A T.U.I, OPENINGS BOOKLETContents 1 Introduction 2 2 £4 and 2 4c3: is there a difference? 3 2... d5 3 ed WxdS 4 2... d5 3 ed D6... 5 2..d5 3 D3 wos. 6 7 8 Counterattack with ... Df6 2... e6 and 3 ... d5: but not the main line . 9 10 ul 2 ...g6: independent lines . 12 Closed Lines.(‘Big Clamp’ and ‘Antoshin’) . 13 The aggressive 5 c4: Black defends with 5. 14 The aggressive 5 &c4: Black defends with 5 ... d6 6 0-0 @f6 15 The aggressive 5 &c4: Black defends with 5 ...d6 6 0-0 e6 16 The positional &b5: Black's pawns are doubled . 7 The main line: 5 &b5 Dd4 18 Miscellaneous Variations . . 19 Index of Variations........-.s0esseeeeeeceeeseeececenecenenenees The 2 f4 Sicilian Published by: T.U.1.Enterprises Ltd., Flat 1, 51 Eardley Crescent, London SW5 9JT England © Nigel Davies 1985 Second Edition 1988 Acknowledgements: Les Smart, Louise McDonald, Kevin Wicker.SECTION 1 Introduction 2 {4 was resurrected from the archives by Bent Larsen in 1964. He used it with tremendous success and since then it has found a growing number of converts, These already include Grandmasters Antoshin, Miles and Westerinen and International Masters Day, Hebden, Hodgson, Kosten and Plaskett 2 {4 can lead to a fierce attack on Black's king or it can be combined with purely positional ideas, 1t does not concede Black a central pawn majority which happens in variations based on 2 43 and 3 d4; Black gets fewer counterchances. 2 fa has never been very popular and relatively little is known about it as yet. [tis not necessary for White to learn reams of analysis before he can play it and it offers scope for the creative mind. A purely practical advantage is that it makes booked up Dragon or Najdorf players think for themselves. White usually seems to be able to get the better of it if Black adopts the time- honoured panacea of ‘simple development’. Black really has to know what he is doing, and even then it is not clear he can equalize. It isas Much for Black as for White that this booklet is intended. * ‘This survey includes 70 key games played with 2 [4with several more incorporated in as possible I have tried to use recent material though with a few the notes, As variations it has been necessary to go back a few years. The reader may find it useful to note games played with 2 {4 or 2 ¢3 and 3 f4 in forthcoming volumes of Informator or the Pergamon Tournament Chess series. This will enable him to keep up-to-date with new developments. Nigel Davies