6. Najdorf: Amsterdam Attack (6.f4 e5 7.Nf3 Nbd7)
6.f4 prepares e4-e5 and a kingside attack. Black answers with 6...e5 7.Nf3 Nbd7, develops and castles, then trades with ...exf4 to get the e5 square and put pressure on e4 with ...Nc5 and ...Bg4.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 e5 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.a4 Be7 9.Bd3 O-O 10.O-O exf4 11.Kh1 Nc5 12.Bxf4 Bg4
Move by move
- 1.e4 – White occupies the center with the king's pawn, controls d5 and f5 and frees the queen and the f1-bishop. This is the move we answer with the Sicilian.
- 1...c5 – The Sicilian Defense: Black controls d4 with a flank pawn instead of occupying the center. If White plays d4, Black will trade c5 for d4 and have two central pawns against one and the half-open c-file.
- 2.Nf3 – White develops the knight toward the center and prepares d2-d4 to open the game: it is the road to the Open Sicilian, the most ambitious try against us.
- 2...d6 – Black controls e5, opens the diagonal for the c8-bishop and prepares ...Nf6: after 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 the e4-pawn will be attacked right away. It is the basis of the Najdorf and the Dragon.
- 3.d4 – White opens the center: it offers the d4 pawn trade against c5 to develop quickly and use the lead in development in an open position.
- 3...cxd4 – Black trades at once: it removes White's d-pawn, keeps two central pawns (d6 and e7) against one and opens the c-file for rook and queen.
- 4.Nxd4 – White recaptures with the knight, which dominates the center from d4. In exchange for faster development it has conceded the central majority to Black.
- 4...Nf6 – Black develops with tempo by attacking e4. White has to defend it with 5.Nc3 and loses the chance to play c2-c4, which would give the solid Maróczy structure.
- 5.Nc3 – White defends e4 by developing a piece: it is the basic position of the Open Sicilian, from which the Najdorf, Dragon, Scheveningen and Classical arise.
- 5...a6 – The Najdorf: ...a6 takes the b5 square away from White's knights and bishop and prepares ...b5 or ...e5. Black waits to see White's plan before choosing the central structure.
- 6.f4 – The Amsterdam Attack: White controls e5 and threatens e4-e5 against the f6-knight. It also prepares Qf3 and the f4-f5 push.
- 6...e5 – Black attacks the d4-knight and the f4-pawn at once: it contests the e5 square before White can push e4-e5.
- 7.Nf3 – The knight retreats to f3, where it defends e5 against the push and the f4-pawn against possible captures. From here White can play fxe5 or Bd3 and O-O.
- 7...Nbd7 – The knight defends e5 without blocking the c8-bishop, which stays ready to go out to g4 or b7. Black postpones the choice between ...exf4 and ...Qc7.
- 8.a4 – White prevents ...b5, which would give Black space on the queenside. In exchange it weakens the b4 square.
- 8...Be7 – Black develops the bishop and prepares to castle short. The bishop on e7 defends d6 along the diagonal and covers the g5 square.
- 9.Bd3 – The bishop defends e4 and prepares O-O. From d3 it aims toward h7 for a future attack on the kingside.
- 9...O-O – Black castles and puts the rook on the f-file. Now it can decide whether to trade with ...exf4 to get the e5 square or keep the tension.
- 10.O-O – White castles and supports the f4-pawn with the rook: if Black trades on f4, the f-file will open for the white rook.
- 10...exf4 – Black trades on f4 and gets the e5 square for its knights. White's c1-bishop will have to spend a move to retake the pawn.
- 11.Kh1 – The king steps off the a7-g1 diagonal before recapturing on f4: that way it avoids the ...Qb6+ check and the tactics on that diagonal.
- 11...Nc5 – The knight attacks the d3-bishop and the e4-pawn. Black threatens ...Nxd3 to take the bishop pair.
- 12.Bxf4 – White recaptures the pawn with development: the bishop on f4 eyes the d6-pawn and the e5 square.
- 12...Bg4 – The bishop develops, pinning the f3-knight to the d1-queen. Black prepares ...Bxf3 to eliminate the knight that controls e5 and d4, while the e4-pawn stays attacked by the two black knights.
How to exploit the position
Black has active development and pressure on the e4-pawn, attacked by two knights. White has the bishop pair and the half-open f-file; the d6-pawn is backward but well defended.
- Consider ...Bxf3: it eliminates the knight that controls e5 and d4, and the e4-pawn stays under fire from the f6- and c5-knights.
- Play ...Nxd3 if White allows it, to eliminate the bishop that defends e4 and eyes your king.
- Use the e-file with ...Re8 and ...Bf8: the e4-pawn becomes a fixed target.
- With ...Qb6 you attack the b2-pawn, which no white piece defends.
Master tips
The e5 square and the e4-pawn
After ...exf4 and Bxf4, the e5 square is available to the black pieces and the e4-pawn is a target.