1. Najdorf: English Attack (6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6)
The English Attack is the most popular system against the Najdorf. White plays Be3, f3, Qd2 and O-O-O and attacks with g4-g5; Black answers with ...e5, ...Be6 and ...b5-b4. Whoever opens lines toward the enemy king first wins.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7 9.Qd2 O-O 10.O-O-O Nbd7 11.g4 b5
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.Be3 – The English Attack: the bishop goes to e3 and White prepares f3, Qd2, O-O-O and the g4-g5 push against the f6-knight.
- 6...e5 – Black kicks the d4-knight away and takes space in the center. It accepts the hole on d5 and the backward d6-pawn, but will control them with ...Be6 and ...Nbd7.
- 7.Nb3 – The knight retreats to b3, where it does not block the f-pawn and watches d4 and c5. Retreats such as Nf3 or Nde2 would let Black attack while losing less time.
- 7...Be6 – The bishop on e6 controls d5, the key square of the ...e5 structure, and prepares ...d5 to free the game. If White does not play f3, Black can also kick the e3-bishop with ...Ng4.
- 8.f3 – White protects e4 and g4, takes the g4 square away from Black and prepares Qd2, O-O-O and g4-g5 to kick the f6-knight that controls d5.
- 8...Be7 – Black completes the development of the kingside and prepares to castle short: in this structure the bishop on e7 defends d6 and the g5 square.
- 9.Qd2 – The queen connects the rooks and stands behind the e3-bishop: White prepares long castling and, in some lines, Bh6 to trade Black's bishop.
- 9...O-O – Black puts the king in safety before White's pawns advance in the center. White will castle on the other side: the race between two attacks begins.
- 10.O-O-O – Opposite-side castling: the white king goes to c1 and the rook on d1 presses on the d6-pawn. Now both sides will push pawns against the enemy king.
- 10...Nbd7 – The knight supports e5 and f6, prepares ...Nb6 toward a4 or c4 and leaves the a8-rook free to go to c8.
- 11.g4 – White threatens g4-g5, which would kick the f6-knight away and weaken Black's control of d5. It is the starting signal of the kingside attack.
- 11...b5 – Black answers with its own attack: ...b4 will kick the c3-knight, which defends e4 and d5. After g4-g5 the f6-knight will be able to retreat to h5 or e8.
How to exploit the position
A dynamic, balanced position with opposite-side castling: White attacks on the kingside with g4-g5, Black on the queenside with ...b4. Time matters more than material.
- Answer 12.g5 with 12...b4: if 13.gxf6 bxc3 Black opens the b-file and attacks b2; if 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd5 the f6-knight retreats to e8 or h5 and the d5 square is no longer a problem.
- Bring rooks and queen to the open files: ...Rc8, ...Qc7 and ...Nb6, with the exchange sacrifice ...Rxc3 as a recurring theme against b2.
- Push ...a5-a4 to kick the b3-knight and open the queenside further.
- If White slows down, free your game with ...d5: it eliminates the backward d6-pawn and activates bishops and knights.
Master tips
Don't lose time
With opposite-side castling every move counts: ...b5, ...b4, ...a5 and ...Rc8 must be played without hesitation.