Best Book for a Beginning Najdorf Player?

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deviousknight

The Sicilian Najdorf looks fun to play and I'm looking for a guide.  I'm mostly studying tactics right now, and I don't want to get bogged down in opening theory, but I want to learn enough where I don't get in too much trouble out of the gate.

There are many,  many books when I look on Amazon.com - any recommendations? 

kindaspongey

"Generally speaking, 'Starting Out' and 'Sicilian Najdorf' are not exactly words that one envisions in the same title, because anyone who is just starting out should not dive into the vast ocean of theory that is the Najdorf. For beginners, the time invested in studying even minor lines can be more productively used solving tactical puzzles and basic endgame technique.
...
... In some lines, a good understanding of basic principles will take you far, while in others, such as the Poisoned Pawn (6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Qb6!?), memorization is a must, as one wrong move can cost you the game in the blink of an eye. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2006), reviewing Starting Out: Sicilian Najdorf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626175558/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen87.pdf

deviousknight
kindaspongey wrote:

"Generally speaking, 'Starting Out' and 'Sicilian Najdorf' are not exactly words that one envisions in the same title, because anyone who is just starting out should not dive into the vast ocean of theory that is the Najdorf. For beginners, the time invested in studying even minor lines can be more productively used solving tactical puzzles and basic endgame technique.
...
... In some lines, a good understanding of basic principles will take you far, while in others, such as the Poisoned Pawn (6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Qb6!?), memorization is a must, as one wrong move can cost you the game in the blink of an eye. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2006), reviewing Starting Out: Sicilian Najdorf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626175558/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen87.pdf

 

So, I take it you recommend that book? Carsten Hansen gives it 5 out 5 ...

kindaspongey

I never read it. I just noted the review. Maybe consider:

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7909.pdf

deviousknight

Thanks for that second review - sold!  And the book is very recent as well.  But it sounds like what I'm after, understanding principles as opposed to memorization. 

IMKeto
deviousknight wrote:

The Sicilian Najdorf looks fun to play and I'm looking for a guide.  I'm mostly studying tactics right now, and I don't want to get bogged down in opening theory, but I want to learn enough where I don't get in too much trouble out of the gate.

There are many,  many books when I look on Amazon.com - any recommendations? 

Their is a good free book on chessable.com

Short and Sweet: The Najdorf Sicilian.

deviousknight

Thanks IMBacon!

najdorf96

Indeed. I mostly learned the Najdorf through MCO's, NCO, RJF games, some games of GKasparov and OTB game notes I'd made in post analysis either with my opponents, my club friends but mostly I've got notebooks & pages of annotations, lines, variations & ideas I'd compiled burning the midnight oil. Heh. Not to mention various magazine articles related or partially related but there is one book I actually bought that I've always turned to even it is abit outdated nowadays (like 25 years old heh!). My go-to book I highly recommend at least owning is "Winning with the Najdorf" by Daniel King. Oh, btw WELCOME TO THE CLUB!👍🏼As always, best wishes😉

deviousknight

Thanks najdorf96 ... I get most of your acronyms, but not MCO and NCO's ... what are those? 

IMKeto

MCO = Modern Chess Openings

RJF = Robert James Fischer

NCO = I have no idea

Uhohspaghettio1
IMBacon wrote:

MCO = Modern Chess Openings

RJF = Robert James Fischer

NCO = I have no idea

Nunn's Chess Openings. 

He somehow managed to be even drier than MCO. It's basically a phone book. 

IMKeto
Uhohspaghettio1 wrote:
IMBacon wrote:

MCO = Modern Chess Openings

RJF = Robert James Fischer

NCO = I have no idea

Nunn's Chess Openings. 

He somehow managed to be even drier than MCO. It's basically a phone book. 

Thank You.  I had no idea what it stood for.

najdorf96

Heh. Indeed, I also forgot to mention GCO & GCO2! 😎 p.s. I rather like NCO over MCOs in that as pretentious as the authors were, at least to me, the layout & analysis seemed more readable and assimilated (and at the time it first came out, more fresh). I can see how dry it has become to some nowadays though. But just a phonebook? Nah, heh you got to be joking sir!😅 peace guys

Bibhabdanger

xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xbzu be v😤😠😧😤😧😠

IMKeto

Bumped by the PTBA.