FICGS - Wikichess - Article 366

Black has two main choices here, the text move and ...a6. In either case, White can either ignore the move order and proceed with development (the main lines), or attempt to take advantage of the difference. In the case of ...Qc7, this generally means Ponomariov's pet line 6 Ndb5 Qb8 7 Be3!?, using the b5 square before it is covered to inconvenience Black in his development.

Otherwise, we enter the major Paulsen/Taimanov variations (and Black will generally play ...a6 to rule out Ndb5 ideas).
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Contributors : Graham Cridland

[ECO "B47"] [Opening "Sicilian"] [Variation "Taimanov (Bastrikov) variation"]

Be3 : 69 games, White ELO av : 1955, Black ELO av : 2006
1-0 : 31.9% , 1/2-1/2 : 43.5% , 0-1 : 24.6%

Be2 : 41 games, White ELO av : 1906, Black ELO av : 1891
1-0 : 43.9% , 1/2-1/2 : 36.6% , 0-1 : 19.5%

g3 : 5 games, White ELO av : 2068, Black ELO av : 2063
1-0 : 0% , 1/2-1/2 : 40% , 0-1 : 60%

Ndb5 : 4 games, White ELO av : 1727, Black ELO av : 1765
1-0 : 0% , 1/2-1/2 : 50% , 0-1 : 50%

f4 : 3 games, White ELO av : 1752, Black ELO av : 1789
1-0 : 33.3% , 1/2-1/2 : 66.7% , 0-1 : 0%

Bc4 : 2 games, White ELO av : 1440, Black ELO av : 1853
1-0 : 0% , 1/2-1/2 : 0% , 0-1 : 100%

Bb5 : 1 game, White ELO av : 1403, Black ELO av : 1557
1-0 : 0% , 1/2-1/2 : 0% , 0-1 : 100%

a3 : 1 game, White ELO av : 1400, Black ELO av : 1516
1-0 : 0% , 1/2-1/2 : 0% , 0-1 : 100%

g4 : 1 game, White ELO av : 2110, Black ELO av : 2115
1-0 : 0% , 1/2-1/2 : 100% , 0-1 : 0%

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