Can someone shed some light into which variation of the Sicilian this line falls under? I can look it up on a database, but was having trouble drilling down into that variation. I finally gave up.
Using “FIND POSITION” in Chessbase does spit out a ton of games, including high level grandmaster games.
I’m no theoretician, but IIRC, that’s the Kalashnikov Variation.
I’m no theoretician either (good heavens no!), but my copy of MCO-15 says Boyd is right. 
It also says the following:
My reference base seems to back that up: started its rise in 1987, peaking in 1998-2000, and then falling fairly sharply after 2001 with a small resurgence in 2006. Users have included Radjabov (12/22,) Sveshnikov (34/54,) Grigore, and Moiseenko. In the last two years, my reference base lists 811 games, but despite this it is still used in super-GM play.
Proving nothing whatsoever (other than its continuing use), Nakamura has drawn and beaten Radjabov with it. Carlsen beat Nakamura with it in January at Tata Steel.
[Event “5th Kings Tournament”]
[Site “Medias ROU”]
[Date “2011.06.20”]
[Round “9”]
[White “Nakamura, Hi”]
[Black “Radjabov, T.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “B32”]
[WhiteElo “2774”]
[BlackElo “2744”]
[PlyCount “92”]
[EventDate “2011.06.11”]
[EventType “tourn”]
[EventRounds “10”]
[EventCountry “ROM”]
[EventCategory “21”]
[Source “Mark Crowther”]
[SourceDate “2011.06.20”]
[Event “Supreme Masters 2013”]
[Site “Sandnes NOR”]
[Date “2013.05.17”]
[Round “8.1”]
[White “Nakamura, Hi”]
[Black “Radjabov, T.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “B32”]
[WhiteElo “2775”]
[BlackElo “2745”]
[PlyCount “81”]
[EventDate “2013.05.08”]
[EventType “tourn”]
[EventRounds “9”]
[EventCountry “NOR”]
[EventCategory “21”]
[Source “Mark Crowther”]
[SourceDate “2013.05.20”]
[Event “75th Tata Steel GpA”]
[Site “Wijk aan Zee NED”]
[Date “2013.01.26”]
[Round “12.4”]
[White “Carlsen, M.”]
[Black “Nakamura, Hi”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “B32”]
[WhiteElo “2861”]
[BlackElo “2769”]
[PlyCount “61”]
[EventDate “2013.01.12”]
[EventType “tourn”]
[EventRounds “13”]
[EventCountry “NED”]
[EventCategory “20”]
[Source “Mark Crowther”]
[SourceDate “2013.01.28”]
It’s defo the Kalashnikov, brother of the Sveshnikov, but it avoids the ultra-deep theory of the Sveshnikov. The move 4…e5 marks the Kalashnikov (no Black Knight on f6) and after 5.Nb5, Black doesn’t have to play 5…d6, which leaves the door open to transposing back to the Sveshnikov. Black can also play 5…a6 (Lowenthal) rather than 5…d6 and invite the Knight to d6. The problem with both openings is the backward d pawn. The Black side is sound but more difficult to play. Here’s my latest foray into the opening, with Black taking the Lowenthal route. It’s still an active game, so I’ve left off the last 5 moves.
[Event “WS/MN/090”]
[Site “ICCF”]
[Date “2012.11.17”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Walters, Gary”]
[Black “Bohak, Janko”]
They also harken to some of the original Najdorf’s or other Najdorf line’s that didn’t focus on the little center with …e6 but instead focused/focus on …e5. In a very broad sense, another way of looking at variations is that they are constructing a sort of “Ruy Lopez Defense” Pawn Structure, but without allowing White the opportunity to construct a “c3 & d4” response.
There are two books on the Kalashnikov Variation. One is an Everyman book by Jan Pinski and Jacob Aagaard (2001). An older book by Jeremy Silman published by Chess Enterprises was called the “Neo-Sveshnikov” (1991). Originally, the opening was called the Labourdannais Variation after the great French master since it was played by him early and often starting in 1835. Other masters of the period, Howard Staunton and Louis Paulsen also played the variation. The opening was probably the genesis of many of Paulsen’s studies on the “little center”, backward pawn positions, and his own Paulsen Variation. Even so, the opening did not find many other adherents. When GM Evgeny Sveshnikov got a little bored with analyzing his own variation, he switched over to this sideline and made a number of contributions to theory. Sometimes played for surprise value, the line is now another well trodden path in chess theory.
chesscafe.com/text/hansen26.pdf
chesscafe.com/text/hansen170.pdf
uscfsales.com/chess-books-1/ … nikov.html
IIRC, (I’m not in Chicago right now so I can’t see my library) there was a Harding book published by Batsford - called Sicilian e5; I think from the mid-1970’s. Horribly outdated I’m sure, but just for completeness…
ebay.com/ctg/Sicilian-e5-P-R … k-/4820197
For the Silman book: barnesandnoble.com/w/neosves … 0945470137
chesscafe.com/text/hansen171.pdf
“Against the Open Sicilian: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4, Sveshnikov now employs 4…e5, the so-called Kalashnikov Variation, which according to Sveshnikov is Black’s best option nowadays.” - Carsten Hansen
Thanks everybody. I need to look up that line and study it some. Every time I come across it, I get stomped. But then again, seems like the only players that use it are considerably higher than me in strength.
The other line I need to study even more is the Maroczy Bind, something that a couple local players (also much higher than me), tend to play, nearly every time, if given the chance. Truthfully, I want to study the Maroczy bind mostly so I can get away from avoiding it all the time. Although I’m pretty good with chasing the knight away with e5, its starting to a tad boring. :mrgreen:
Maybe try the last five chapters of Starting Out: The Accelerated Dragon by Andrew Greet.
uscfsales.com/chess-books-1/ … ragon.html
jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Sta … -p3797.htm
chesscafe.com/text/hansen111.pdf
It occurs to me that, instead of a book like The Complete Kalashnikov by Matthieu Cornette & Fabian Libiszewski, you might be happier with just a chapter of advice on how to play against the Kalashnikov. Perhaps, you would want to consult a chapter from one of these books:
Dismantling the Sicilian by Jesus de la Villa
uscfsales.com/chess-books-1/ … ilian.html
chesscafe.com/text/hansen129.pdf
Experts vs. the Sicilian by Jacob Aagaard & John Shaw (ed.)
chesscafe.com/text/hansen71.pdf
Taming the Sicilian by Nigel Davies
uscfsales.com/chess-books-1/ … ilian.html
chesscafe.com/text/hansen46.pdf
Playing the Maroczy Bind For White - ChessLecture with GM Jesse Kraai
uscfsales.com/playing-the-ma … white.html
might be helpful, although it is “for White”.
Perhaps, for a general Sicilian education, you would want to look at
Starting Out: The Sicilian, 2nd Edition by John Emms
uscfsales.com/chess-books-1/ … ition.html
chesscafe.com/text/hansen123.pdf
You know, I had an NM tell me he gets all of his new students to play the idiotic queen attack, for he knows
it is good as he played it until he was 1800. My point is this, Super GMs such as Carlson could play just about
anything and be successful due to their superior tactical ability.
But that does not mean that it is recommended for us mere mortals.
Rob Jones