My Sicilian Counter - How to Play the Delayed Alapin || The Basics || Chess Openings for White

In today's chess video on chess openings for white, we will be discussing my Sicilian counter, the delayed Alapin. Win your chess games with this opening as your confuse your opponents with your landslide of tricks.
If you have any questions concerning chess write your question in the comments below and you can have a chance of being featured in the next video!
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My name is Sean Lei and I am a Canadian Chess National Master. If you have any questions about the game, or about chess in general, just leave a comment and I would be happy to answer all of them!
If you want your game analyzed, you may send them to the email [e-mail] for me to make a video analyzing your game.

[@jpmckeon7572]

This is perfect, I was just thinking I need to look up what to do against the Sicilian and got this in my recommended

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@phantomtroubleshooter2793]

I have been playing this without knowing theory and still winning. Know it's time to learn theory. Thanks.

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Yay!

[@philiproschactor]

Thank you once again Sean Lei. One of the best videos I've seen on the delayed alapin. You are an exceptionally gifted verbal communicator. You explain everything very clearly and effectively. thank you so much again for your great work.

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Thank you so much, your comments are always too kind

[@markcraighead9567]

Sean, I have only recently came across your channel and I have to say I am devouring the content. Personally this type of post (where you explain thought processes) is more instructive for me, than the speed run type, although it must be said, those are fun to watch.

[@SLChessDevelopment]

I'm happy you enjoy them! Won't be doing many more speedrun videos as chess.com only gave me one acc, but these more thought out ones will be the main focus for this channel!

[@tyrelljeffries2527]

What I love about this opening is tha it is the best thing to learn against the Sicilian as a beginner as it deals with the ABC's of piece development and has far lower theory than the open Sicilian or closed Sicilian. Interestingly the Alapin was a firm favourite of GM Daniel "The Prophet" Naroditsky!

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Definitely agree! It also has so many different tactics that are super good to catch your opponents off guard

[@lowrentcuesports1973]

Loved this. Simple. I usually play an English-Botvinik which is also very easy, but this I like as well. Looking forward to your side line vids.

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Will be here soon!

[@RaptureReady2025]

This is sooo valuable Sean. I’m soaking it all up and look forward to the sideline variations! Sicil for da Kill baby!! Let’s go! 💪🏼

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Wow, that enthusiasm :P I love it! Hope you learned something!

[@ContentPiano]

Recently, I added the Alapin to my openings repertoire. Seems very legit to me. Will definitely give this one a chance! Thank you!

[@SLChessDevelopment]

You’re welcome!!

[@Chessdrummer83]

this was my main weapon before even seeing this video, but I still learnt some things thanks!! I love playing against sicilian now, I tried the standard alapin for a while but I agree Nf6 is annoying. If your opponent doesn't fall into any traps you get a nice open well developed game with the delayed alapin

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Totally agree!

[@Chessdrummer83]

@@SLChessDevelopment and guess what I just right now beat a player 200 points higher than me using the delayed alapin! classical 2000 vs 2200 oh the timing :)

[@SLChessDevelopment]

@@Chessdrummer83 Wow, that's amazing!

[@sparksdrinker5650]

Great video thank you!

[@SLChessDevelopment]

You're welcome!!

[@sparksdrinker5650]

@@SLChessDevelopment I'm an e4 player so I run into the Sicilian a lot, this and your other videos on the Delayed Alapin were very easy to follow

[@chessboy6274]

Thank you!!! I was really looking for something agressive against sicilian, i tried many things like smith morra, grand prix, wing gambit or normal alapin, and even i enjoyed all of them, with delayed alapin i have clearly best results❤

[@srimannlive3110]

5:07 d5 Nb8 Qa4+

[@franciscolobato3806]

Great video, I really liked watching it and learning this opening. I subscribed to your channel and liked this video!

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Thank you so much! This opening is one of my special tools even at my level :)

[@vampireducks1622]

This is great, thanks so much! I normally play the delayed Alapin against the Sicilian and it seems to work out more often than not even though I have a very minimal grasp of the theory. This improves my understanding hugely and adds so many layers of trappiness - so thank you again!

[@IL-saxophonist]

Fell for the first trap in an OTB game yesterday. Well at least I learned something...

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Oh no! hahaha

[@bggines_1260]

Nice, nice, nice video Sean! I just gave it a try and what, boom! Your not boring to me in fact i enjoyed every bit of your lessons! Thanks!

[@SLChessDevelopment]

thank you!

[@bggines_1260]

@@SLChessDevelopment welcom!

[@raymeester7883]

I dig this channel.

[@apoorvbansal5956]

I was wondering today wr don't have a new vid, so watched those speedruns again and out of the blue , a new vid Always look forward for content by you Thanx Sean

[@SLChessDevelopment]

LOL hahaha, thanks for the support my friend

[@earlroberts7830]

This system is decades old, studied and refined by IM Michael Basman in the sixties. Perhaps the best known game with this line is Basman v GM Micheal Stean Hastings, 1973/74. If you listen to the audio book on this system both Basman & Stean suggest a line not mentioned here as giving Black good chances.

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Thank you for the feedback!

[@randomnoob2031]

Thanks for the video! I only play smith morra and this is gonna be my first time studying something different against the scicilian. This was a great explanation, I'm gonna give it a try

[@philiproschactor]

Superb, Sean, really brilliant work and so instructive,

[@Joe-nh8eq]

This is amazing. I love openings like these. “Off beat” but still some how very usual

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Me too haha

[@Joe-nh8eq]

@@SLChessDevelopment fyi this has become my go to weapon against the Sicilian. The only difference I’ve been implementing is playing the rossolimo against 2Nc6. Avoiding all the drawing lines and with the intent of transposing back into a c3. The only times I actually take the knight is if I win a tempo and double his pawns or get forced into it… But otherwise i end up just dropping the bishop back home eventually unless there’s a better square. What do you think?

[@thaleshnag2597]

a great weapon against the sicilian !

[@SLChessDevelopment]

My favourite!

[@citizen6458]

love it, make more of this now

[@demiciano333]

I love your videos! I always follow the matches presented by the Phillidor system! I played the Alapin variant with straight 2.c3. However, based on the principles you pass on, I adopted the Ponziani opening and this late Alapin matches her principles! However, I can't find material to put together a study in lichess. Do you have any material to recommend? Most of the books I've found see it as an unusual variant and barely pass on ideas and plans. Keep up the videos! They are too much! P.S.: Do you teach online classes for Brazilians?

[@AlexThib92]

Hi Sean - Amazing video about the delayed alapin. I like to play Smith Morra Gambit on internet but i was looking for something more reliable for OTB. Amazing, Thank you.

[@blobbymagee6138]

Love this

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Love ya ;)

[@blobbymagee6138]

@@SLChessDevelopment Do you cover the line that goes 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2 g6 5. 0-0 Bg7 6. Re1 0-0 7. Bf1? I remember seeing it somewhere but can't dig it up and I had it in a recent OTB tournament.

[@gustirooki6634]

Thank's

[@divided_and_conquered1854]

I'd say the answer to the question at 5:09 is to go Bb5, pinning the knight. More than likely, he tries to unpin the knight with a bishop or queen block. I simply go d5 after that, most likely winning the knight. If I'm wrong, I'dlove to know your method. - (anyone) Cheers. *_EDIT_* I think I see one of possibly many refutations: simply a6... I end up down a pawn in that scenario.... Any ideas are welcome. Cheers.

[@tylerharrington4515]

4:36 how does ...e5 not stop d4 here? if black plays e5, then d4 is defended by two pawns!

[@survivaloftheidiots6239]

d5

[@migueleduardo6297]

Very good, do you recomend which book about the Alapin delayed?

[@vicmoridon46]

What happens when your opponent doesn’t move pawn to d6?

[@tobias4411]

How come this opening in not frequently played at top level?

[@SLChessDevelopment]

It's too passive for GM's to like too much but there are GMs that play this like Dubov

[@thekubist]

Do you have a pgn for this video. Thanks!

[@ashikah1021]

Mean while me 1690 rated player watching this video after getting checkmated after playing against delayed alapin within 20 moves 🙄

[@SLChessDevelopment]

LOL I suppose now you know :P

[@cardmagiciantheo3928]

hi I am rated about 1900 elo and I have great success with the delayed alapin. I just have one questions after a line: e4 c5 Nf3 d6 c3 Nf6 Be2 Bd7. Do you have do play passive with d3, 0-0 and stuff like that or is there a specific line?

[@SLChessDevelopment]

d3 is fine, there's nothing wrong with it! You just castle, Re1 and get d4 eventually anyways. You will come to realize that the bishop on d7 is horribly placed by your opponent so there isn't much to fear in those positions!

[@cardmagiciantheo3928]

@@SLChessDevelopment my opponents then put there bishop on c6 and I cant get d4 in

[@SLChessDevelopment]

@@cardmagiciantheo3928 Bishop doesn't really belong on c6, you can always play moves like Qc2, Nbd2 and your opponent has no pieces attacking d4 so having the knight and c3 pawn defending it is enough to push d4 as long as e4 is defended well enough

[@mikestubbs1708]

Trouble is that this 'trap' of 4. Nxe4 is too well known now; computers pick it out at once in corres games; probably OK in rapid/blitz though!!

[@michaelsimpson6970]

So your opening system is basedon opening traps? You haven't mentioned the real main line yet.

[@SLChessDevelopment]

Technically, the first video is the "mainline", but I will get to the lines most people usually play very soon. University is just hitting me hard haha

[@MrBonified66]

I'd like to play this but just as often Black will play 2 .. Nc6 which brings in a million Open Sicilian lines, any thoughts on this? Edit, excuse me, I see you have answered this below!

[@SLChessDevelopment]

I’ll make a video on Nc6 lines in the future

[@MrBonified66]

@@SLChessDevelopment look forward to it!

[@niyazshkl9584]

This is such a funny trap when you trick the opponent by giving them a pawn and take their knight. I cant stop laughing if my 1500 opponents fall for this trick

[@SLChessDevelopment]

I’ve had 1900 rated players fall for it!

[@niyazshkl9584]

@@SLChessDevelopment lol

[@niyazshkl9584]

@@SLChessDevelopment is lichess.org a good place to learn openings?

[@SLChessDevelopment]

@@niyazshkl9584 All websites have some way of learning openings!

[@niyazshkl9584]

@@SLChessDevelopment www.chess.com/game/live/18003041025. YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT A 1500 RATED PLAYER HUNG A PEICE ON MOVE 5!!!?? lol this is so fun

[@yvonnechen]

D5

[@bishopgreenhill4359]

Just found your channel,amazing simply chess.Been searching for "That" opening for white and black for ages.Dont like playing the current chess meta because its just a memory battle of theory,so im going for the philidor and alapin.And im going to stick to the lol What do you play against D4? Still the philidor? Many thanks for your chess vids...

[@SLChessDevelopment]

I can play the Philidor still, though competitively I'm a Benko / Budapest player

[@bishopgreenhill4359]

@@SLChessDevelopment why benko?

[@SLChessDevelopment]

@@bishopgreenhill4359 I like positions where both sides are playing for different things.

[@sololinist]

I enjoyed your video. my name is also Sean. want to play sometime on lichess? What's your name there?

[@cesarepeli]

Interesting! But it is still good if 2...e6?

[@cesarepeli]

or 2...Cc6? I mean, it's always playable but does it only work particularly well against 2 ... d6? Thanks a lot.

[@SLChessDevelopment]

@@cesarepeli if c6, transposes to a French advanced variation. Might want to study that a little but don’t worry, your opponent will be confused too

[@Sifo_Dyas]

From watching several Alapin videos, someone playing the Sicilian should not play d6.

[@BobbyFischer0000]

Do you still play chess man?

[@SLChessDevelopment]

I do, just busy with work

[@LoveLillyRose]

cute

[@apoorvbansal5956]

Delayed alpin 1 minute blitz game You will die laughing lichess.org/kwhrWVjC And yeah this is umm a really good opening... i had played a 5 min blitz with this sheet watching this vid Loved the attacking ideas , specially that Ra1-b1