Sicilian Defense: Open, Najdorf Variation
The Sicilian Najdorf is a sharp yet solid weapon for Black against the move 1.e4. The Najdorf is the most popular variation of the Sicilian Defense and has been played by many of the top players in history. An uncompromising opening for Black, the Najdorf usually leads to wild positions where tactics abound.
Starting Position
The Sicilian Najdorf starts after the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6. Black's fifth move prepares for queenside play and keeps flexibility, waiting before moving the e-pawn and committing to a central pawn structure. The move 5...a6 also allows Black to play 6...e5 without worrying about the unpleasant 5.Bb5+.
White has many playable options from this position, which is why the Najdorf has such a massive amount of theory. White's move choice dictates the game's character, but a very aggressive game usually develops.
Pros
- Positionally sound while also dynamic
- Very good for playing for a win
- Suited for sharp players
Cons
- Very theoretical
- White has many dangerous piece sacrifices
- White will be prepared to face it since it's such a popular opening
Main Variations Of The Sicilian Defense
The Sicilian Najdorf is one of the openings with the vastest amount of theory. Since this is such a widespread opening and White can play virtually any move, there's a lot to study before confidently playing the Najdorf. Below, you can see eight of the most popular variations of this opening.
Sicilian Najdorf With 6.Bg5
White's 6.g5 and the English attack are by far the two most popular responses to the Najdorf. This variation begins with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 and is considered to be the most challenging for Black.
This variation usually leads to very sharp games, where both players need to memorize a lot of theory to avoid getting into a bad position.
Sicilian Najdorf With 6.Be3
The second most popular response to the Najdorf is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6. Be3, a variation usually connected with the English Attack. White quickly develops the queenside, opening the possibility of castling queenside and launching a kingside pawn storm.
This variation usually turns into a race to see who can attack the enemy king first. Black tries to defend their king while also launching a pawn storm of their own on the queenside.
Opocensky Variation
The Opocensky Variation occurs with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2. White quickly develops their kingside and clears the way to castle short. White can keep developing modestly and adopt a more solid setup or finish developing the queenside to castle long and go for a kingside attack.
Lipnitsky Attack
The Lipnitsky Attack starts after the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4. White points their bishop at the f7-square, also eyeing the e6-square, where Black usually puts a pawn. White can choose to castle short and develop their queen to f3, or castle long and go for a plan resembling the English Attack.
Adams' Attack
The Adams' Attack starts with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3. White's idea is to prepare the g2-g4 push. This pawn thrust serves two purposes: to start an attack on the kingside and to increase control over the d5-square. White could achieve the latter by developing the bishop in fianchetto and possibly kicking Black's f6-knight with g2-g4-g5.
Amsterdam Variation
The Amsterdam Variation happens with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4. White quickly expands on the kingside, with the drawback of defining the pawn early. The f-pawn push, however, is not as dangerous in this position since Black's bishop is not yet on e6, where it could be attacked by an eventual f4-f5.
Zagreb Variation
The Zagreb Variation occurs with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.g3. White intends to develop the light-squared bishop in fianchetto and castle kingside. This setup usually involves a longer, more positional game.
Sicilian Najdorf With 6.a4
White can also choose the variation with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.a4. With 6.a4, White demonstrates that they don't intend to castle queenside. White's move also helps to control the b5-square and makes Black's queenside expansion more difficult to attain.
This line is not especially dangerous for Black, but White can get a very solid position.
History Of The Sicilian Najdorf
Despite not being as old as classical openings like the Ruy Lopez or the Italian Game, the Sicilian Najdorf is one of the most studied openings in chess. This variation of the Sicilian Defense first came to light in the early 1900s, when players started playing 5...a6.
Eventually, GM Miguel Najdorf helped develop the theory of this opening, which is why this variation bears his name. Ironically, theory developed so much that Najdorf himself stopped playing the opening after a while.
The Sicilian Najdorf is, to this day, the most popular response against 1.e4. Throughout history, many of the top players in the world have adopted the opening, including GMs Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, Magnus Carlsen, and more.
