Winning with the Sicilian defense: A complete repertoire against 1 e4

"Winning with the Sicilian Defense A Complete RepertoireAgainst 1 e4," Revised 2nd Edition is a tome of 353 pages, whichprovides a system, or repertoire, of opening variations for playingthe Black side of the Sicilian. A significant portion of the book isdevoted to the Accelerated Dragon, where Black plays animmediate g6 after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cd4 4 Nxd4, rather thanentering the Dragon proper with Nf6. The work consists of a total of seven parts and includes somecomplete games, but mostly game fragments, analysis and ideas.The initial part, segregated into five chapters, covers theAccelerated Dragon, which occurs after the moves 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6. As anticipated, there is a particularfocus on how Black should best meet the Maroczy Bind, 5 c4. PartTwo examines Black's best lines against the Rossolimo Variation,3 Bb5 g6. Closed lines with 2 Nc3 Nc6 and either 3 f4 (transposingto the Grand prix Attack) or 3 g3, the Closed Sicilian, arediscussed in Part Three. Subsequent sections are devoted to theAlapin, 2 c3; the Smith-Morra Gambit, specifically the variation 2d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 Nxc3 Nc6 5 Nf3 d6 Bc4 e6 7 0-0 Be7 8 Qe2a6 9 Rd1 Bd7; 2 f4 with ...d5, the Grand Prix Attack, and unusualWhite second moves, such as 2 b4 (the Wing Gambit), 2 b3 2 c4, 2g3 and 2 d3. There is little doubt that Silman's latest edition of "Winning Withthe Sicilian" provides comprehensive coverage of recommendedvariations for Black against virtually all White second moves in theSicilian. It was also refreshing to find that, though the focus of thebook is on the Black side, Silman retained his objectivity in hisanalysis of the material. Silman claims in the Preface of the 1997 edition of the book that,previously, he "thought that [he] was writing for 1400-2000 players, but when I saw Anand and Kamsky takeup the Accelerated I was quickly forced to reevaluate thisview.