Sicilian Surprise Neo-Boleslavsky Variation by IM Richard Palliser & by GM Ben Finegold Jan 17, 2025

This Sudden Pawn Strike Turns
White’s Star Piece Into Your
Biggest Target!

See that pesky d4-knight in the Open Sicilian? The one grabbing control of your squares, setting up dangerous sacrifices, and eyeing a kingside attack as early as move 4?

The white knight on d4 is multipurpose. Would
be a shame if it’s kicked away!

It’s White’s pride and joy. But it’s also your reddest, hottest opportunity. With the Sicilian Surprise: Neo-Boleslavsky Variation, you’ll turn the tables on that knight and strike first!

Here’s the plan:

You enter the Open Variation through 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4. Then you immediately exploit White’s brief pause.

First, you hit their pawn while developing with 4…Nf6. Then, with 5…e5!, you stop White’s aggressive e-pawn cold. You challenge them for control of key squares and dislodge their knight. All in one bold advance!

The Neo-Boleslavsky challenges White’s
strongest piece in a bid to seize the initiative!

Now for the best part:

In online and non-master games, up to 7 out of 10 players will either pull back or lunge forward with the knight, taking big risks. Either way, you’re taking command of the game, thanks to your extra center pawn!

With your d-pawn’s advance, White’s
house of cards starts to collapse!

At the highest levels of chess, Hikaru Nakamura (5-time US Champion), Bogdan-Daniel Deac (Romanian #1), and Pentala Harikrishna (2011 Asian Champion) have championed 5…e5 in just about every tournament format.

But unlike other super-GM Sicilians, the Neo-Boleslavsky doesn’t bury you under a mountain of theory.

With just 160 carefully chosen lines, International Master Richard Palliser ensures you focus on what matters most!

Palliser is the editor of CHESS Magazine. He’s the author of over 20 chess books. And for thousands of Chessable students, he’s their trusted source for opening analysis.

Also joining you for almost 9 hours of video, is Grandmaster Ben Finegold.

He’s the first ‘GM in residence’ at the Saint Louis Chess Club. His own YouTube channel now has over 3,700 videos — through which he has helped players worldwide break through plateaus.

Famous for quips like “Never play f6!” and “Always sac the exchange,” Finegold makes tough moves simple. Even fun!

Through their…

“Principles First” Teaching Strategy

…You not only flatten your learning curve. You also strengthen your tactical and strategic IQ — block by block — into an airtight understanding of the Neo-Boleslavsky.

So even if the game leaves your prep, you can count on your intuition to guide you through!

The first chapter analyzes 5 complete model games. They boil down the Neo-Boleslavsky to basic patterns that drive opening success regardless of the exact variation.

You’ll discover:

💥 The surefire sequence for tucking your king to safety, unleashing your minor pieces, and getting ready to rumble. All in under 10 moves!

💥 Daring captures and cool counter-tactics that secure you a winning material edge.

💥 Plus smart moves that prepare your pawns’ unstoppable advance.

Next, you’ll put your new tactics and strategies into action through 15 Quickstarter lines.

Each line is handpicked for consistency and frequency. So you’re ready to face most of White’s moves head-on, and come out ahead even with minimal study.

From here, each game with the Neo-Boleslavsky only builds your experience, widening the gap between you and White.

And if you run into a move NOT covered by the Quickstarter?

That’s where the rest of the course comes in!

You enter the moves into the repertoire tree. You practice the most important lines from the 15 theory chapters. And just like that, you’re ready to play smarter and press for the win the next time this variation shows up.

Your e5-pawn also works double-time to cut down the amount of theory you must study. By targeting the d4-knight — White’s choices shrink down just 3 predictable directions.