Sicilian DefenceB20 – B99
1…c5 is not a defence at all. Black declines to mirror White's centre and instead trades the c-pawn for the d-pawn, which leaves an open c-file, a queenside pawn majority and an unbalanced position where a draw is the least likely result. The Najdorf's 5…a6 looks like the quietest move in the opening and is the sharpest: it takes b5 from White's pieces, prepares …e5 without allowing Bb5+, and keeps …e6 and …Bg4 in reserve. What you give up is time — six of Black's first ten moves are pawn moves — and the compensation is that White's most natural attacking set-ups all run into …b5, …Bb7 and a counter-attack down the c-file that arrives first. Two things to hold on to when the position gets frightening: the c-file is yours, and the pawn on e4 is a target, not a battering ram.
Played by
- Garry Kasparov — the Najdorf was his main defence to 1.e4 for his entire career at the top
- Bobby Fischer — played the Najdorf as Black in nearly every 1.e4 game that mattered, including the 1972 title match
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave — the leading Najdorf specialist of the 2010s, who played little else against 1.e4
Model game
Karjakin – Anand, Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2006
Next: e4
