Mastering The Hedgehog Sicilian | Grandmaster Ideas, Setups and Principles

[@Sinister_Cagnus]

Thanks for this Molton, great video! I have played the Kan since your first video on it and it has been a lot of fun. I have struggled a bit against the maroczy so this was exactly what I needed.

[@MoltonChess]

Glad it helps!

[@semiquavertriplitz]

thanks for making this tutorial the maroczy is tricky for me to play against at times and you've got some great ideas to play against it. Much appreciated.

[@MoltonChess]

🙏🙏

[@jasonbraun3149]

I've been watching and rewatching both of your Kan videos in preparation for several tournaments coming up next month. This will be the first time I've played the Sicilian Defense since the 70's!

[@ChessCafe-il3od]

Great. All the best.

[@stefantimmermans9848]

Thanks for sharing Molton ! I'm studying it, though the results are not good, as there is more to it then I expected. I need to dig much deeper and get a deeper arsenal of options to come around whites plans more easily. Stil visualising the basic ideas overall or in particular variations or type of positions help to widen up my options. Lets hope I trigger the right plan/moves and distnguish them more easily in practical play after this and reviewing a couple of GM games. The Maroczy is for sure a much more serious test then the classical Nc3 and/or Bd3 variations. Black had indeed more chances of getting passive whole game thru and for sure this is no fun playing it. There is a actually a song called "All you can do , is Sit and wait" but its not a favorite of mine, its also time consuming and I always get into time trouble figuring out whites options, whereas black has few.

[@pedrojcoruna]

Brilliant , thanks

[@MoltonChess]

🙏

[@kennethward4985]

I have played Hedgehog/Kan/Paulen for well over 20 years. It's a great counterpunch game, people in clubs see all my early pawn and queen moves, this gives them confidence. Then when they think I'm weak I open up my attack and have savaged some over 2000 rated. Had my butt kicked a few times too of course, but It fits my personality, and I think that is what will work best for You.

[@MoltonChess]

Yep some people may like it but some may not. It's not for everyone's taste.

[@ashtongaeta2581]

Thank you for the ideas.

[@igorsrausis5030]

Finally something useful, ty soo much

[@s.m.j.tayebi]

Thanx. Useful summery of ideas

[@MoltonChess]

Most welcome 😊

[@TamoghnaDegapudi]

Thanks, Molton sir

[@rosslam2582]

Great video! forgot about the h5 idea, need to try it some time

[@MoltonChess]

🙏🙏

[@KF1]

Well done, thanks for sharing

[@MoltonChess]

🙏🙏

[@tomas-wi8dy]

Thanks a lot!

[@Nocturnalcuber]

I sometimes play the hedgehog and I'm inspired from one classical game of Bobby Fischer where he played this setup but with white

[@MoltonChess]

Yep that's the game I mentioned but couldn't quite remember his opponent. Same plan and ideas

[@fergs1561]

That game would be Fischer-Andersson 1970. Paulson-Morphy 1857 saw the same maneuver, but the purpose of the former was to carve out the e4 square while the latter was a mating attack. These were problem 41 in Silman’s Reassess Your Chess Workbook

[@MoltonChess]

That sounds right, Larsen must have been the name of the opening

[@ruanmiller3613]

Can you send me the pdf of game ?

[@XX-ih8zu]

At 11:14 I assume white can't take the b pawn because of Bc6 or Bxe4 ? It's a bit vague for me.

[@MoltonChess]

Probably Bc6 will win a piece

[@ericem7310]

great video :)

[@edcraddock9868]

Hey Molton, do you take lessons? I’m looking to prepare for a tournament and would love to get better at the accelerated dragon. I think your videos are so instructive especially in the Sicilian. Would be great to see an accelerated dragon video, alternatively I would love to have a lesson with you on it and pay!

[@MoltonChess]

I will probably get to doing a video on accelerated dragon at some this year. But yes can always send me a message on Lichess (Molt7n) or Chess.com (Molton) in regards to classes

[@TamoghnaDegapudi]

Nice

[@DavidPeriard]

great video , do you have one on yugoslav attack?

[@MoltonChess]

Not yet but that's something I do do later perhaps :)

[@Nik.shava.1289]

is there anything we can transform kan into any other variation to confuse our opponent.

[@eduardoyanezlopez2629]

Tactics everywhere

[@MoltonChess]

🙌

[@frequensea9434]

YES!

[@MoltonChess]

🙌

[@frequensea9434]

@@MoltonChess I have the book “the complete hedgehog” by Sergey Shipov. Is there a way to transpose into a hedgehog when players play d4?

[@MoltonChess]

Yes I think Shipov wrote this book as a two part series. One arising from 1.c4 or English structures. 1.d4 is a bit more difficult since it requires Black to play c5 and capture on d4

[@frequensea9434]

@@MoltonChess makes sense to me thanks for the quick reply. Do you offer lessons?

[@the-pot]

Why not play Bb4 and try to play an early d5

[@eriksmith3245]

I watched the Sicilian Kan video, it was well done and all of the moves where shown and I learned a lot. This video just jumps right into a position in the game without knowing how you got there. The only time when all the moves are shown, is at the beginning of the video. Sorry, but this video is poorly done in my opinion. Please show all the moves along with each Idea section. Even better would be a link in the description to a PGN, with all of the moves within the entire video.

[@MoltonChess]

Thanks I did include a link to the Lichess study in the description if you wanted to see the games

[@lancetehira]

I would like to point out that 1100 should not be watching these videos as these are high rated vs high rated and therefore they develop first before making an attack whereas low rated (like myself 😭🤦) start throwing pawns then start wondering where they went come endgame so currently all I can do is dream 😭😭😭😭

[@MoltonChess]

Yep this is definitely a bit more intermediate level and above once you get into the middlegame first