Sicilian Defense

7. Najdorf: Fianchetto System 6.g3

6.g3 avoids the big complications: White fianchettoes the bishop to control d5 and castles short. Black answers with ...e5, ...Be7, ...O-O and ...b5, gaining space on the queenside.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.g3 e5 7.Nde2 Be7 8.Bg2 O-O 9.O-O b5

Move by move

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 6.g3 – White prepares the fianchetto with Bg2: it reinforces e4, controls d5 and looks for a positional game instead of the battle with opposite-side castling.
  12. 6...e5 – Black kicks the d4-knight away and takes space in the center: with White's bishop on g2 the d5 square will be contested, but ...e5 gives Black control of d4 and f4.
  13. 7.Nde2 – The knight goes to e2 so as not to block the g2-bishop and to be able to return to c3 or go to f4 or g3. It is the most used retreat with the fianchetto.
  14. 7...Be7 – Black develops the bishop and prepares to castle short. From e7 the bishop defends d6 and covers the kingside.
  15. 8.Bg2 – The bishop completes the fianchetto: it supports e4, controls d5 and prepares to castle short.
  16. 8...O-O – Black castles before opening the game: with the king safe it can push ...b5 and organize counterplay on the queenside.
  17. 9.O-O – White castles: both kings are on the same side, so the game will be more positional, with the fight around d5.
  18. 9...b5 – Black gains space on the queenside and prepares ...Bb7, which will attack e4, and ...b4 to kick the c3-knight.

How to exploit the position

A balanced position with the kings on the same side: Black has space on the queenside and an easy game, White controls d5 with bishop and knight.

Master tips

The trade on d5

White wants a knight on d5, supported by the g2-bishop and the e4-pawn.

Model games