Sicilian's endgames • page 1/2 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

I heard that endgames after sicilian defense are generally better for black. Is that true? Why (after all, black tends to have queenside pawn minority in this opening)? And the last question: how endgames looks in sicilian najdorf, who is generally better?

ryan121

#2

In before Experts and Masters.
IMO, Black's solid pawn structure gives endgame advantage. White usually pawn storms black. If black survives the pawn storm, white have weak pawns.

In before Experts and Masters. IMO, Black's solid pawn structure gives endgame advantage. White usually pawn storms black. If black survives the pawn storm, white have weak pawns.

swimmerBill

#3

It depends (of course).... If black has an active king in the center, pressure against c2 and/or e4, outposts for his knight(s) and the 2 bishops then he does. Sometimes black gives up a pawn to get an endgame with many of those advantages. Sometimes white overextends trying to attack black and win it in the middlegame. Sometimes of course white also has the better endgame for the same reasons [and sometimes white can induce weak squares in blacks queenside). Sometimes white sacs a minor piece for 3 connected passed pawns on the queenside,. My last tournament I won 2 Sicilian endgames: one with white and 1 with black.

NM ThunderClap

#4

Mastering The Endgame Volume One by Mikhail Sherevesky & L. M. Slutsky Covers precisely this in detail (Endings that arise from certain openings) . You can download for free online or read online . Mikhail Sherevesky has written the best book also for Endgame play called Endgame Strategy .

NM MrPushwood edited

#5

Black tends to get more central pawn mass. And if his king can stay in the center for the endgame, the queenside pawn majority is no advantage.

joku17

#6

Dependiendo como te juegue tu rival, pero en muchas variantes es bueno para las negras.

b-file edited

#7

In the open sicilian black is usually a bit more solid and has an extra central pawn, But white has the queenside majority.

These things are usually not relevant untill really late in the game and you should not worry about them in the opening/early middlegame, Of course there are exceptions, For example there are lines in the Sveshnikov variation where white sacs a piece for 3 pawns (usually the a, b and f pawns) and tries to get the passed pawns on the queenside rolling.

Then there are the lines with opposite side castling where both players go for pawn storms and pawn structure won't be that important, In fact you don't even mind losing a few pawns to open up files.

Please note that if white wants an aggressive game against the sicilian he can get it against nearly every variation. So if you like playing a solid game and going for some endgame advantages without having to worry about getting checkmated, I'd take a look at the caro-kann.

Hope this helps :)

In the open sicilian black is usually a bit more solid and has an extra central pawn, But white has the queenside majority. These things are usually not relevant untill really late in the game and you should not worry about them in the opening/early middlegame, Of course there are exceptions, For example there are lines in the Sveshnikov variation where white sacs a piece for 3 pawns (usually the a, b and f pawns) and tries to get the passed pawns on the queenside rolling. Then there are the lines with opposite side castling where both players go for pawn storms and pawn structure won't be that important, In fact you don't even mind losing a few pawns to open up files. Please note that if white wants an aggressive game against the sicilian he can get it against nearly every variation. So if you like playing a solid game and going for some endgame advantages without having to worry about getting checkmated, I'd take a look at the caro-kann. Hope this helps :)

tpr

#8

#5
A queen side pawn majority offers an endgame advantage if and only if a passed pawn can be created. E.g. the endgame of a Grünfeld Defence is good for black, as he has a queenside pawn majority and can create a passed pawn which is then an outside passed pawn.

However in the Sicilian white does not have a pawn majority as he cannot create a passed pawn. Black has the endgame advantage because black has one more central pawn that he can make a passed pawn and because black has a queenside pawn minority, so he can use his a- and b- pawns together with the c-file to create a weak white pawn and win it: the minority attack.

#5 A queen side pawn majority offers an endgame advantage if and only if a passed pawn can be created. E.g. the endgame of a Grünfeld Defence is good for black, as he has a queenside pawn majority and can create a passed pawn which is then an outside passed pawn. However in the Sicilian white does not have a pawn majority as he cannot create a passed pawn. Black has the endgame advantage because black has one more central pawn that he can make a passed pawn and because black has a queenside pawn minority, so he can use his a- and b- pawns together with the c-file to create a weak white pawn and win it: the minority attack.

ChessBR7

#9

Thanks! I usually play Ruy Lopez: Exchange variation as white for opponent’s double pawns and better endgame. So, are there any other (than sicilian and Caro-kann) e4 and d4 answers for black that could lead to a better endgame?

tpr

#10

#9
The bishop's pair fully compensates the doubled pawns in the Ruy Lopez exhange variation and in the Berlin Defence.
As said the Sicilian against 1 e4 and the Grünfeld Defence against 1 d4 give black the better endgame, but at the cost of giving white dynamic compensation and an attack in the middle game.
"Before the endgame the Gods have placed the middle game" - Tarrasch

#9 The bishop's pair fully compensates the doubled pawns in the Ruy Lopez exhange variation and in the Berlin Defence. As said the Sicilian against 1 e4 and the Grünfeld Defence against 1 d4 give black the better endgame, but at the cost of giving white dynamic compensation and an attack in the middle game. "Before the endgame the Gods have placed the middle game" - Tarrasch