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I am a very beginning player and something I see a lot in response to the Sicilian defense is Bc4, with white intending to play Qf3 next turn. I found that e6 is a good answer but I feel where I take it after that is pretty poor and I want to know a better answer. The following is how the game typically goes

[fen ""]
1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qf3 a6 4. d3 b5 5. Bb3 d5 6. a3 c4 7. dxc4 dxc4 *
4
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    With 3...Nc6 you prevent 4.e5, and can continue with standard "book moves", ...Nf6 would be your next move or maybe even ...Ne5, hitting both bishop and the queen, which would allow you to get beneficial exchange of the knight for the bishop after subsequent ...Nxc4. Apr 15, 2016 at 19:20
  • Your core mistake is chasing the bishop too aggressively. There are long-term plans that can use ...a6 and ...b5, but there's no reason to rush them. Just make natural developing moves; you could even play 2...d6 instead of ...e6, allowing the aforementioned ...Nf6. White's idea of a fast Scholar's mate on f7 just isn't tenable. Apr 15, 2016 at 23:04
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    What was wrong with 6.exd5? Doesn't that just win a pawn?
    – bof
    Apr 15, 2016 at 23:05
  • With playing 3. Qf3, White is allows black to get closer to equality quicker. with black playing 2. ... e6, the queen going to f3 makes no sense there is no mate on f7. Natural development of either Knight on c3 or f3 makes more sense. From the end of play above, the only move that keeps a slight advantage for white is 3. Ba2
    – Aaron M
    Jun 7, 2016 at 12:52

3 Answers 3

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In your posted game you have done a decent job of harrassing and eventually marginalizing the White King bishop. Yet, do you realize that each of your first seven moves is a pawn move? Besides neglecting piece develpment, you leave your center rather unprotected, which partly defeats the purpose of using the Sicilian, and you expose yourself to the inconvenient discovered attack of e5. For the moment, the Queen/Bishop attack is sufficiently neutralized by your 2...e6 and that is the time to begin development of your pieces.

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At 3...., you should play nf6 threatening 4.... d5. You need the Nf6 to protect the d5 pawn against exd5, e6xd5, Bxd5, etc.

If White plays nc3 to attack d5 again, you play Nc6 to threaten Na5, attacking the bishop.

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Would highly recommend 3...Nf6. You have strong spots on both d4 and e5 to anchor your knight, the former targeting the Queen and weak c-pawn, and the latter targeting both the Queen and Bishop. 3...Nf6 also opens up Nc6, without having to worry about the pawn push to e5. Feel free to follow up with further questions

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