5 Reasons to Play Sicilian Defense for Black

Yes, recently, OTB, a NM who outrated me by some 360 points, he played with black: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 Bb4!? and he outplay me since I was lost as a duck out of the pond. When I came back home I looked in the DB, what a hell of Sicilian has he played?
And this variation is called O'Kelly where the best for white is not go 3.d4 but 3.c3, an Alapin structure that stops the pin of Bb4.
So the Sicilian is something that you study years and years and never is enough. From B20 to B99 there is always a surprise hidden.

@mathyxxx said in #3:
> And what you forgot to mention that it is not so much fun against all the antisicilians you got to know

The thing is, you don't actually "care". Being "fun" is a subjective measure, not an objective one. Thus not saying that your claim is false. But saying that Black getter usually better positions in the anti-Sicilians rather than in the open Sicilian; maybe the Rossolimo being the only exception compared to the open Sicilian vs Sveshnikov.

If you are playing to win, you are "happy" to face an anti-Sicilian because White is making you important concessions; e.g., in almost all closed Sicilians, White gives up d4 square, which is one central square of their side (this is why Black universally fianchettoes against the closed Sicilian; it's not just a matter of style). With such big concessions, Black equalizes easily at least. But also gets a practical edge to bring the full point home.

"1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 Bb4!? and he outplay me since I was lost as a duck out of the pond."

I see, but 3.c3 looks a lot better to me. I played once this c3-variation and got a draw against a GM which wasn't bad at all.
2... a6 is the O'Kelly variation which is ok as a surprise weapon but it is not great against a prepared opponent. The O'Kelly move hopes that White plays d4 (which is not ideal). 1. e4 c5 2. Sf3 a6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Dxd5 5. d4 and you get an Alapin variation where a6 does not look particularly useful.

I use the Sicillian Defense, Kan Variation (e4 c5 nf3 e6 d4 cxd4 nxd4 a6 nc3 qc7) which is almost like the Sicillian Dragon but instead of d6 it's e6

White's best way to win is to castle queenside and try to create a pawn storm (if black castles kingside.).

Okay. I started to play Sicilian. My main move is O'Kelly 2...a6. So almost nobody is actually playing the open sicilian against me, perhaps result of my choice. However good amount of players goes blatantly 2.c3. That is on very low level at this point. So my point about side-lines is kind of valid because most of my positions are just that, majority of them being Alapin