The Taimanov Sicilian explained by GM Pentala Harikrishna

The Sicilian Defense starts with 1 e4 c5, The Taimanov Sicilian occurs after 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6. As in all Sicilian lines, Black intends playing on the queenside. The half-open c-file is an ideal place for the black rook and queen. This, together with the standard advance of …b7-b5, can give Black a lot of pressure and can lead to the White queenside collapsing completely. Generally speaking, Sicilian endgames tend to favour Black for structural reasons. The extra centre pawn and the half-open c-file are both advantageous. The Taimanov Sicilian is the ideal opening for ambitious players who want to play it safe, If staying solid and winning with Black are high on your list of priorities, then you'll love our brand new starter kit based on one of Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna's best weapons, the Taimanov Sicilian. The plan is simple: Meet White's 1.e4 with 1...c5 2.Nf3 e6 to fortify the light-squares, then follow up with ...Nc6 and ...Qc7 to cover the dark squares.After this Short & Sweet video course, you'll be ready to start playing this popular opening. 🎥This video is the Short & Sweet version of our "Lifetime Repertoires: Taimanov Sicilian" course, check it out on this link: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-taimanov-sicilian/course/45749/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic 📝If you want to read more about the Taimanov Sicilian Opening, check out our blog post: https://chessable.com/blog/chess-opening-basics-the-taimanov-sicilian/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic Follow Chessable on twitter https://twitter.com/chessable