The Lazy Man’s Sicilian: Attack and Surprise White with the Basman-Sale Variation

The Basman-Sale Variation is a relatively unexplored weapon for Black in the very popular Sicilian Defence. Its advantages are clear: it is surprising, aggressive and easy to learn.

After the perfectly normal moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Black lashes out with 4…Bc5! English IM Michael Basman and Croatian IM Srdjan Sale were the pioneers of this cunning opening system. 

Compared to the complexity of mainstream Sicilian variations it requires little theoretical preparation, while you don’t run excessive risks. That is why The Lazy Man’s Sicilian is ideal for club players who don’t have much time to study opening theory (or are not too fond of hard work anyway). 

This easily accessible and up-to-date book offers everything you need to get started with the Basman-Sale Variation. In well-organized chapters it describes the history and underlying ideas of the variation and explains the pawn structures, the strategies and the tactical themes. What’s more, if  you play the Basman-Sale system, there is plenty of room for your own creativity as well!

Ukrainian International Master Valeri Bronznik lives and works in Germany. He has written a number of highly acclaimed books, such as ‘Techniques of Positional Play’. Steve Giddins is a FIDE Master and a former editor of British Chess Magazine. He is the author of several outstanding books and is well known for his clarity and no-nonsense advice.

This an improved and fully updated translation of the original German ‘Sizilianisch für Müssigänger’.

CHESS Magazine (UK):
“The variation retains surprise effect and remains playable to this day, with this work explaining both the theory and the key ideas behind Black’s approach.”

IM Dirk Schuh, Rochade Europa:
“A very good book which offers a relatively simple Sicilian system.”

IM Srdjan Sale, Yearbook 117:
“The funnily-named Basman-Sale variation is prospering. It has lost its place among rare variations in which Black scores 50 per cent, but the variation is alive and kicking. When I wrote my first Survey in Yearbook 73 (2004), there were 424 games in MegaBase 2004, with Black scoring a respectable 50 per cent. Today, MegaBase 2015 has 1581 games and Black’s score is 46 per cent.”

Carsten Hansen, ChessCafe: 
“Well-presented and neatly organized, with a good balance between prose and variations.” (on the original German edition)

IM Gary Lane, British Chess Magazine:
“Of course, no opening is quite as easy to learn as the publicity might suggest because there are transpositions and critical lines just like any other line. However, if you stick with 4…Bc5 then the long-term experience will certainly help you to handle the positions better than White who might only rarely come across the variation. Nowadays, anybody with computer software is a critic so there has been a suggestion on chess forums that the line: 5 Be3 Qb6 is refuted by 6 b4. The short answer is no and the long answer is that after 6…Bxb4+ 7 c3 Be7 the chances are roughly equal. A book full of inspirational ideas for players who wish to play something a bit different.”

Jeremy Silman, author of ‘How to Reassess Your Chess’:
“The Lazy Man’s Sicilian is fun and offers lots of original positions.” 

Florian Jacobs, Max Euwe Center, Amsterdam:
“On a lazy day I am certainly going to try this.”

Chess Moves Magazine:
“A good way to understand an opening and surprise future opponents.”

IM John Watson, The Week in Chess:
“I can highly recommend this original and diligently-researched book to everyone.” (On the original Ger
man edition) 

Elburg Chess Reviews:
“A must-have opening book.”

Glenn Flear, author of Starting Out: Open Games:
“The writing style is a nice combination of strategy, sensible clear logic and a touch of humour (..) The new edition does contain a fair proportion of recent developments and [Giddins] has added in home analysis to bolster his case.”

IM Srdjan Sale:
“Highly recommended for players who like to win with Black!” (on the original German edition)