Sicilian Pawn Structure Nxc6 bxc6 - What to do?

(idk whether Game Analysis or General is a better topic to put this in)

I'm positive the pawn structure where white captures on c6 early in the Sicilian is better for black because it gives black more center control (but by no means winning yet). Example here's where white could do it earliest:



But I don't know how to exploit it best as black. Should black be playing g6, e6, e5, d5, Be6, Ba6, Qa5, or what? What are the best middlegame plans and what are some factors for how you choose between them? I would think ...d5 would be the strongest plan but often it needs preparation because white can push past with e5 or clamp on c5. I don't know whether my dark-squared bishop should go on g7 or somewhere else.

Here's some examples of some of my games (some blitz, classical, correspondence etc) where they captured on c6. What am I doing fundamentally right or wrong?



The 6.Bc4 8.Bb3 game in particular i didnt know whether i should be going ...g6 or ...e5.
Would there be a certain amount of risk different between the two? Is one more correct than the other or are they both justified? I'd love to see some example games of the correct plans if anyone has any. Thank you

@FunnyAnimatorJimTV said in #1:
> I'm positive the pawn structure where white captures on c6 early in the Sicilian is better for black because it gives black more center control (but by no means winning yet).

I'm pretty doubtful of that.

@MrPushwood said in #2:
> I'm pretty doubtful of that.

Why should white voluntarily trade his central knight and make black's pawn structure more central?

This again ? ok.

Nxc6 bxc6 isn't always good for Black, it is far more complicated than that. The open Sicilian being a dynamic opening, pawn structure niceties play second fiddle to other factors like development, pawn breaks and so on (by the way Black has already a better structure at move 3 but that doesn't mean he's out of the woods). It is universally accepted in 2... e6 sicilians that Nxc6 can be a critical try at some point even when Black can recapture with the b pawn (eg 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nc6?! 6. Nxc6). Nxc6 is also critical in some lines of the Rauzer (one of the reasons why Black ends up playing Nxd4 in a lot of lines), and generally, when a6 has been played, Nxc6 can also be annoying as it creates a hole on b6, the a6 pawn is a liability and there is no good square for the Bc8 (Tkachev once remarked that after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 engines already consider White to be slightly better).

I prefer Richter Rouser variation: Bg5 followed by e6 Bb5 Bd7 Bxc6 bxc6 and I keep the strong knight in centre.

@Nerwal said in #4:
> This again ? ok.

Has it been analyzed/discussed before?

> Nxc6 bxc6 isn't always good for Black, it is far more complicated than that.

Could you give some model games/resources/general advice as to what development/maneuvers/pawn formation are good for black and when to change them depending on what white does? Thanks

@FunnyAnimatorJimTV said in #6:
> Has it been analyzed/discussed before?
>
>
>
> Could you give some model games/resources/general advice as to what development/maneuvers/pawn formation are good for black and when to change them depending on what white does? Thanks

There is no general recipe, it's concrete play, one move can change a lot of things.

Let's take a small example :
After 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6, White can play 7. Bc4 or 7. Bd3. In this position, Black can try to play to limit the scope of the light squared bishop. So in case of 7. Bc4, we play 7... e6 followed by Be7 with 0-0 and d5 to follow (this seems quite satisfactory), and in case of 7. Bd3 we will block this bishop's activity with either 7... e5 or 7... g6 (meanwhile, 7. Bc4 g6 8. e5!? was dubious) and develop accordingly. Of course after that it's just an equal middlegame, White can play in many different ways and you still have to play chess.

Now let's try to transpose this simple recipe into another variation, say 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Qb6 and now 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. 0-0 (a perfectly legit way to play for White, by the way). Black can choose between the three moves e5, e6 and g6, but since 8... e5 9. Bg5 is already dubious it's only between e6 and g6. Using the previous logic we would like to play 8... e6 with the same plan of Be7, 0-0 and d5. But there is a change in the position, Black has already played Qb6. This has several drawbacks : the d6 pawn is weaker, the queen doesn't control d5 anymore, and Black is one move late in developing the kingside. Because of this White can set Black difficult problems by playing 9. Bf4 or 9. Qe2 (intending e5 and sometimes b3), and d5 by Black before castling is never an option because the piece sac on d5 just wins. So White will succeed in breaking Black's structure while keeping the most active pieces, and it's a matter of how serious this early edge is. Actually, in this position 8... g6 has been more popular than 8... e6 although it has basically the same problems, if you are going to suffer from an early break you better put the bishop on the best diagonal.

@Nerwal

Thank you so much for the detailed reply going over so many nuances. I'll keep them in mind
I'll also find some master games where this pawn structure happened and see what else I can pick up