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Sicilian: Najdorf Variation

5...a6 keeps White's pieces off b5 and prepares ...e5 and ...b5. The fighting choice of Fischer and Kasparov. Here White plays the sharp English Attack with castling on opposite sides.

Advanced · Sicilian Defence · 21 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Sicilian: Najdorf Variation (B90). You play Black. 5...a6 keeps White's pieces off b5 and prepares ...e5 and ...b5. The fighting choice of Fischer and Kasparov. Here White plays the sharp English Attack with castling on opposite sides.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...c5

Black plays pawn to c5. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 45% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 78% of 797k games.

Step 5

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 41% of 634k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 76% of 262k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...cxd4

Black plays pawn takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 201k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Nxd4

White plays knight takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 94% of 191k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 180k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 97% of 177k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...a6

Black plays pawn to a6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 62% of 183k games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Be3

White plays bishop to e3. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 23% of 116k games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It attacks the knight on d4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 27k games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Nb3

White plays knight to b3. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 73% of 16k games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...Be6

Black plays bishop to e6. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 72% of 12k games.

Step 16

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.f3

White plays pawn to f3. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 54% of 8368 games.

Step 17

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8...Be7

Black plays bishop to e7. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 40% of 7753 games.

Step 18

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 9.Qd2

White plays queen to d2. It controls the centre (d4, d5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 97% of 5157 games.

Step 19

♜︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 9...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 61% of 5609 games.

Step 20

♜︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 10.O-O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 95% of 3554 games.

Step 21

♜︎♝︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Sicilian: Najdorf Variation. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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