Foreword
You are holding the long-awaited final volume of my trilogy on the Open Sicilian. This book has been a while in the making - not only because of the demanding work involved, but also due to a time-consuming relocation on my part.
The first volume explored the Najdorf and Scheveningen variations, while the second focused on the Taimanov, Kan, and Richter-Rauzer. In these pages, I complete the series with five further systems: the Dragon, Accelerated Dragon, Sveshnikov, Kalashnikov, and Four Knights.
Each of these openings has already been covered extensively in the literature. For that reason, my aim here - as in the earlier volumes - is not to overwhelm you with endless theoretical detail. Inevitably, we will touch on some theory, but the real focus is on broader concepts and strategic themes: the interplay between structure and strategy, and the plans available to both sides. Some systems share similar ideas - the Dragon with its Accelerated cousin, or the Sveshnikov with the Kalashnikov - but each deserves its own treatment, because even closely related openings have their unique traits.
The structure of each chapter is as follows: an introduction to the key ideas and concepts for both White and Black, followed by a theoretical overview where many of those concepts resurface in concrete form. This is then illustrated with carefully chosen model games, most drawn from high-level practice. Some of these games come from my personal archive and date back decades, though I have updated all commentary where necessary. Others are much more recent and were annotated from scratch. With the rise of online rapid and blitz, even the faster games of today are of remarkably high quality—thanks, in no small part, to the increasing role of powerful chess engines in players’ preparation.
When I began working on this book, Stockfish 14 was the leading engine, marking a breakthrough by combining classical methods with AI-driven evaluation. Soon after, Stockfish 15 raised the bar even further. I recall writing on the Dutch website schaaksite.nl about a puzzle that machines supposedly couldn’t solve—only to be corrected almost immediately by a reader pointing out that Stockfish 15.1 had cracked it with ease. Since then, Stockfish 17 and its successors have continued to refine our understanding of the game.
A few personal notes are also in order. In January 2023 I contracted COVID-19, which unfortunately developed into long COVID. The illness affected both my energy and my cognition, and for a long time it seemed impossible to complete this project. Now, in 2025, I am grateful to say I have made a full recovery and was finally able to bring this book to completion. As part of that process, I revisited all my earlier analysis with the latest engines to ensure accuracy. While this required many adjustments, I believe it has only strengthened the final result.
Of course, no work can claim to be definitive. Future discoveries may well challenge or refine the conclusions presented here. If you do spot errors, I ask for your understanding—remember, this book is not meant to be a pure theoretical manual. My aim is to give you a practical, human understanding of each variation. After all, when you sit at the board—whether over-the-board or online - either you nor your opponent will have Stockfish whispering evaluations in your ear.
Finally, I owe my thanks to those who made this work possible:
- GM Daniel Fernandez, for his involvement in both the content and the translation,
- Jos Sutmuller, for editing all the photo material,
- Daniël Vanheirzeele, the great Dragon specialist, for his technical and logistical input, as well as his help with corrections.
I hope that the insights and examples collected here will enrich your understanding and inspire your play in the Open Sicilian.
IM Herman Grooten
