Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation

a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8	8
7	7
6	6
5	5
4	4
3	3
2	2
1	1
a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Moves

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6

ECO

B90-B99

Named after

Miguel Najdorf

Parent

Open Sicilian

Sicilian Defence Najdorf Variation
Sicilian Defence Najdorf Variation Wikipedia

The Najdorf Variation () of the Sicilian Defence is one of the most respected and deeply studied of all chess openings. Modern Chess Openings calls it the 'Cadillac' or 'Rolls Royce' of chess openings. The opening is named after the Polish-Argentine grandmaster Miguel Najdorf. Many players have lived by the Najdorf (notably Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov, although Kasparov would often transpose into a Scheveningen).

The Najdorf begins:

1. e4 c5

2. Nf3 d6

3. d4 cxd4

4. Nxd4 Nf6

5. Nc3 a6

B90 - Sicilian, Najdorf: 1. Search the chess games database, download games, view frequent practitioners and browse the Opening Explorer. The Chess Tempo Chess Database provides over two million searchable chess games. The database can be searched via many criteria, including chess players, chess opening, player ratings, game result, and the year the chess game was played. Chess opening statistics can been viewed on the display to the right of the board. By far, Black’s favorite variation when deploying the Sicilian Defense is the Najdorf Variation as you can see this is a 5-move variant which ends with a6. The idea is to prepare the space in the center for black’s domination. It’s also a much more tactically sound move than e5 which is met with 6. The Najdorf variation is the most popular line of the Sicilian defense. The main idea behind this line is to prepare the move e7-e5, which offers Black a majority in the centre and lots of ambitious attacking ideas. The idea of the Najdorf is to control this square.

Black's 5...a6 aims to deny the b5-square to White's knights and light-square bishop while maintaining flexible development. If Black plays 5...e5?! immediately, then after 6.Bb5+! Bd7 (or 6...Nbd7 7.Nf5) 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 8.Nf5 and the knight on f5 is difficult to dislodge without concessions.

Black's plan is usually to start a minority attack on the queenside and exert pressure on White's e4-pawn. This is often carried out by means of ...b5, ...Bb7, and placing a knight on c5, or c4 via b6.

Variations

Main line: 6.Bg5

Classical Main line: 6...e6

a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8	8
7	7
6	6
5	5
4	4
3	3
2	2
1	1
a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Position after 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4

The main move. In the early days of the Najdorf 7.Qf3 was popular, but the reply 7...h6 did not allow White to obtain any real advantage. Nowadays, White players almost universally respond with the move: 7. f4. White threatens 8 e5 winning a piece, but Black has several options:

7... Be7 8. Qf3 and now:
- 8... Qc7 9. 0-0-0 Nbd7, this is called the old main line. At this point White usually responds with 10. g4 or 10. Bd3. After each of these moves there is a huge body of opening theory.
- 8... h6 9. Bh4 g5. This is known as the Argentine/Goteborg Variation. It was first played in round 14 of 1955 Goteborg Interzonal simultaneously by Argentine players Panno, Pilnik and Najdorf who were facing the Soviet Grandmasters Geller, Spassky and Keres. The games in question proceeded as follows: 10. fxg5 Nfd7 Black aims to route a knight to e5, and then back it up by a knight at d7 or c6. 11. Nxe6!? (Efim Geller's discovery). 11... fxe6 12. Qh5+ Kf8 13. Bb5 here Panno played 13...Ne5, while Pilnik and Najdorf chose 13...Kg7. However, all three Argentine players lost in very short order and the line was, for a while, considered refuted. It was only in 1958 that Bobby Fischer introduced the defensive resource 13... Rh7!, versus Svetozar Gligorić at the Portorož Interzonal, in a critical last-round game. According to modern opening theory this position is a draw at best for White.
7... Qb6 one of the most popular choices at master level.
- 8. Qd2 the extremely complicated Poisoned Pawn Variation: 8... Qxb2 9. Rb1 (9.Nb3 is the other less common option) 9... Qa3 and here White has played both 10. f5 and 10. e5. Both lead to extremely sharp play where slightest inaccuracy is fatal for either side. Since 2006, when it was played in several high level games, 10. e5 has become very popular. From the standpoint of the theory it is regarded as White's only attempt to play for a win against the poisoned pawn variation since all other variations (and that includes the other pawn move: 10. f5) have been analysed to a draw with best play. An example is the game Vallejo Pons-Kasparov, Moscow 2004, which was called 'a model modern grandmaster draw!' by Kasparov himself in Revolution in the 70s (page 164).
- 8. Nb3 White opts for a quiet game, but Black has nothing to worry about: 8... Be7 9. Qf3 Nbd7 10. 0-0-0 Qc7 where we have reached a set up very similar to that of the old main line mentioned above. However, without the d4-knight White will find it very hard to organise an attack.
7... b5 the ultra-sharp Polugaevsky Variation. Black ignores White's threat and expands in Queenside. 8. e5 dxe5 9. fxe5 Qc7 here White either plays 10. exf6 Qe5+ 11. Be2 Qxg5 or 10. Qe2 Nfd7 11. 0-0-0 Bb7.
7... Qc7 championed by Garry Kasparov before he switched to playing 7...Qb6 exclusively.
7... Nbd7 popularised by Boris Gelfand.
7... Nc6?! is risky and of a dubious theoretical reputation due to the response: 8. e5!
7... h6!? the Poisoned Pawn Deferred. This variation is very popular at the moment.

Verbeterde List: 6...Nbd7

a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8	8
7	7
6	6
5	5
4	4
3	3
2	2
1	1
a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Position after 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Bc4

Historically speaking, this was the usual reply until the mid-1960s, when the rejoinder 7.Bc4 put the move 'out of business'. Recently however, ideas have been found by some Dutch players who call this variation De Verbeterde List ('The Improved Strategem'). The idea for Black is to postpone ...e6 in order to retain more dynamic options (for example, to play e7-e5 in one move). The idea was tested by Petrosian, Belov, and others, but received popular attention and developed rapidly after use by Dutch player Lody Kuling in 2007. The most important developments include:

7. f4 Qc7 8. Qf3:
- 8... h6 9. Bh4 e5. A setup discovered by Lody Kuling.(This variation is covered by Ufuk Tuncer and Twan Burg in New In Chess, Yearbook 102.) The idea is to gain time over ...e6 by playing e7-e5 in one move. Later on it turned out that 9...g5! is even better.
- 8... b5 is the Neo Verbeterde List. This is a new way to play the Verbeterde List. It includes fianchetting the bishop to g7. (The variation is covered by Ufuk Tuncer in New In Chess, Yearbook 101.)
7. Bc4 Qb6 This is a move introduced by Lenier Dominguez. The idea is to win a tempo by attacking b2, after which Black can finish his development beginning 8...e6. The last word on the line has not yet been given. The whole variation with 6... Nbd7 is covered in the book by Ľubomír Ftáčnik in the chapter 'B

Sicilian Defence Najdorf Variation