Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation
Chess opening / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Najdorf Variation[1] (/ˈnaɪdɔːrf/ NY-dorf) of the Sicilian Defence is one of the most popular, reputable, and deeply studied of all chess openings.[2][3] Modern Chess Openings calls it the "Cadillac" or "Rolls-Royce" of chess openings.[4] The opening is named after the Polish-Argentine grandmaster Miguel Najdorf, although he was not the first strong player to play the variation.[5] Many players have relied on the Najdorf (notably Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov, although Kasparov would often transpose into a Scheveningen).[6]
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Moves | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ECO | B90–B99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Named after | Miguel Najdorf | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parent | Open Sicilian |
The Najdorf begins:
Black's 5...a6 aims to deny the b5-square to White's knights and light-square bishop while maintaining flexible development. If Black plays 5...e5?! immediately, then after 6.Bb5+! Bd7 (or 6...Nbd7 7.Nf5) 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 (or Qxd7) 8.Nf5, the knight on f5 is difficult to dislodge without concessions.[5] Games in the Najdorf frequently feature opposite-side castling, where White castles long and both sides launch simultaneous attacks on their opponents' kings.[7]
Black usually plans a queenside minority attack to pressure White's e4-pawn. This is often carried out by means of ...b5, ...Bb7, and placing a knight on d5, or c4 via b6.