Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Technical questions regarding Openings, Middlegames, Endings etc.
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MJMcCready
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Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by MJMcCready » Tue May 11, 2021 9:36 am

Greetings, there seems no end in sight of a 30 year anguish over what to do against ye olde mighty 1. e4! I used to play the French but find that a bit cramped in most lines. Some lines in the Sicilian, the Najdorf especially, are weighed down with far too much theory but I noticed that the Kan variation is not open to that objection. Considering black's first four moves are threee pawn moves then a shove of the queen to c7, it does make me wonder whether its one of those lines where black's king becomes stuck in the centre, but from the two books I found, that doesn't seem so. I wondered what opinion was on the Sicilian Kan. Is it something you are happy to see with white? If so is that because you like Marcozy Bind positions. For those who play it, which variation am I most likely to encounter, what should I look out for most? For those more knowledgeable of the Sicilian than I, how much does it differ from the Taimanov? From what I can tell the queen's knight goes to a different square and hedgehog positions are more common. If you do enter a hedgehog type position, is it the case that black needs to just sit tight and keep a grip on central squares.

Thanks for any input.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue May 11, 2021 3:27 pm

Isn't the "pure" Kan actually *four* Black pawn moves in a row (1...c5, 2...cd4, 3.....e6, 4.....a6)?

An early Qc7 (associated with Nc6) is actually the Taimanov, which has a fair amount of theory attached too.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

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MJMcCready
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by MJMcCready » Tue May 11, 2021 3:54 pm

Yes, I forgot one of them is a capture. After 5. Nc3 black usually plays Qc7, which makes me think development is lacking, which is bound to hurt at some point? It seems very solid, and I did notice even Caruana was caught out by Giri from an early e6 and a position broadly similar to the Kan. It does seem very solid but then hedgehog positions often are.

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MJMcCready
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by MJMcCready » Tue May 11, 2021 4:27 pm

I could try and answer my own question since I found this in the book by GM Emms
qwCapture.PNG
qwCapture.PNG (25.02 KiB) Viewed 2395 times

Paul Cooksey
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by Paul Cooksey » Tue May 11, 2021 5:15 pm

For balance I think - although frustratingly google not helping me - Emil Sutovsky is the GM who said the Kan is for players who like to suffer in the opening.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Tue May 11, 2021 9:46 pm

The nice thing from Black's point of view is that you can mess around with the move order a bit, with 4....Nf6 or a6 or Nc6 or Qc7 (or even Bc5 but that's another story). There are a lot of transpositions. Black can suffer in the opening - it's not recommended if you're scared of having isolated pawns or being violently attacked on the kingside by disrespectful opponents. It does offer unbalanced positions and therefore practical chances, so you're not necessarily just defending.

Because of the transpositions, you need to try to understand the ideas, rather than learn theory.

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MJMcCready
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by MJMcCready » Wed May 12, 2021 7:45 am

Thanks. I'm trying to work out how different it is from the Najdorf. It seems that playing ...e6 instead of ...d6 changes the position considerably.

Nick Ivell
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by Nick Ivell » Wed May 12, 2021 9:13 am

In truth, there is no 'easy' Sicilian. I speak from 50 years' experience of the opening.

There is so much to learn, from the second move onwards. Wing gambit, anyone?

I recommend something like the Alekhine. It was good enough for Fischer to beat Spassky, and a lot of people are not very clued up on it.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Wed May 12, 2021 11:51 am

"I'm trying to work out how different it is from the Najdorf. It seems that playing ...e6 instead of ...d6 changes the position considerably."

e6 prepares d5, makes Bc4 ideas less strong, maybe discourages b4 lines, it does block the QB of course. But Najdorf does mean you only have g7 and e7 for the KB. Nick is right - it is difficult!

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by Roger de Coverly » Wed May 12, 2021 12:44 pm

MJMcCready wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 7:45 am
Thanks. I'm trying to work out how different it is from the Najdorf. It seems that playing ...e6 instead of ...d6 changes the position considerably.
A way of looking at it is to ask where as black you want your pieces and pawns at around move 12. Hedgehog structures, if that is the objective, can be reached from several differently named move orders.

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MJMcCready
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by MJMcCready » Wed May 12, 2021 1:37 pm

I've never really taken to hedgehog structures but they do seem to have their merits. I don't mind conceding space if it means flexibility is granted. The reason I gave up the French is you are playing around a pawn chain and that can become a bit tiresome after a while.

Graham Borrowdale
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by Graham Borrowdale » Wed May 12, 2021 4:33 pm

MJMcCready wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 1:37 pm
I've never really taken to hedgehog structures but they do seem to have their merits. I don't mind conceding space if it means flexibility is granted. The reason I gave up the French is you are playing around a pawn chain and that can become a bit tiresome after a while.
Playing the French you have to accept that you will sometimes never get out from behind that pawn chain and will lose horribly, unless you want to cop out with 3...dxe4. On the plus side a lot of e4 players simply do not like to play against the French, tending to prefer a more open game. Its amazing how often white gets mated on g2. Having played the French for over 40 years I know what you mean about it becoming tiresome though, so I tend to play Sicilians as a second string opening, but I have never really got the hang of where the pieces go in different formations - N on d7 or c6, B on b7 or d7, etc.

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MJMcCready
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by MJMcCready » Wed May 12, 2021 4:50 pm

Yes, it seems like in all Sicilians black can choose where to put his minor pieces, which in itself lends itself to a lot of theory in some variations, and in others a more systemic approach. The Kan seems less theory dependent and mostly centres around not being steamrollered by white playing e5 to me.

Richard Bates
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by Richard Bates » Thu May 13, 2021 9:12 pm

Theory schmery. In my long experience most white players are as afraid of Najdorf theory as black players.

Admittedly, having played it for 30 years helps scare people off a bit...

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MJMcCready
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Re: Switching over to the Sicilian Kan (?!) ?

Post by MJMcCready » Fri May 14, 2021 9:00 am

I think you can lose the game in the opening in the Najdorf, which I don't think you can with the Kan.

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