bb3 Qb8 17 Bxf6 Rxe7 18 Bxe7 Re8, which "doesn't give
White enough compensation for his Queen" (p. 295). As Silman
points out, Burgess does, in fact, give 14...Ne5 "without comment"
and continues to follow Shipman's analysis of 15 Nxe5 de 16 d6
Bxd6 17 Bxf6 gf, when White may have a possible perpetual
check, although Burgess does not see a "particularly clear route" to
it. Silman also cites Shipman's analysis as his main line, but given
that White may be approximately even in a wild position, perhaps
Black's best try for an initiative is Silman's 14...Na7. It is this
writer's opinion that a noteworthy omission on Silman's part is the
lack of chapter summaries. Given the multitude of variations that
the reader has to wade through, a brief review of the material,
pinpointing one or two specific lines that are recommended for
Black at the end of each part, would prove helpful.

Although a bibliography is presented(which, already, is more than
can be said for most opening books), its incompleteness is
puzzling. For example, why has reference been omitted to sources
such as Shipman and Burgess, cited on numerous occasions? What
should the reader do if he wishes to review the sources for himself?

There is little doubt that Silman's latest edition of "Winning With
the Sicilian" provides comprehensive coverage of recommended
variations for Black against virtually all White second moves in the
Sicilian. It was also refreshing to find that, though the focus of the
book is on the Black side, Silman retained his objectivity in his
analysis of the material. Silman and ECO were in accord on the
assessments of most variations examined by this writer.

Silman claims in the Preface of the 1997 edition of the book that,
previously, he "thought that [he] was writing for class C players to
perhaps the Expert level, but when I saw Anand and Kamsky take
up the Accelerated I was quickly forced to reevaluate this
view...This new edition tries to do a few things at once (and it's up
to the reader to let me know if I succeed in this)...I want to make
the opening accessible to the amateur." While this writer doesn't
dispute Silman's sincerity, his view of the breadth of his perceived
audience may be somewhat optimistic, however. As "accessible" as
Silman may believe that he has made this material, the fact remains
that the Sicilian Defense in general and, arguably, the Maroczy
Bind/Accelerated Dragon variations in particular, are quite
complex and often place a premium on theoretical knowledge. The
reader should bear in mind that unless he is a serious student of the
game who likes playing double-edged positions and has a
significant amount of available time on his hands, the Accelerated
Dragon might not be the most appropriate system for him to learn.