Murder on the h-file

Some old Najdorf prep of mine finally sees daylight half a century later.

As a young man (don't laugh!) I used to play the Sicilian Najdorf with both colors in over-the-board rated tournaments. As long ago as 1971 (that's before Bobby Fischer won the World Championship) I was playing it in competition. The only points I made in FIDE-rated competition in the year 1973 were with the Najdorf (in our National Junior Championship), and it accounted for roughly half my FIDE-rated points in the following year, 1974.

So I've been a big fan of that opening for more than half a century. One of my clubs just finished (less than an hour ago) a vote-chess game in which some of my 47-year-old opening preparation (from 1975) finally got used.

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cool game

Moi would suggest : Bobbie Fisher Mate variation.

Here is an old game from the Saint John Chess Club's 1976 Canada vs USA match showing how I used to play exactly that line (up to move 13), but with the BLACK pieces instead of White.

beautiful game, Blueemu!

although I have a question? why does black have to play 20...,g6?

is 20...,Qd7 not viable?

thanks

It was my impression at the time that g7-g6 would be necessary at some point, since otherwise I could load up on the f-file freezing the f6-Bishop in place (to shield the f7 Knight).

I think you are right. 20...,Qd7 allows 21.Ne6,... freeing Rd1 to come to f1. leaving the h1R to still participate in the mating threat.

I think black is forced to play 21....,Bb7 to allow his rook on a8 to recapture on f8 if NxR or the f7 square does get overloaded.

black does have the option of BxNc3 at some point doubling whites c pawns but black doesn't have a way into the king even with the half open b file and he has to give away an indirect defender of the f7 square.

I was thinking that Ra7 (instead of Bb7) looked like a decent defensive try. Then swing it across to the center or K-side, and follow up with Bb7.

I think 20...,Qe8 might work though.

The whole defensive line works better for Black if he plays Kh8 instead of Nf7.

Then the Knight is still on e5, where it guards g4... so White cannot save his Bishop from exchange (retreating White's Bishop allows Black to play Bg4 winning White's Queen!).

In that position (King on h8, Knight still on e5) the move Qe8 looks like a very good defensive try, especially when combined with Ra7.

yes, I agree. I was just working with the position given. I think 20...,Qe8 is still the move in that position before Ra7 because the Q on e8 stops the knight from coming in on either e6 or c6.

if black can get his rook to e7 he has pressure on whites e4 pawn. possibly allowing Bf6 to take the knight on d4. possibly winning a pawn and whites attack may fizzle unless he can still make the h file play work for him. which means doing something about the white h pawn which is in the way.

As a companion game to the one in post #7 above, here is another old game from OTB tournament play.

Then how come some kids' murder games have it on them? lol

How interesting!

bro thinks its a bad word:

my status

he was also as funny as a murder of crows.