This hefty book offers the results of S. Soloviov's ten-year-long investigation of a nearly virgin territory of chess theory – 1.e4 c5 2.a3. This is a more flexible version of the Sicilian Gambit with 2.b4 as the play often takes original courses. One of the most principled retorts is 2...Nc6 3.b4! cxb4 4.axb4 Nxb4 5.d4 d5 6.c3 Nc6 7.exd5 Qxd5 8.Na3!. The unfamiliar with this position will quickly lose it. The rest – they avoid it! The game is often over in 5 moves. This surprise weapon is used by grandmasters Bezgodov, Dobrov, Sh.Mamedyarov, T.L.Petrosian, K.Chernyshov, Ermenkov.