Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. :)

Thanks for your comment! What do you think about playing mainline c3 Sicilian? Might be more comfortable. :) As white I don't mind facing it but the positions do come out pretty equalish. I could make a video on that too perhaps.

@@chessisbest Thank you so much for the reply. Thanks for the reply! The Alapin / c3-Sicilian lines that you illustrated here may wind up okay. However, to me, it looks more like the Alekhine Defense, and given my claustrophobia, I’d suffocate as Black. The counter to the Alapin I play is one recommended by Chris Ward: 1 e4 c5 2 c3 d5 3 exd5 Qxd5 4 d4 Nf6 5 Nf3 Bg4. The dark-square B doesn’t fianchetto in this line, so the light-square B can retreat to the h5 and g6 squares if he gets pushed around. Black gets away with posting the light-square B onto an active square early, a piece otherwise so problematic in many Sicilians, including the ones you show in this video. Playing blitz on chess.com, many White players haven’t bothered setting up the Maroczy Bind in the Push Variation of the Smith-Morra. I think it’s because, as you acknowledge, 5 c3-c4 move looks a bit weird because two tempi are taken to push the pawn to c4 - yet good. It’s refreshingly unorthodox, deviating from opening doctrine (i.e. the one that says to not move a piece more than once). In your line, White gets the Bind, resulting in more space, with all minor pieces on the Board, in particular Black’s light-square B. Yet, Black can still breathe and defend ably with N on c5, protected by the pawn on a5. And I appreciate your insight that White shouldn’t fear 8 Nc3 Bxc3; this may help me when I am able to set up a Maroczy Bind as White.

You are very welcome. More to come :)

What is your level sphere? I don't mind the push variation really, but the Alapin is kind of annoying. I wouldn't mind finding some offbeat crazy way to play against it. I'll have to ask my coach about it though!

best move is to accept the gambit

It was.. hehe