Friday, August 4, 2023
Two days ago, a new society known as "Destroy the Sicilian" was established on Lichess. Why, you ask, was this team created, and what does it have against the Sicilian defense?
For generations, the Sicilian defense, consisting of moving the c7 pawn to c5 in response to white playing e4, has been one of the most popular defenses for black. But as soon as it is examined, the real question becomes "Why?" It does nothing for piece development or castling, and it seems to be a complete waste of a move. Supporters will tell you that it controls the center, but myriad other defenses, such as the French, Scandinavian, or Petrov's, do this in a way that also make it easy to castle or develop the knights and bishops. Another argument in favor is that it gives the queen an open diagonal, but in chess strategy, it is usually accepted that one should develop the minor pieces before the major ones. Looking at the board with a strategic mind, it becomes clear that the Sicilian defense is, in fact, a horrible position.
So, why is it still so popular?
The only conceivable reason the Sicilian is still common is that chess players are taught from a young age the lie that it is effective. This lie has penetrated every corner of the chess community, and, promoted by the few who think it is legitimately good, it has become accepted as a truth.
Destroy the Sicilian is here to end this vicious cycle.
We're here to dispel these lies and show to the world why the Sicilian is horrible. We're here to save the game of chess from this monstrous opening.
If you want to protect chess from its greatest threat, this is the team for you.
Two days ago, a new society known as "Destroy the Sicilian" was established on Lichess. Why, you ask, was this team created, and what does it have against the Sicilian defense?
For generations, the Sicilian defense, consisting of moving the c7 pawn to c5 in response to white playing e4, has been one of the most popular defenses for black. But as soon as it is examined, the real question becomes "Why?" It does nothing for piece development or castling, and it seems to be a complete waste of a move. Supporters will tell you that it controls the center, but myriad other defenses, such as the French, Scandinavian, or Petrov's, do this in a way that also make it easy to castle or develop the knights and bishops. Another argument in favor is that it gives the queen an open diagonal, but in chess strategy, it is usually accepted that one should develop the minor pieces before the major ones. Looking at the board with a strategic mind, it becomes clear that the Sicilian defense is, in fact, a horrible position.
So, why is it still so popular?
The only conceivable reason the Sicilian is still common is that chess players are taught from a young age the lie that it is effective. This lie has penetrated every corner of the chess community, and, promoted by the few who think it is legitimately good, it has become accepted as a truth.
Destroy the Sicilian is here to end this vicious cycle.
We're here to dispel these lies and show to the world why the Sicilian is horrible. We're here to save the game of chess from this monstrous opening.
If you want to protect chess from its greatest threat, this is the team for you.
