Sicilian Najdorf – An Overview of the Main Lines
🧠 Opening Theory | The Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation arises after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 — a flexible and ambitious response to 1.e4.
Named after Polish-Argentinian GM Miguel Najdorf, this variation was developed in the mid-20th century and adopted by legends like Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, and Magnus Carlsen.
From this position — the hallmark of the Najdorf — White has five major sixth-move options, each leading to a distinct strategic path:
- 6.h3 - Delayed Adams' Attack
- 6.Bg5 - Richter-Rauzer
- 6.Be3 - English Attack
- 6.Bc4 - Lipnitsky Attack
- 6.Be2 - Opočenský Variation
Below is a summary of each line.
6.h3 – Delayed Adams’ Attack
A modern, flexible move. Often used to support a future g4 pawn thrust while keeping options open.
Black’s best responses:
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6...e5 → Positional, strong center control
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6...e6 → Classical flexibility
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6...Nc6 → Accelerates development, often transposing
🔍 Line: 6...e5 7.Nde2
A solid reply from Black met by White’s cautious knight retreat — delaying g4 until better prepared.
🔍 Line: 6...e5 7.Nf3
White avoids Nde2 and instead builds tension with kingside piece development.
🔍 Line: 6...e5 7.Nb3
White plays to avoid early piece tension and emphasizes queenside space and long-term build-up.
🔍 Line: 6...e6 7.g4
A more immediate g4 met by active counterplay — this line often leads to mutual attacks and imbalanced structures.
🔍 Line: 6...Nc6 7.Be3
A sharp, aggressive approach by White aiming for rapid kingside space.
The American, Weaver W. Adams, is most famous for his controversial claim that the first move 1.e4 confers a winning advantage upon White. This has been generally scorned by the chess world. Grandmaster Larry Evans wrote that Adams' "tournament results were damaged by his dogmatism. Playing under the self-inflicted handicap of arming his opponents with advance knowledge of his 'best' lines, he felt honour-bound to steer straight into them even though his adversary invariably had a cook up his sleeve. By the time Weaver found a refutation and published it, another player found a different cook and so on ad infinitum."
6.Be2 – Opočenský Variation
A quiet, positional approach. White simply continues their development and is neutral about the Najdorf.
Black’s best responses:
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6...e5 → Maintains typical Najdorf play. Black grabs central space immediately, aiming for …b5 and eventual …d5 counterplay.
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6...e6 → Transposes into Scheveningen structures. Black prepares …d5 in one go and often plays …b5 with …Bb7, leading to a more closed center.
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6...Nbd7 → Classical idea. Black defers moving the e-pawn, keeping options to strike with …e5 later.
In my practice as a Najdorf player I always meet 6.Be2 with 6...e5, so all lines below begin with that move.
🔍 Line: 6...e5 7.Nb3
White reroutes their knight via Nb3 and plays Be3, aiming to dominate the d4/d5 squares and expand on the queenside.
🔍 Line: 6...e5 7.Nf3
White opts for a natural setup: after Nf3 and Bg5, they can trade on f6 to weaken Black’s control of d5, then manoeuvre their knights (Nd5 and Nxe6) to fracture Black’s centre.
In the example line above, white expands on both wings (a4, c4, a5, b4 on the queenside, and later f3, g3, f4, fxe5 on the kingside). Black defends carefully, but White’s central pawns and open files give them a slight edge.
🔍 Line: 6...e5 7.Nf5?! d5!
Why does 7...d5 beat 7...Bxf5 8.exf5?
At first glance, 8…Bxf5 seems natural – you win the knight and expose the f5‐pawn. But GM Neil McDonald calls 7…d5 a “freeing move” that “undermines the defence of f5 and threatens to win a piece with 8…d4.” Black's pawn break hits White’s knight on f5 and fights for the centre in one shot!
Modern engines (Stockfish/NNUE) agree that 7…d5 is the top move here, and jump to –0.2 or better, whereas 7…Bxf5 holds only +0.1 for White.
According to a chess.com extended analysis, the best response for White is 8.Bg5, to which Black's best reply is 8…d4 9.Bxf6 Qxf6, rather than 9...gxf6, as below.
Although in the above, white ends up with a pawn advantage, you can still see clearly why engines and GM McDonald rave about 7…d5:
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It undermines White’s knight on f5 and breaks the d6 pin in one thrust
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It opens lines for Black’s bishops and queen while White’s king remains in the centre
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It creates concrete tactics (…d4 forks, skewers if White misplaces Nc3)
7…d5 changes the pawn structure in Black’s favour. For example, after 7…d5 8.Qf3 d4! 9.Nd5 Nxd5 10.exd5 Qf6, Black’s e– and d–pawns dominate the centre and White’s pieces (the king on e1, the knight on f1, etc.) are cramped.
Moreover, the 7...d5 move sets up concrete tactics against White’s setup. It undermines White’s knight and opens lines. Indeed, as McDonald notes, it “wins a piece” if White is careless. By contrast, 7…Bxf5 exchanges material without solving the d6-pawn issue. This is why theory and computer analysis alike call 7…d5 a “great move” – it equalizes Black’s game and often leaves Black a bit better, whereas 7…Bxf5 does not.
Summary & What’s Next
These lines represent the major branching points White can take after 5...a6. In future posts, I’ll take each line — starting with the Delayed Adams’ Attack — and examine in more depth its theory, ideas, and model games using Chess.com’s interactive boards. Stay tuned!
