Winning with the Najdorf Sicilian
Zaven Andriasyan
Winning with the Najdorf Sicilian
An Uncompromising Repertoire for Black
New In Chess 20 1 3
© 2013 New In Chess
Published by New In Chess , Alkmaar, The Netherlands
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ISBN: 978-90-5 691-429-5
Contents
Preface by Levon Aronian.. ..... .............................. 8
Introduction by the Author...................... . . ........... . 9
Part I
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13
Chapter 1 -The Poisoned Pawn with 8.�d2 ..................... 14
Chapter 2 -The Poisoned Pawn with 8.�d3 ..................... 40
Chapter 3 -The Poisoned Pawn with 8.tt:'ib3 ..................... 65
Part II
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Chapter 4 - White Retreats the Bishop to b3 .....................
Chapter5 - 6.�c4 e6
7.0-0
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White Castles Kingside .............. 8 2
Chapter 6 - 6.�c4 e6 - White Alternatives on Move 7............. 112
Part III ................................................... 11 9
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Chapter
7
- 6.�e3 eS: Knight goes to f3 ....................... 120
Chapter 8 - 6.�e3 eS: Knight goes to b3 ....................... 140
Part IV .................................................... 165
Chapter 9 -The Positional 6.�e2............................. 16 6
Chapter 10 - The Aggressive 6.f4............................. 18 0
Chapter 11 - Occupying the Flank: 6.a4........................ 192
Chapter 12 -The Fianchetto 6.g3 ............................ 198
Chapter 1 3 -The Poisonous 6.h3...... ...... .. .... ........... 20 9
Chapter 14 - Exercises ........ ................. . .. ......... 221
Solutions..................................... 23 1
Explanation of Symbols .................................... 242
General Conclusion ....................................... 243
Index of Variations....................... . ................ 245
Index of Players .. .. .. .. . .. ... . .
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Biography of the Author. .... . .. ............ ..
Bibliography .. .. .... .. ....... .... .... . .
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Preface by Levon Aronian
Honestly speaking, I rarely buy opening books. Most of them seem like diet pills,
with promises of a wonderful cure to an array of problems by using shortcut meth­
ods. We know where that all leads. In the few cases when I actively pursue a chess
book is when I respect the author and in particular, when the author is a fellow
professional.
My relationship with Zaven is personal,
we played for the same club 'Mika' for
three years, and we have trained together
on various occasions. I have also watched
his progress from a young, promising
player, with very little knowledge about
openings, to a grandmaster that has devel­
oped quality opening knowledge and novel
ideas (some of which I have used in some
of my own games) .
What I feel is essential in a good book is
honesty and a truly personal approach to
the assessment and evaluation of positions.
This book clearly displays those values. I
think that with the amount of Zaven's work and depth of knowledge shown in cer­
tain variations, this book will be very useful to players who would not only like to
start playing the Najdorf with black but who also endeavour to acquire a deeper
understanding of the most topical lines. I for one, might start thinking about read­
ing it myself!
Levon Aronian
April 20 1 3
7
Introduction by the Author
Dear chess friends,
This book is devoted to an analysis of the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defence.
In my opinion the Najdorf can be considered not merely a variation, but a unique
defence in itself, because the possibilities and variations are so many from both
sides that the Najdorf itself is even larger than some other defences.
Although the book is written for players who want to learn to play the Najdorf
and also for amateurs who would like to learn some new information and interest­
ing traps in the line, this does not mean that the book is of no interest to strong
players, as many useful pieces of advice can be found for them. Strong players will
also appreciate the deep and correct analysis of sharp positions and the fresh and
human look at the positional lines, plus the new comments on these types of posi­
tions. Although the Najdorf is considered to be only a sharp and tactical variation,
there are also a lot of positional nuances and sacrifices of the positional type, such
as the typical exchange sacrifice . . . ld'.xc3 for Black.
I decided to write this book as the Najdorf is my favourite variation and I have been
playing it for many years, with both colours. In recent years, when looking at books
about chess openings, the idea came to my mind to write a book in a different way,
one which will be more practical, and will include some novelties and a fresh look
at the positions.
It was also strange for me that although Armenia is one of the leading chess
countries in the world, and our players and our national team are regularly on top,
there is no chess opening book written by any of our players. This can be explained
by the fact that our players don't like remembering variations and studying open­
ings, but prefer to improvise over the board. Our chess literature only consists of
several books about chess problems and endgame studies.
Before starting to play the Najdorf, I was playing the Dragon Sicilian, but at that
time Black was facing serious problems in that opening, and I was regularly getting
bad positions. It was becoming very difficult for me, every time I had to play the
Dragon, as I tended to be in a very bad mood before the game. Then I realized that I
should play a more correct and also more dynamic variation, which suited my
style, and watching games of Kasparov, who was playing brilliantly at that time (the
end of the 1 990s) , I started to learn the Najdorf and to play it. It became my main
weapon. Now there are no tournaments where I don't use it, and with its help, I
have won many important games. Indeed, it is amusing and perhaps logical, that I
like to play in the Najdorf Memorial tournament, which is held every year in War­
saw.
9
Winning wi th t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
Miguel Najdorf was a Polish grandmaster
who ended up in Argentina in 1 9 3 9 at the
beginning of World War II and became a
successful businessman, a world-class
grandmaster, and a colourful figure in the
chess world. In the late 1 9 3 Os, he was one
of the first to experiment with the move
S . . . a6, which has the intention of prepar­
ing the central thrust . . . e7 -eS . Since the
1 9 S Os the variation has been associated
with his name.
The Najdorf Variation has helped me on
Miguel Najdorf
various occasions.
One of the most important games of my
life, where I played the Najdorf, was the 9th
round of the World Junior Championship, when I needed to draw as Black to take
my first grandmaster norm. I managed it, and after getting my GM norm, and com­
pleting the goal which I had set for myself before the tournament, I thereafter felt
free and played with relief.
One of the most important victories of my career was the winning of the Rus­
sian Cup in Belgorod 2 0 1 0 . Throughout this tournament I won several important
games with the help of my favourite Najdorf.
The book is written as a repertoire for Black, and covers all variations for White.
The main idea of the book is that in all variations, Black tries to use a novelty first,
to deviate from the main lines and surprise the opponent right from the beginning
of the game, so as to make him feel uncomfortable.
The book consists of 1 3 chapters, grouped into 4 parts, and I have tried to ana­
lyse all possible main moves which are played by White, and all possible strong an­
swers to these moves for Black. Even the moves which are played rarely by White
and are not considered to be good ones, are covered here. This has been done for
two main reasons: first to show the contrast with the good move which is shown in
the book, and secondly, because the so-called 'secondary moves' are the ones pre­
ferred by some players, who like the positions which are created after these lines.
However, the secondary lines are not given as much space as main lines such as
6.�gS , 6 .�c4 and 6.�e3 , which are played most often and preferred by the elite
players, and where there are a lot of interesting games.
In this book, another interesting move is covered in detail, namely 6 .h3 , which
is becoming more and more popular nowadays. The advantages of this rather
strange move are explained in the book.
My approach in this book is that Black's main idea is to play . . . e7 -eS . The reason
why Black plays S . . . a6 in the first place is that the immediate S . . . es runs into the
IO
In tro du c t i on b y t h e A u t h o r
annoying 6 .�b S + . But after 6 .�gS and 6.�c4, Black has to change his plans, as we
will see in Part I and II.
While looking at the database and the games that have been played in recent years
(after 2006) , we see that the most common move for White was 6 . ..te3 . The rea­
son for this (and the reason that your author also prefers this move) is this : in my
opinion, 6 .�e3 is preferable because Black then has three main answers, and to all
these three replies, White has many possibilities to continue the game, both posi­
tional and tactical, so all kinds of players can play this move. That is the reason why
it is played so widely.
The second most common move is 6 . .1gs . This is one of the oldest moves and it
used to be regarded as causing the most trouble to Black. However, in recent years,
with the help of strong computers Black has managed to solve his problems, as you
will see in the relevant chapters of the book.
As noted above, the move 6 .h3 is becoming trendy. When we look at the games
which are being played all over the world each week, we see that 6 .h3 is being
played more and more by strong players.
At the end of the book, you can find a series of exercises, which are very important
to solve, but only after reading and understanding the main points of the book. The
exercises are in relation to the main ideas of the Najdorf. If you wish to check how
well you have mastered the book, these exercises will be very useful.
Those chess players who do not know the Najdorfbut wish to play it, after studying
this book in detail and looking at the games in the database, will be able to play the
Najdorf with black without any doubts, and be sure that they will not be in danger
of falling into any traps; indeed, with the help of the book, the white opponent will
be trapped first!
For playing the Najdorf well, another useful piece of advice, which I followed
during my studies, is to analyse the games of chess king Garry Kasparov, not with
the help of the computer, but by just putting the position on the board and, maybe
with a sparring partner, analysing the games. The important thing is not to try to
remember the moves, but to understand why this or that certain move was played,
and to try to understand the ideas that Kasparov implements.
I would like to thank all the New In Chess staff, especially Peter Boel, who helped
me with very good and useful advice and also with the work that he did on editing
the book, and also Mr. Allard Hoogland, who believed in me and supported me in
writing of the book.
I must also express my great gratitude to my friend Levon Aronian, for his inter­
esting preface to the book.
Zaven Andriasyan
April 20 1 3
11
Part I
White plays 6.�g5
In the following three chapters, we will look at 6 .�gS , the most aggressive reply to
the Najdorf Variation. This is the oldest and most poisonous move. Black has a mass
of possibilities, and in most cases they lead to very sharp positions, with chances
for both sides. In this book, we will look at the most principled and in my opinion,
the strongest continuation for Black: 6 . . . e6 7 .f4 'i¥b6 - the glorious Poisoned Pawn
Variation.
In my opinion, after all the other standard continuations available to Black (nota­
bly 7 . . . it..e 7 , Polugaevsky's 7 . . . bS , 7 . . . tll b d7 , 7 . . . 'i¥c7 , 7 . . . h6 and one move earlier
6 . . . tll b d7 ) , White has ways to obtain an advantage, or else Black obtains a position
which is perhaps not bad, but is very dangerous, and involves him in some difficul­
ties.
The strong side of the move 7 . . . 'i¥b6 is that play assumes a concrete character, and
if the black player knows the theory very well, and has in reserve some of his own
ideas, then even against a strong opponent he will feel very comfortable.
The line 7 . . . °iVb6 first became popular in the 1 9 60s, especially after it was used
several times by Bobby Fischer, who was always happy to grab pawns. Later, his ex­
ample was followed by the other immortal practitioner of the Najdorf Variation,
Garry Kasparov. One can also not overlook the contribution to this variation made
by the former world champion Mikhail Tal, who played many theoretically impor­
tant games on both sides of the position.
After 7 . . . �b6 , White has two main continuations: 8 .°iVd2 and 8 .'tik'd3 . Here
White can also play the move 8 .tll b 3 , which is not the most principled and does
not allow him to fight for an opening advantage. However, the move has its pluses:
it avoids forcing variations and permits a long and complicated struggle, where the
chances of the two sides are about equal.
13
Winning w i t h the Naj dorf S i c i l i a n
Chapter 1
The Poisoned Pawn with 8. 'iYd2
1.e4 c5 2.4Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.4Jxd4 4Jf6 5.4Jc3 a6 6.itg5 e6 7.f4
'i¥b6 8.'i¥d2
In this chapter we will look at 8 .'t!iYd2 . After this, Black takes on b2, White plays
9 . .l:!.b l and Black plays the only move 9 . . .'t!iYa3 . Here White has two main continua­
tions: the old move 1 0 .fS , after which a forced draw results, or 1 0 .eS, when we
reach a very sharp position, with mutual chances.
We will look at the second possibility in the next chapter. In Chapter 3 we will
take a closer look at the cautious 8 . tll b3 .
1 .e4 c5 2.tllf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.tll xd4 tllf6 5.tllc3 a6 6.�g5 e6
7.f4 'ii' b 6 8.'ifd2
The old move, which is probably the
most dangerous for Black, although in
recent times, many have played 8. 'it'd3 .
The position is always very sharp and
interesting, basically dynamically equal,
but both sides must know it well and be
prepared for unexpected surprises.
8...'ifxb2 9.I:l'.b1
Here White has an important alterna­
tive in 9.tllb 3 . This variation has never
14
been very popular, although i t was fa­
mously used by Spassky against Fischer,
and also by Short in his match against
Kasparov. However, they did not find
many followers, which is understand­
able when one looks at the position.
Black has a number of ways to repulse
the white threats to trap the enemy
queen. White starts by shutting off the
retreat down the b-file, and introduces
the threat of 1O .a3 , hence the reply
9 'iVa3 .
This is my preference. In the oldest re­
corded game of the Poisoned Pawn,
Nezhmetdinov-VScherbakov,
Riga
•••
Chapter
1
-
T h e P o i s on e d Pawn wi th 8. \W d 2
1 8 ..l he5 tll x e4 1 9 .�xf7 + with
equality, Tal-Zaid, Moscow 1 9 7 3 .
1 7 ...tll f6 1 8.tllxf6+ �xf6 1 9.�xf6 gxf6
20.'i¥xf6 �gS=F 2 1 .�h7 �e 7 !
2 2.'ti'xe7 + �xe7 2 3 .�xgS ]lfs
24.�xf7 �xf7 Black is slightly better, as
he has the superior pawn structure and
rook and bishop tend to be better in the
ending than rook and knight;
B) 1 O.�xf6 gxf6 1 1 .�e2 tllc 6 1 2 .0-0
Boris Spassky
1 9 5 4, Black chose 9 . . . tll c 6 , intending
1 0 .a3 tll a 5 . White continued 1 0 .�d3
(1 O .�xf6 gxf6 1 1 .tll a4 'iVa3 1 2 .tll b 6
�b8 1 3 .tll c4 'lWa4 unclear) 1 O . . . d5
(1 O . . . 'i¥a3) 1 l .]lxf6 gxf6 1 2 .tll a4 'iVa3
1 3 .tll b 6 tll d 4? when the surprising
1 4.�b l ! 'iVxa2 1 5 .c3 would have won
material. 1 3 . . . d4 1 4.0-0 Jd.b8 was the
right way to progress.
A) 1 0.]ld3 �e7 1 1 .0-0 h6 1 2.�xf6
1 2 .�h4?! tllxe4 1 3 .tll xe4 ]lxh4 1 4.f5
exf5 1 5 .�b5+ axb5 1 6.tllx d6+ �f8
1 7 . tll x c8 tll c 6 + , Spas sky-Fischer, 7th
match game, Reykjavik Wch 1 9 7 2 .
1 2 ...�xf6 1 3 .eS dxeS 1 4.tll e4 tlld 7
l 4 . . . �e7 ! ? 1 5 .tllxf6+ 'lWxf6 1 6.�ae l
exf4 1 7 . Jd.xf4 and for his two pawns,
White has a strong attack, which com­
pensates for the material deficit. 1 S.fS
exfS 1 6.�xfS �e7 1 7.'iVf2 1 7 .]lc4 tll f6
Here Black has a choice of three main
continuations, all of which are OK and
lead to the same sort of position, where
he has no special problems, but where
White's compensation for the pawn
gives him chances to equalise:
B 1 ) 1 2...�g7 1 3.�f3 0-0
1 4.�afl 1 4. � h l f5 ! (in case of
1 4 . . . �d8 ? ! 1 5 .�g3 White has a strong
attack, because Black has not played
. . .f6-f5 , opening the long diagonal and
so obtaining counterplay : 1 5 . . . d5
1 6 . exd5 f5 1 7 . �d 1--+ Kasimdzhanov­
Polgar, Moscow 2002) 1 5 .exf5 exf5
15
Winn i n g w i t h the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
1 6 .!iafl 0i e 7 - Black has n o problems
and can fight for the advantage himself:
1 7 .0id5 0ixd5 l 8.'i¥xd5 �e6 l 9 .'i¥xb7
'i¥xa2 2 0 .lig3 Wh8+ Gheorghiu­
Quinteros, Cleveland 1 9 7 5 . 14 ...f5 ! Al­
though it spoils the black pawn struc­
ture, this strong move gives him good
counterplay, after which he has no need
to fear the white attack. 1 5.exf5 exf5
1 6 . .l:!.g3 'ltih8 1 7 .tlld5 .ie6 1 8 ..l:!.xg7
'ltixg7 1 9. 'iY c3 + f6 2 0 .tll c 7 .ixb3
2 1 .axb 3 't\Yc5 + 22.'iYxc5 dxc5 23.tllxa8
.l:!.xa8 24..if3 .l:!.d8 25.�xc6 bxc6=
Volokitin-Areschenko, Eilat tt 2 0 1 2 ;
B2) 1 2 ... hS 1 3.Ci:ib l °iVb4?! 1 3 . . . °iVa4!
1 4.°iVe3 0ib4 1 5 .nc l °iVd7 1 6.0i l d2�.
1 4.°iVe3 ! Here, however, Black has some
problems, because the queen stands
badly on b4, depriving the knight of
that square, from where it would attack
the c2-pawn, and open a path back for
the queen. 1 4 ... d5 1 5 .exd5 0i e 7
1 6.tllc 3 0if5 1 7.1\Vd3 1!Yb6+ 1 8 . .l:!.£'2
'i¥ e 3 ? ! l 8 . . . �d6oo . 1 9.0ie4 'tl¥xd3
20 ..ixd3 11..e 7 2 1 ..l:!.el 'ltif8 22.dxe6
11..x e6 2 3 .tll e c5 ;!; Mecking-Tal, Las
Palmas 1 9 7 5 ;
B3) 1 2 ....id7 and now:
B3 l ) After 1 3 . .l:!.f3 .l:!.c8 1 4. .l:!.dl h5
1 5.'ltihl h4 l 6.e5 f5 ( l 6 . . .fxe5 ! 1 7 .0ie4
'i¥b4:f) 1 7.exd6 the game has a dou­
ble-edged character, where the chances
are equal : 1 7 ... 11.. g 7 1 8 . .l:!.e3 'ltif8
16
1 9 .Ci:ibl 'i¥b4 20.c4 b 5 2 1 .cxb5 axb5
22 . .l:!.cl .l:!.d8 2 3 .tll c 5 �d4 24 . .l:!.b3
'il!Yxd2 25.tllx d7+ .l:!.xd7 26.0ixd2 .l::[xd6
27.�xb5 tlla5 28 . .l:!.d3 1/i-1/2 Azarov­
Giri, Rogaska Slatina 2 0 1 1 ;
B3 2) 1 3 .f5 ? ! h5 ! There is no reason
to allow the opponent to deprive us of
castling rights: 1 3 . . . 0ie5 ? ! 1 4.fxe6 fxe6
l 5 .�h5 + Wd8 1 6 . .l:!.ab l .l:!.c8 1 7 .0ie2
�e7 1 8 .0if4 Wc7 1 9 .�e2 Wb8 - an
interesting position, where the black
queen is unable to return home and
White has counterplay for the sacrificed
pawn. The evaluation is unclear,
Tal-Portisch, Biel izt 1 9 7 6. 1 4.fxe6 fxe6
1 5 . .l:!.xf6 o-o-o+ ;
B 3 3 ) 1 3 ..ih5 Not a terribly danger­
ous move. The idea is to bring the rook
to f3 and h 3 , and not allow Black to cas­
tle queenside. 1 3 ... .ig7 1 4. .l:!.f3 0-0
1 5 . .l:!.afl 0ia5 16 . .l:!.h3 tllxb3 1 7.axb3
.!:!.ac8:f although later on, the great at­
tacking genius managed to mate his op­
ponent, Tal-Platonov, Dubna 1 9 7 3 ;
B 3 4) 1 3 .tllb l 'i¥b4 1 4.1\Ye3 tll e 7
1 5.c3 1 5 . a 3 'i¥a4 l 6.f5 .l:!.c8 1 7 . .id3 e5
1 8 . 0i l d2 d5:f. 1 5 ... 'i¥a4 Black is
slightly better, as he has successfully
solved the issue of his queen, and re­
tained his extra pawn;
B 3 5 ) 1 3 .'ltihl
B3 5 1 ) 1 3 ... h5 1 4.Ci:ib l 1 4.Ci:id l .l:!.c8
1 5 . 0ie3 'i¥b4 (it was also possible to
prevent the knight coming to c4 with
C h ap t er
1 S . . . bS ! ?=F, when it is not clear how
White can continue the attack) 1 6 .c3
Vi'xe4 1 7 .1l.d3 �a4 1 8 . tll c4 .l:tc7
1 9 .tll b 6 �a3 . Now White decides to
take a risk and not repeat the position:
2 0 . .l:!ae 1 ? ! tll e 7 2 1 . tll c 4, but now this
exchange sacrifice 2 1 . . . .l::!.xc4! gives
Black the advantage: 2 2 .�xc4 h4=F
Short-Kasparov, 4th match game, London Wch 1 9 9 3 . 1 4...�b4 1 5.�e3 d5?
A strong move is 1 S . . . tll e 7 ! , freeing the
square c6 for his queen. The position
would then be unclear. 1 6.exd5--+ CfJe7
1 7.c4 CiJf5 1 8.°iVd3 ! t h4? 1 9.1l.g4±
Spassky-Fischer, 1 1 th match game,
Reykjavik Wch 1 9 7 2 ;
B 3 S 2 ) 1 3 ... .l:!.c8 and now:
B3 S 2 1 ) 1 4.tll d l is an attempt to
transfer the knight to c4, but I do not
like this idea: 1 4 ... 1l.g7 1 5.tll e 3 b5! Not
allowing the knight into c4 and solving
all his problems in the process;
B 3 S 22) 14.l:lf3 h5 ! A strong move,
which stops White playing l:!h3 , with
the idea of �hS , while Black himself
will play . . . hS -h4 and seize space.
1 5.l:tdl ke7 ;
B3 S 2 3 ) 1 4.l:tad l 1l.e 7 1 4 . . . �g 7 ?
l S .tll b l ! and the pawn on d6 is hang­
ing. 1 5.kh5 .l:!.g8! ? Black wants to put
his rook on g 7 , where it is wonderfully
placed, and will defend the pawns on f7
and h 7 . Or 1 S . . . l:rf8 1 6 . .l:!.f3 'it'd8 !
1 7 . .l:!.d3 l:tc7 1 8 .tll b 1
1
-
T h e P o i soned Pawn w i t h 8 . tWd 2
1 8 . . . Vi'a4 ( 1 8 . . . �b4! ? and Black even
has the choice of playing for a win)
1 9 . tll c 3 � a3 = Luther-Kir. Georgiev,
France tt 2 0 0 3 ;
B 3 S 24) 1 4.�h5 1l.g7 1 5.f5 But this is
another idea: Black is stopped from
playing . . . f6-fS , but now instead he ob­
tains the square es for his knight,
where it controls important squares and
helps the defence. After 1 S .l:If3 0-0, de­
spite the fact that White will attack the
king with all his pieces, real threats are
not to be seen, whilst Black is always
ready with the typical blows . . . e6-eS
and .. .f6-fS . The bishop on g 7 defends
all the weak squares on the kingside, for
example 1 6 . .l:i.afl 'it'h8 1 7 . .l:i.h3 tll e 7
1 8 .eS dS 1 9 .tll e4 dxe4 2 0 .�xd7 fs +
Kosteniuk-Karjakin, Cap d' Agde rapid
2 0 0 6 . 1 5 ... 0-0 1 6 . .l:!.f3 tll e 5 1 7 . .l:!.g3
Wh8 Black has the advantage, as he has
an extra pawn and two bishops, and al­
though White too has his plusses, his
attack is not easy to continue. For exam­
ple: 1 8 . .l:!.fl b5 1 9.tll e2 �xa2 20.tll ed4
20 ... �b2 ! ( 2 0 . . . tll c 4? 2 1 .�f4 es
2 2 .�g4 l:tg8 2 3 . 1l.xf7 1l.h6 24.�xg8+
1 -0 Kosteniuk-Grischuk, Moscow Wch
blitz 2009) and it is not obvious how
White should continue his attack. The
black knight is needed on eS , to defend
the important square g4. 2 1 .�e3 exf5
22.exf5 l:!.fes+.
17
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
Back to the main line 9 .l::r b 1 .
9 'ifa3
...
Here the paths diverge; White has a rich
choice, but there are many variations he
cannot play, because Black is very pre­
cisely prepared and knows how to re­
fute the white attack, so probably only
one move remains. This is:
1 0.e5
A) 1 0.�xf6 ! ? gxf6 1 1 .�e2 ( 1 1 .fS
.ih6 !) and now:
The position reached is very sharp;
White has sacrificed a pawn, but is
ahead in development. The idea of the
move .ie2 is to castle kingside quickly
and continue with f4-f5 , attacking the
light squares:
A 1) Black has no time to lose, and he
must develop his pieces. He also needs
to exchange a pair of minor pieces, to
18
reduce White's initiative. Black has one
other significant plus on his side - the
weakening of the dark squares in
White's camp. 1 1 ... ti:lc6 1 2.ti:lxc6 bxc6
1 3.0-0 'ifas 1 4.\tihl
Al 1 ) 14 ...dS This move looks aggres­
sive, but it is not. Its idea is simple:
Black needs to develop his dark-squared
bishop, because on e7 , it stands very
badly. And once . . . d6-d5 has been
played, the bishop has the diagonal
a3 -f8 , along which it can come into
play effectively.
A l 1 1 ) 1 5.exdS ! ? cxdS 1 6.fS �d6
White wants to open all lines, whilst
Black is still undeveloped and has not
managed to evacuate his king from the
centre. Here Black needs to develop his
bishop, and he has two main options: if
he could play . . . .ig 7 and castle, he
would be fine, but this is not possible,
because he comes under a strong attack,
for example 1 6 . . . .ig? ? ! 1 7 .�e l ! l::r a 7
1 8 .fxe6 fxe6 19 . .ihs + \tid8 2 0 .�g3
�cl 2 l .�e3;!;. For this reason, Black
puts the bishop on d6. 1 7.fxe6 Jl.xe6
Black seeks to consolidate his pieces.
White must not forget that Black has an
extra pawn and two very strong bish­
ops. 1 8.l::r xf6 Jl.es 1 9.�h6 'i¥xc3
20.l::r x e6 + fxe6 2 1 .1li'xe6+ @dS
22.Jl.g4 l:la7 23.�xdS + \tie7! Not
2 3 . . . \tie8 ?? 24 . .11.h s+ \tif8 2 5 .°ifd8+
C h apter 1
�g7 2 6 .'iWgS + @f8 (Shmuter-Timo­
shenko, Nikolaev zt 1 9 9 3 ) because of
2 7 .J::!'.fl + and White wins: Black must
give up the queen to avoid immediate
mate, but even then, the computer con­
firms that he will be mated in another
1 4 moves. . 24.l:i.fl �f6 2S.'iWe6+ @f8
26.l:i.xf6 + @g7 2 7.l:i.fl l:i.f8=;
A l 1 2) 1 5 .f5 �b4 1 6 .l:i.b3 dxe4 and
now:
Al 1 2 1 ) 1 7.°iYd4 �xc3 1 8.l:i.xc3 e5?
Here Black could have played 1 8 . . .'iWeS
and obtained an equal endgame with
1 9.'iWxeS + fxeS 2 0.f6 l:rb8=. Of course
Kortchnoi saw this, but knowing Viktor
Lvovich's uncompromising fighting
character, he understood the dangers of
1 8 . . .es , but remained true to himself and
went in for the complications: 1 9.'iWe3!
�d7 20.l:i.c5 'iWd8 2 1 .'iVxe4 0-0 22.l::txe5
�e6? Simply a blunder, after which he
loses at once; 22 . . .l:i.e8! . 23.fXe6 fXe5
24.exf7 + 1 -0 . After l:rf7 there follows
�c4. Minic-Kortchnoi, Rijeka tt 1 96 3 ;
A 1 1 2 2) White i s two pawns down
and a third is hanging, and he is
pinned, so radical measures are needed.
The following exchange sacrifice even
gives him chances of fighting for an ad­
vantage: 1 7 .l:rxb4 'iYxb4 1 8.a3 e3
1 9.'iYxe3 'iYxa3 20.fxe6 �xe6 2 1 .�f3
0 - 0 2 2 .�e4 l:r.ad8 2 3 .1\Yg3 + @h8
24.'iVh4 f5 25.1\Yf6+ @g8= .
-
T h e P o i s on e d Pawn w i t h 8 . �d2
A l 2) 1 4...�e7 Black wants t o com­
plete his development quickly and get
his king out of the centre. Now:
A 1 2 1 ) 1 5 .f5 h5 Black can exchange
e-pawns, and the computer considers
1 S . . . exfS to be OK, but quite frankly, I
do not like this idea, because I see no
reason to spoil the pawn structure and
open the e-file in front of the black
king. 1 6.�f3 @f8 1 6 . . . �d7 1 7 .l:i.b7 h4
1 8 .h3 . 1 7.l:i.b3 If we look at the posi­
tion after 1 7 .fxe6 �xe6, we can see that
Black has practically completed his de­
velopment and his king stands very well
on f8 . Later the queen can occupy the
excellent square eS and Black has an ex­
tra pawn, but he also has some weak­
nesses, which provide White with some
compensation. If 1 7 .. .fxe6 1 8 .eS ! is a
freeing pawn sacrifice, after which all
the white pieces come to life and
White's attack is very dangerous, for ex­
ample : 1 8 . . . dxeS 1 9 .�xc6 l::i. a 7
2 0 .1\Ygs fS 2 1 .�g6 'iWxc3 2 2 .l:!:b8 ; or
2 1 . . .l:i.c7 2 2 . tt:'ids exdS 2 3 .J::!. b 8 f4
.ld.h7
2 4.�e8
l:rxd 7
2 S .�d7
2 6.'iWxh7 + - . 1 7 ...h4 Black needs a
waiting move, which does not spoil his
position, and this move also has an­
other small plus - the pawn will not be
hanging on h4. Or 1 7 . . . �a7 1 8 . .l:i.b8
'iWc7 1 9.l:rfb l dS - with this move,
Black announces that he is not prepared
19
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
to wait passively and see how White
strengthens his position. He is also pre­
pared for sharp counterplay;
A l 22) 1 S . .ld.f3 hS 1 5 . . . .l:!.a7 1 6 .�e3
(if l 6 . .l::!.b 8 �c7 ; there is a simple chess
principle - if you are material up, ex­
change pieces) 1 6 . . . .ld.b7 ! ? 1 7 . .ld.xb7
�xb7 l 8 .�a7 �c8D. 1 6 . .ld.d3 .ld.a7
1 7.�e3 1 7 . .ld.b8 �c 7 . 1 7 ... J:!.b 7
1 8 . .ld.xb 7 �xb7 1 9.�a7 �c8 ;
A l 2 3 ) 1 S .�d3 0-0 1 6 . .b!.f3 @h8
1 7 . .ld.h3 fS l 8 .�f3 dS 1 9 .exfS exfS
2 0 .�xdS cxdS 2 l .�e2 �h4 2 2 .�hS
f6 2 3 .�xh4 .ld.a7 24 . .l:!.d l .I:l.g7 25 . .l:.xdS
�a3 26 . .ld.g3 .l:!.xg 3 + Hovhannisyan­
Ter Sahakyan, Lake Sevan 20 1 0 . Black
exploits the opponent's weak back rank.
A2) 1 1 ...�g7!?
John Nunn
20
Black decides first to develop his
kingside pieces, in order to be able to
castle if necessary, but he also has one
other strong idea, involving the pawn
sacrifice . . .f6-fS .
A2 1 ) 1 2.fs �h6 1 3 .�d3 �cs
1 4.fxe6 1 4.tt::l a 4? �as + . 14 ... fxe6
1 S.�g4 ( 1 5 .�b3 0-0)
Two games have been played here, both
with the move . . . l:rg8, which is bad for
Black - see the variations below. How­
ever, the natural move 1 5 . . . tt::lc 6
equalises:
A2 1 l ) 1 S ... .ilg8? 1 6.�xe6 .ld.xg2
1 7.�xc8
.ld. d2
1 8.�g3
�xd4
1 8 . . . .l:lxd4 1 9 .�e6±. 1 9.�g8+ �f8
20.tt::l e2 .ld.xe2+ 2 1 .@xe2+- White has
an extra exchange and a winning posi­
tion, and there is no perpetual to be
found for Black;
A2 1 2) 1 S ... tt::l c 6N This move and the
subsequent variation was analysed by
Nunn in his book The Complete Najdorf
6.�g5. But I have added to his analysis
the move 1 7 . . . . bS (see below) , a natu­
ral move that leads to equality. I ana­
lysed this position a lot on the board,
because it seemed to me that White had
a big advantage. But when I switched
on the computer, I was shocked at the
miraculous ease with which it held the
position. Despite all my efforts to show
an advantage for White, I was unable to
Chapter 1
do so. I should like also to commend
Nunn's magnificent work in his book,
which he wrote back in 1 9 9 6 . Check­
ing his variations today, I was surprised
how he managed to do such work with­
out the help of modern-day computers.
1 6.tt:Jxe6 �xe6 1 7.�xe6 bS Not
1 7 . . . tt:Jb4? 1 8 . .l:Ixb4! 'iYxb4 1 9 .0-0±
with great attack for White. Now:
A2 1 2 1 ) l S.tt:ldS ltJd4D 1 9 . .!d.b 3 ! ?
1 9 .'iYh3 tt:Jxc2+ 2 0 .Wdl ltJe3 + = ; and
1 9 .tt:Jxf6+ Wd8 2 0 .�b3 Ii.f8 2 1 .Ii.fl
Ii.c8 2 2 .c3 'iYxc3+ 2 3 .'iYxc3 .l:!.xc3
24.ltJdS .t!.xfl + 2 5 .Wxfl .i::!. c S = are
both equal. 1 9 ... tt:Jxe6 1 9 . . . ltJxb3
20 .axb 3 ;!; ; the move l 9 . . . b4 also leads
to equal chances, but it was better to re­
frain from 1 9 . . . tt:Jxe6, which leads to a
forced draw. 20.'iYh3 0-0!? Castling is
more solid and leads to a forced draw,
whilst with 20 . . . ltJf4, White remains a
pawn down but with excellent com­
pensation: 2 l .ltJxf4 �xf4 2 2 .'iYe6+
Wd8 2 3 .'tWxf6+ Wd7 24.'iYg 7 + We6
2 5 .'tWg4+ We7 2 6 .'tWxf4 .l:!.hf8
2 7 .'iYh4+ We8 is equal. 2 1 .'iYxh6 WhS
22.tt:Jxf6 l::ta 7 23.l:th3 'iWb4+ 24.We2
�c4+ 25.We l 'i¥b4+ 26.c3 'iVb l +
2 7.@f2 'i¥b2+ 2S.Wgl 'iYb l + and
Black keeps the perpetual;
A2 1 2 2) 1 S.'iYh3 �e3 1 9 .ltJe2 leads
to an interesting position with oppo­
site-coloured bishops, where both
-
T h e Po i s o n e d Pawn w i t h 8. � d 2
kings remain in the centre and cannot
castle. Chances are equal;
A2 1 2 3 ) 1 S.�b3! gives chances to
fight for the advantage, but by accurate
play, Black can hold: 1 S ... tt:Jd4 1 8 . . . .l::!.c 8
1 9 .tt:Jds ltJb4 2 0 . tt:Jxb4 'iix b4+
2 1 .We2 'iYc3 2 2 . a'.bfl We7 23 . .!d.fs ;t .
1 9 ..l:!.fl .!:!.cs 20.tt:Jds tt:Jxc2+ 2 1 .�xc2
'iYxc2 22.tt:Jxf6+ We7 2 3.ltJdS + @es
24.'i¥xc2 .l:!xc2 2S.a4 l::tf8 =.
All) With 1 2.0-0 White follows his
plan and completes his development,
and only then starts active operations:
1 2 ... fs 1 3.1:!'.fdl After 1 3 .Wh l 'iYcs
Black has a large advantage, and it is not
clear how White can avoid material
losses, Nakamura-Novikov, New York
2 00 1 ; 1 3 .exfS 'li'cS 1 4 . .l:!.bd l tt:Jc6; or
1 3 . �f3 'iY cS , when White has fallen
into a pin and his weak dark squares
tell. He cannot avoid material losses.
A22 l ) 1 3 ... tt:Jc6 1 4.tt:Jxc6D �xc3
1 4 . . . bxc6 1 5 . .l::!. b 3 'iYcS + 1 6.Wh l with
attack. There are no other moves which
maintain equality. l S .'iWe3D bxc6
1 5 . . . �b2 ! ?. 1 6 . .!d.b3D 'li'cs 1 7.�xcS
1 7 . .l:!.xc3 1lWxe3 + 1 8 . .!d:xe3 @d7
( 1 8 . . .fxe4 l 9 . .!d.xd6 We7 2 0 .l:!'.xc6 �d7
2 l . .l:i.a6 with a minimal advantage)
1 9 .exfS Wc7 . 1 7 ... dxcS 1 S . .l:!.xc3 fxe4
1 9.lhcS �d7 White is a pawn down,
but Black's pawns are weak and White
has enough compensation for a draw ;
21
Winning wi th t h e Naj d o rf S i c i lian
A2 2 2) 13 ...0-0 14.exfS 1 4.'it>h l fxe4.
1 4 ... exfs 1 5 .tt:Jds t2'ic6 1 5 . . . �cs .
1 6.t2'ixc6 1 6 .c3 ! ?. 1 6 ... bxc6 1 7.t2'ie7+
1 7 .t2'ib6 . 1 7 ... @h8
Here White has several continuations,
and a minimal advantage in all, but it is
practically impossible to win such op­
posite-coloured bishop positions:
A222 1 ) 1 8.�xd6 �xd6 l 8 . . . �e3 +
1 9 .'it>fl ; or l 8 . . . �xa2 ! ? . 1 9.ld.xd6 .2.e6
20.ld.b7 Visually, White's position looks
very attractive, but it is impossible to
obtain real advantages from it. 2 0 .c4
ld.fe8 2 1 . t2'ixc6 .2.f8 2 2 .ld.d2 .l::!. a c8
2 3 .tlJaS 1/2-1/2 Elent-Blanco Gramajo,
corr. 2004; 2 0 .�f3 �xa2 2 l .ld.b6 �ad8
2 2 . .l:!.xd8
.l:!:.xd8
2 3 . t2'ixc6
l::t a 8
Figlio-Korosec, corr. 1 99 9 . 20 ... .l:!:.fe8
2 1 .ld.xc6 ..if8 22.lkc7 �xa2= ;
A2 222) 1 8.t2'ixc6 i s the only way to
avoid a queen exchange and opposite
bishops, but now Black has no prob­
lems: 1 8 ... �cS+ 1 9.t2'id4 1 9 .'it>h l .2.e6 .
1 9 ... ld.e8 = ;
A 2 2 2 3 ) 1 8.t2'ixc8 ld.fxc8 l 9 . �xd6
�xa2 2 0 .�cS �e6 2 l .�d3 �d5 with
an absolutely equal position.
A23) 1 2.ld.b3 �as 1 3.fs o-o 1 4.0-0
This transposes to 1 3 .f5 . 14 ... t2'ic6
1 6 .�xd6
ld.a7
1 5 .tllx c6
bxc6
1 6 . . . exfS ! ?= . 1 7 . .2.d3 ld.d7 1 8.�g3 In
the event of l 8.�xc6 ld.c7 1 9 .�a4
�e5 Black has excellent compensation
22
for the sacrificed pawn. 18 ... .!ld4 1 9.a3
exfS 20.exf5 ld.e8 2 1 .t2'ie2 l:ta4
An unclear position, in which each side
has his pluses, but the position remains
roughly equal.
Now let us turn to the move 1 0 .f5 , with
which White begins an attack at once,
without first developing his pieces.
B) 1 0.fS
1 0 ...t2'ic6 1 1 .fxe6 This is the most accu­
rate move-order. If instead 1 1 . t2'ixc6
bxc6 l 2 .fxe6 , Black has l 2 . . . .2.xe6! and
after 1 3 .�e2 .2.e7 1 4.0-0 ( 1 4.ld.xb7
.2.d8) 1 4 . . . 0-0 he has achieved every­
thing - he has completed his develop­
ment, castled, and White cannot even
spoil his pawn structure. Black has the
advantage. 1 1 . . . fxe6 1 2.t2'ixc6 bxc6
B 1 ) 1 3 .es dxeS 1 3 . . . t2Jd5 1 4. t2'ixd5
1 4. cxd5 is extremely risky. 1 4..2.xf6 gxf6
Most Najdorf players have probably
analysed this position in detail at some
Chapter
time. Kasparov has shown how Black
should defend here, and to this day, his
line remains the correct one and has not
been shaken even by the all-powerful
computer.
B l 1 ) 1 5 .i.e2? 'i:Yd6 1 6.'i:Ye3 Not
1 6 .il.h5 + We7-+.
1 7.'i!Yf3 �b4
Bl 1 1 ) 1 6 ... 'i:Yd4!
1 8.'i:Yxc6+ l 8.ld.xb4? 'i:Yxb4 l 9 .�xc6+
We7 -+ . 1 8 ... We7 1 9.'i:Yxa8 �xc3+
20.Wfl l:td8 and Black is better;
B l 1 2) 1 6 ...'i:YcS ! ? This interesting
move was analysed by Nunn in his book.
1 7.'i:Yg3 il.e7 1 8.tlJe4 'i:Yxc2 and now:
B 1 1 2 1 ) 1 9 .il.d3 'i:Yxa2 20.0-0 l:tf8
20 . . . fS transposes into 2 0 . . . ld.f8 after
2 1 .Wh l ld.f8 . 2 1 .Whl fs 22 . .!:!.fdl fxe4
23.il.xe4 'i:Ya4 24.'i¥g4 l:!.f4D 25.'li'hs +
2 5 .'ii' g 8+ il.f8 2 6 . il.xh7 ld.d4 2 7 .ld.fl
l:!.f4= . 25 ... wfs 2 6 .'iYh6 + @es
2 7.'iYhS+=;
B 1 1 2 2 ) 1 9.tt:Jxf6 + il.xf6 2 0 .il.h5 +
'it>ds 2 1 .0-0 �d7 22.Whl
I
-
T h e P o i soned P a wn w i t h 8. \W d 2
A strange position, where White is a
piece and two pawns down, but Black
cannot coordinate his forces. Such posi­
tions should end in a draw. The silicon
monster says that almost all moves end
in a draw, so I will give just a sample
variation: 2 2 . . Jk8 2 3 .ld.bd l .!:If8D
24.�a3 ld.g8 2 5 .g3 'ife4+ 2 6.Wg l
il.e7 2 7 .�xe7 + Wxe7 2 8 . .i::i.f 7+ We8
2 9 .l:tg7+ Wf8 3 0 .ld.f7 + = .
B 1 2) 1 5 .tlJe4 As we have seen, 1 5 ..ie2
does not even give equalising chances.
The text suits the position better, as it pre­
vents the black queen from returning to
the centre, which is the key to White's
whole play in this line. Black has to be
very accurate, to avoid being mated. All
the moves are concrete: 1 5 ...'iYxa2 This
move arrived on the stage in the mid-sev­
enties. Kortchnoi's move 1 5 . . . �e7 ,
Black's main choice for many decades,
has almost become obsolete because of
1 6.il.e2 hS and now the surprising
1 7 .ld.fl ! , first played by Nurlan Ibraev in
2003 . 1 6.l:!.dl il.e7
B l 2 1 ) 1 7.�d3?! f5 1 8.0-0 0-00 Not
1 8 . . . fxe4? ? 1 9 . .ie2 'iYdS (or 1 9 . . . hS
2 0.'iYc3 �d7 2 1 .'iYxeS ld.h7 2 2 .�xhS +
Wd8 2 3 .'ii' d4 �a3 24.'ii'b 6+ Wc8
25 . .l:!.xd7 +-) when both 2 0 .'ii'h 6 and
2 0.'iYaS ! ! win for White. 1 9.'li'h6 If
1 9 . .l:!.f3 , it is possible to make a draw
with 1 9 . . .fxe4 2 0 Jhf8 + il.xf8
23
Winning wi t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
2 1 .�gS+ @h8 2 2 .�f6+ @g8 2 3 . .l::tf l
�a3 24.�£7 + @h8 2 S .�f6+=; or
2 S .itxe4 ..tcs + 2 6 .@h l .l::t a 7 2 7 .�e8+
@g7 2 8 .�hS @g8 . But with 19 . . . @h8 ,
Black can fight for a win: 2 0 .�h6 ..td7
2 1 ..l::t g 3 �f7 2 2 .tlJgS ..txgS 2 3 .�xgS
�as 24 . ..te2 �cs + 2 S .@fl �e7
2 6 .�d2 e4 27 . ..ths f4 2 8 . .l::t g S - Black
has defended well anti has a winning
position, on account of his three extra
pawns, Sophistry-PAKrnan, playchess.
com 2 0 0 6 . 1 9 ..J!f7 20.l:.i.£'3 itd7+
B 1 22) 1 7 ...te2 0-0 1 8.0-0
This position has been seen many
times. It has been played by Kasparov,
Anand, Gelfand and Karjakin. In most
cases, the games have ended in perpet­
ual check. It may all look simple, but
this is not the case, and Black needs to
know the concrete variations very well.
B l 2 2 1 ) 1 8 ... fS ? ! 1 9.l:.i.f3 1 9 .�h6
�xc2 2 0 . .l:i.d3 �xe2 2 1 . .l::t g 3 + 'it>f7
2 2 . .l::t xfS + exfS 2 3 . l:rg 7 + @e8
24.�xc6+ @d8 2 S .�b6+ = .
Here is a small example of how one can
lose most 'beautifully' : 1 9 ... fxe4?
B 1 2 2 1 1 ) 20 . .l::txf8+ Here Black saves
himself by a miracle: 20 ... @xf8 Not
20 . . . �xf8 ?? 2 1 .�g S + @h8 2 2 .�f6+
@g8 2 3 .iths l::i. a 7 2 4 . l:rfl itcs +
2 S .@h l +- . 2 1 .�h6+ @g8 22.ithS
�as 2 3.itf7+ @h8 24. ..tg6 itcs +
25.@hl .l::ta 7 26 ...txh7 l::rxh7 2 7.�f6+
l:.i.g7 28.l:.i.d8+ @h7 29.�h4+ @g6
30.�g4+ @f7 3 1 .�hS +=;
B 1 2 2 1 2) 20 . .l::tg 3+ Wh8 2 1 .�h6 l:.i.g8
22.l:.i.fl ! There was even one game here
where White was unable to calculate
the variation to the end, arid after mak­
ing a move which draws, then followed
up with one that loses: 2 2 . .l::tx g8+
Wxg8 2 3 .iths �as 24 . ..tf7 + Wh8
2 S . ..tg 6 ! (Danin-Antipov, Zalakaros
Open 2 0 1 1 , saw the losing 2 S .h3 ?)
2S . . . ..tcs + 2 6.Wh l l:i.a7 27 .�xh7 �e3
2 8 .�h4 .l:!.d7 2 9 .�fs + Wg7 3 0 .�h7+
Wf8 3 1 . �h8 + 'it>e7 3 2 .�h4 + = .
2 2 ...l:.i.a7
23.Whl ! .l::tb 7 24.l:tf7 l:.i.b l + 2s.itf1
l:.i.xfl + 26.l:.i.xfl 'i¥a5 2 7.h3 ! +- No
comment! ;
B 1 2 2 1 2) 1 9 ... f4!N It is strange that
this move has not been seen in practice,
since it is not obvious how White can
fight for an advantage after this. The
move closes the kingside and, most im­
portantly of all, takes control of the key
24
Chapter 1
square g3 : 20.�c3 t!.b8 2 1 .l:!.g3 +
2 1 ..!:f.h3 J::i.f7 2 2 .ti:Jd6 �xd6 2 3 .t!.xd6
�b l + 24 . .t:l.d l �b6+ 2 S .@h l �c7oo.
2 1 . . .fxg3 22.°iVxg3+ @h8 2 3.�xeS +
'itg8 24.�g3 + 2 4 . �xb8 �xc2
2 S .�g 3 + @h8 2 6.�eS+=. 24... 'ithS=
B 1 22 2 ) The most precise path to a
draw is 1 8 ... �a7! 1 9.�h6 1 9 . .l::!.f3 l::t d 7
20 . .!:f. g 3 + @h8 2 l .�h6 .t:l.xd l +
2 2 . .txd l .t:l.f7 2 3 .�hS 'i¥a5 24.'itfl
�d8 2 S .�xf7 �xd l + 2 6 .@f2 'iYxc2+
2 7 .'itf3 'iVd l + 2 8 .@f2 "liVc2 + = . This
position is known from the games
Vallejo Pons-Kasparov, Moscow 2 0 04,
and Azarov-Kasparov Izmir Ech-tt
2 004. Here Black has two drawing
lines, both equally good: 1 9 ... .i:td7 Or
1 9 . . . 'l!Hxc2 2 0 .tlJxf6+ .txf6 2 1 .l:lxf6
Wies + 2 2 .@h l .t:l.g7 2 3 .�c4 'l!He7
( 2 3 . . . 'lWxc4? ?
24 . .t:l.xf8 +
'itxf8
2 S .Wif6+ and mate) 24.l::f.xf8 + Wixf8
2 S .�xe 6+ �xe6 2 6 .'iVxe 6 + J:lf7
2 7 . .!:f.d7 e4 2 8 .l::!. c 7 with a draw after a
few more moves in R. Mamedov-Kir.
Georgiev, Dubai 2 0 0 S . 20 . .t:l.d3 .!::i.xd3
2 1 .�xd3 f5 22.tlJgS �xg5 2 3.�xgS +
'ith8 24.�e 7 l::t g 8 2 S .�f6 + l::t g 7
26.�xa6 .txa6 2 7 ..!:f.dl �d3
28.�d8+ l:!'.g8 29.°iVf6+ l:!'.g7=;
B2) 13 .te2 is an alternative intro­
duced in the mid-eigthies, because 1 3 .es
leads to a draw, whereas this is relatively
fresh: 1 3 .te7 1 4.0-0 0-0 1 S.l:!'.b3
•
•.•
-
The P o i s oned Pawn w i th 8 . \Wd2
�cs+ 1 6 ..te3 'iVes 1 7.�f4 �cs+
1 7 . . . tt:Jxe4?! 1 8.tlJxe4 'i¥xe4 1 9.Ld6
.tlxfl + 20.@xfl .if6 2 l .�f3 'lWc4+
2 2.°iWe2 �xe2+ 2 3 .@xe2;t. 1 8.'ithl
B2 l ) I prefer the move 1 8 ... tlJg4,
which accurately equalises and leads to
a draw after a sharp fight: 1 9.h3 es
20.tlJa4 �a7 2 1 .hxg4 exf4 22.�c4+
2 2 .ti:Jb6 .te6 2 3 .tlJxa8 �xb3 24.axb3
�xa8 25 . .l:la l = . 22 ... 'ith8 23.tlJb6 dS
24.exdS cxdS 2S ..ixdS .bi.b8 26.tlJxc8
l:!'.bxc8 27.l:th3 2 7 .l:!'.xf4 l:rxf4 2 8 .'i¥xf4
l:!'.f8 2 9 .'i¥e3 l:!'.fl + 3 0 .@h2 �c7 +
3 l . g 3 �xc2 +=. 2 7 ...'ifb6 28.c4 h6= ;
B 2 2 ) If Black cannot play for equality,
he has to choose 1 8 ... ds , after which
White will have an attack on the king
and full compensation for the sacrificed
pawn, but Black will have the chance to
defend and keep his extra pawn: 1 9.eS
tlJd7 1 9 . . . tlJe4 2 0. tlJxe4 dxe4 2 1 ..l:!.c3
(2 1 .c4 l:!'.f5 2 2 .�c2 g5 2 3 .l:!'.g3 @h8
24 . .tc l l::t.xfl + 25 .�xfl .td7 2 6.'i¥xe4
.tlf8 2 7 .i.d3 +- Palkovi-Magnusson,
Budapest 1 98 7) 2 1 . . .'i¥d5 2 2.�e3 c5
23 . .l:rdl 1/2-'12 Luther-Stratil, Uzhgorod
1 9 8 8 . 20.ti:Ja4 °iVa7 2 1 .�c3 2 1 .l:!.bf3 c5
2 2 .c4 .tb7 2 3 .l:!'.g3 .l::!.f5 24.i.h6 .l:Ixfl +
2 5 . .ixfl g6 2 6.�d3 tlJxe5 2 7 .�e2
.id6 2 8.�f4 dxc4+- Brinck Claussen­
Holst, Copenhagen 2 0 0 5 . 2 1 ...tll c S
22.tlJxcS .txcS 23.°iVh3 g6 24. .tlg3?
This looks like an intuitive move, but in
2S
Winning w i th the Najdorf S i c i l i an
such positions, one needs to calculate
accurately. As White cannot sacrifice on
g6 anyway, the rook should have gone
to f3 , where it fights for the f-file,
which is extremely important. 24...'i¥g7
25.�d3 a5? 26.'i¥g4 .id4 27 ..l:!.gf3 .td7
28.'i¥h4!± Rodriguez Cespedes-Ernst,
Subotica Interzonal 1 9 8 7 .
B 3 ) 1 3 . .txf6 gxf6 1 4.Ji..e 2 'iVas
1 s.o-o �e7 1 6 .Whl
1 4.tt:'ie6 fxe6 l 5.fxe6 tt:'ib6 1 6 . .!:!.xf6
itxf6D 1 7 . .ixf6 gxf6 1 8 . .ihS + Wd8 A
crazy position, where Black is a rook
up, but he has no moves, as his pieces
are virtually paralysed. 1 9 .e7 + Wd7 !
2 0.'l!Ve l
Wxe 7
2 1 ..l:!.xb6
.te6
22 . .l:!.xb 7 + Wd8 2 3 .tt:'idS .ixd5
24.exdS .l:!.g8 25.'iVb l It seems White
is about to give mate, but Black starts
active operations in time, which forces
White to settle for perpetual check.
25 ... 'i¥f2 26 . .!:!.bS + .!:!.xb8 2 7.'i¥xb8 +
Wd7 28.'i¥b7+=.
10 ... h6
White has compensation for the pawn,
but Black is slightly better because of
his centre and the bishop pair;
C) 1 o ..te2 is not so dangerous.
White has not yet decided which pawns
to advance, the e- or f-pawn, and so he
plans to castle quickly. But the move has
its minuses: Black will not just stand
and wait, but will continue developing
and will thus be more prepared for
White's attacking actions, when they
come. 1 0 ...tt:'ibd7 1 1 .0-0 'i¥c5 1 2.Whl
Ji..e 7 1 2 . . . h 6 ! ? l 3 . .th4 .te7 . 1 3.fs e5
26
The move in fashion. Ever since
1 0 . . . tt:'ifd7 was refuted by 1 l .f5 ! in
Keres-Fuderer, Gothenburg Interzonal
1 9 5 5 , the continuation 1 0 . . . dxeS
1 1 .fxeS tt:'ifd7 has been standard proce­
dure. Initially l 2 .�c4 was the most
common reply but White has failed to
crack 1 2 . . . 'iY a5 , so recently White pre­
fers 1 2 .tt:'ie4 when 1 2 . . . h6 ! 1 3 . .th4
( 1 3 . .tbs ! ? is an exciting alternative)
1 3 . . . 'i¥xa2 1 4 . .l:!.d l ! leads to wild com­
plications.
1 1 .�h4
1 1 .�xf6 gxf6 is a sideline, but is inter­
esting, because it has not been analysed
as deeply as the main lines, so one can
hope to find something new.
Chapter 1
A) 1 2 .exd6! ? After this capture Black
has a choice: either to follow Vallejo
(Del Rio Angelis-Vallejo Pons, Spain tt
2 0 0 6) , or to play an interesting novelty.
I think that in either case, Black has an
acceptable
posltlon,
but
after
1 2 . . . 'iYxd6 White can give perpetual
check, as we will see, so we will also ex­
amine the move 1 2 . . .fS , which leads to
a sharp battle and an unclear position:
A l ) 1 2 ...'i¥xd6 1 3.4.Je4 'ii'd8 1 4.'ii'c 3
Jl.e7 1 s.lte2 1 5 .I'.i'.d 1 4.Jd7 ( 1 5 . . . �d7)
1 6.�e2 'iVb6 1 7 .0-0 fs =F. 1 5 ...t2Jd7
1 6.fS The only way for White to get
compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
1 6.0-0?! bS 1 7 .�f3 �b7 1 8 .4.Jd6+
�xd6 1 9 .�xb7 l:ta7 2 0 .�c6 'ii'b 6
2 1 .Wh l b4 2 2 .'iYd2 �cs 2 3 .�a4 'ii'a s
24.�c6 'i¥b6 2 5 . l:!.fd l ( 2 5 .lta4=)
25 . . . 0-0 26 . .l::!.b 3 ltxd4 2 7 .'iYxd4 'i¥xd4
2 8 . .l:ixd4 4.Jb8 2 9 .�a4 a5 3 0 .fS = .
1 6 ... es
There is no way back, so White must go
forward fearlessly. With the black king
in the centre and the majority of his
pieces unmoved, the following sacrifice
is very dangerous: 1 7.4.Je6 fx.e6 and
now:
A 1 1 ) 1 8 .�hS + <itif8 1 9 .fxe6 tLics
20.tLlxcS and now Black gives back the
piece with 20 ... 'iYdS , trying to simplify
play and keep lines closed:
A l 1 1 ) 2 1 ..l::i:d l 'ii'xg2 22.�f3 'ii'h 3
-
The P o i soned Pawn w i th 8 . \Wd2
A l l l l ) 2 3 . .ld.gl 'ii' xh2 2 3 . . . l:rg8
2 4 . tbd7 + �xd7 25 . .ld.xg 8 + Wxg 8
2 6 .exd7 <itif8 2 7 .'i¥b3 = . 24.<it'fl .l::i: g 8
2 S .4.Jd7+ itxd7 26 . .ld.xg8+ <it'xg8
2 7.J::l'.xd7 l::te 8 Black has managed to ex­
change the most dangerous white
pieces and the initiative has died down.
28.'i¥d3 'i¥h3 + 29.<it'e2 'ii'h2+=;
Al 1 1 2 ) 2 3 .l::t d 7 I:rg8 D 2 4 . l::t xe 7
<itixe7 2 5 .'iVa3 'ii'h 4+ 26 .<it'e2 'i¥c4+
2 7 .<itie3 'ii'f4+ 2 8 .<it'e2 'iVc4+= .
A l 1 2) 2 1 .4.Jd7+ �xd7 2 2 . exd7
'i¥e4+ 2 3 .Wdl .l::i:d 8 24.'ii'd 2 'ii'fs
2 5 .�e 8 . One does not often have to put
a bishop on e8 in the middle of the
game, but White has his problems: his
king is exposed, which facilitates per­
petual check: 2 5 . . . 'i¥g4+ 2 6 .<it'e l
'i¥h4+ 2 7 .<it'dl 'ii'g 4+ = .
A 1 2) 1 8.fx.e6 The check 1 8 . ithS +
gives White nothing and so he decides
to delay it. 1 8 ... 0-0 1 8 . . . hS 1 9 .exd7 +
�xd7 2 0 . 0 - 0 lt c 6 ! 2 l .itf3 ! 0 - 0
27
Winning wi th t h e Naj d orf S i c i l i a n
2 2 . tll g3 °'lWd4+ 2 3 .°'lWxd4 exd4
24.tll xhS ;l; . 1 9.0-0 1 9 .°'lWh3 °'lWaS + (the
attempt to defend the h6-pawn at once
with 1 9 . . . @g7 ? fails, because the rook
comes into the attack along the third
rank: 2 0 .°'lWg4+ @h7 2 1 .°'lWfs + @g7
22 . .l:!.b3 +-) 2 0 .tll d 2 (2 0 . c 3 'iWxa2
2 1 ..l:!.d 1 tll c S 2 2 . tll x cS j£,xc5 2 3 . 'lW fS
'itig7 24.°'lWg4+ @h8 2 5 .�g6 j£,xe6
2 6 .°'lWxh 6 + = ) 2 0 . . . tll c s 2 1 . Wk'xh6
�xe6 2 2 .°'lWg6 + = . 1 9 ... fs 2 0.exd7
°'lWxd7 2 1 .�c4+ <;t>h? 22.°'lWxeS b5
23.�dS Ita7 24.l:i:.b3 �dS+:t Black has
managed to get his king out from the
blows, and has two bishops, but thanks
to his activity, White maintains parity.
A2) 1 2 ...fS ! ?N 1 3.g4 In the event of
1 3 .j£,e2 'i¥xd6 1 4.°'lWe3 j£,e7 1 5 .�f3
tll c 6 Black simply has a healthy extra
pawn and two bishops, and has the ad­
vantage. 1 3 ... 'iWxd6 1 4.gxfS �g7
1 5 .l:i:.d l tll c 6 16.tll x c6 °'lWxd2+
1 7.@xd2 bxc6= An approximately
equal ending, where Black has a strong
bishop on g 7 , but it is White's move
and he can probably equalise.
B) 1 2.tll e4? A step in the wrong di­
rection, which involves a further piece
sacrifice: 1 2 ... fxe5 and now:
B 1 ) 1 3.fxeS? dxe5
1 4.tll fs exf5 1 5.tt::l f6+ ..t>e7 1 6.tll d s+
Wd8 ! This move was pointed out by
Nunn (The Complete Najdorf 6.�g5) and I
28
agree that after it, Black is winning. If
1 6 . . . We8 1 7 .tll c 7 + We7 = . 1 7.l:i:.b3
�cs 1 8.tllb 6+ tll d 7 1 9.tll xaS .2.d6-+ ;
B2) 1 3 .!:i.b3 'iWa4 1 4.fxeS dxe5
1 s.tlif6+ We7 1 6.tlifs +
•
1 6 ... Wxf6! A king march starts - since
all the black pieces are on their starting
squares, the black king takes on its own
defence and itself liquidates the white
attack. Instead, after 1 6 . . . exfS 1 7 .tll d S +
We6 ( 1 7 . . . W e 8 = 1 8 . tll c 7 + We7
1 9 . tll d S + We8 2 0 .tll c 7+) 1 8 .tll c 7+
Wf6 1 9 .tll d S + @e6= there is nothing
other than perpetual check. 1 7.'ti'dS+
WxfS 1 8 . .2.d3 + e40 1 9.0-0+
The black player has a choice: he can
step back and allow perpetual check:
B2 1 ) 1 9 ... Wg6 20.'i¥f6+ 2 0 .�xe4+?
fS 2 1 .l:i:.g 3 + Wf70 22 . .l:!.xfS + exfS
2 3 .�dS + �e6 24.�xe6 + Wxe6-+ .
20 ... Wh7 2 1 ..2.xe4+ A bishop sacrifice
which gives White a chance of perpet-
Chapter 1
ual check. If 2 1 ..l:i.f4 exd3D 22 . .l:i.xa4
�g7 2 3 . 'iYxf7 dxc2 24 . .l::!. c 4 .l:i.f8
2 5 .'iYc7 tll c 6 ( 2 5 . . . tll d 7 ! ?) 2 6 . .l:i.g3
.l:i.g8 2 7 . .l:i.xc2 tll d4 28 . .l:i.f2 a5 2 9 .W!Yf7
.l:i.a6 3 0 .h4 a4 3 1 ..l:!.g6 e5D 3 2 . .l:i.xa6
bxa6 3 3 . l:tf6 @h8 3 4 . .l:!.g6 �f5
3 5 . .l:!.xa6 and there is some pressure all
the same. 2 1 . .. 'iYxe4 22 . .ld.g3 'iYg6
23.'i¥xf7+ 'i¥g7 24. .l:i.f6 tll d 7 2S . .l:i.xg7+
�xg7 26.'i:Yg6+ @gs 2 7.�£7+=; but
that was not why he marched out and
eliminated the enemy knights, so in­
stead, he comes into the centre and will
help his army show the advantages of
their numerical superiority:
B 22) After 1 9 ... @es ! , Black keeps
two extra pieces and two extra pawns.
Although his king is under the blows of
the white pieces, this is not dangerous:
20.'i¥f6+ @d6 2 1 .'iYxhS tll d 7! 22 . .l:i.xf7
�e7 ! 2 3 .'i¥g7 tll c 5 24.�e2 tll x b3
2S.cxb3 'i:Yb4 26 . .l:i.xe7 'iYe l + 2 7.�fl
'iYe3+ 28.@hl 'i:Yg5D Having given
back two pieces and a pawn, with this
move, Black forces the exchange of
queens and reaches an ending with an
extra pawn: 2 9 .�xgS hxgS=i=.
-
T h e P o i s oned Pawn w i t h 8 . �d2
the popular line mentioned after 1 O .. h6
on page 26) 1 3.exf6 gxh4 14.�e2:
.
A) The main continuation after
1 2 . . . g 5 , where the principal discussion
is taking place, is 1 4 ... 'i:YaS 1 5.0-0 tll d 7
1 6.@hl 1 6 .'ifd3 ! ? 'iYes 1 7 .l:rbd l tll c 5
1 8 .'iYh3 �d7 1 9 .@h l £.d6 2 0 .'i¥xh4
0 0 0 � . 1 6 ... 'iYg5 1 7.l:tf4 e5
-
-
Back to the position after l l .�h4.
1 1 ...dxe5 1 2.fxe5 tll d 51
We will also examine the fashionable
1 2 ...gS!? ( 1 2 ...tllfd7 1 3 .tlle4 transposes to
White has a rook and knight hanging,
and no effective way of defending
them, so he has to press on regardless :
1 8.tll d5 White sacrifices a knight on
d4. Frankly, when I saw this position for
the first time, I thought White was win­
ning, as his position looks very threat­
ening and all his pieces are taking part
in the attack, whereas Black's are all at
home. But in fact, Black is not so badly
off: 1 8 ...exd4 and now:
A l ) 1 9.tll c 7 + @dS 2 0 .tll x aS d3
2 1 .�xd3 £.d6 22 . .l::!:bfl 2 2 . .l:!.f2 'iYes
2 3 .g4 'iYds + 24.@g l �cs 2 5 .'iYf4
'iYc6=F. 22 ...�xf4 23.l:!.xf4
29
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
A l 1 ) 2 3 ... h3 24.gxh3 ? 2 4.�f5 !
hxg2 + 2 5 .Wg l 'i'Vxf6 2 6.�xd7 'i'Va l +
2 7 . Wxg2 �xd7 2 8 . 'i'V a 5 + We8
2 9 .tbc7+ Wf8 3 0 .'i'Vc5 + Wg8 3 l .tbe8
�e6 3 2 . tLlf6+ <it>g7 3 3 .'i'Ve3 nc8
3 4.'i'Vg3+ <it>f8 3 5 .'i'Va3 +=. 24...'i'Vds +
25.'i'Vg2 'i'Vd6 26.'i'Vf2?! nes 2 7.'i'Vd4
ne6 2 8 .c4? More tenacious was
2 8 .'i'Vd6. 28 ...bs 0 - 1 Bromberger­
Areschenko, Germany Bundesliga
20 1 0/ 1 1 ;
A l 2) 23 ... nes! is the best move in
the position, given by Kiril Georgiev
and Atanas Kolev in their book The
Sharpest Sicilian. After this move, the ad­
vantage goes over to Black, for example
24.h3 .l:!.e6 2 5 .'i'Vb4 'i'Vc5 :f.
A2) 1 9.'i'Vxd4 Wd8 and now:
A2 l ) 20.tbe7 Aiming at the black
king and at the same time, the most
dangerous retreat for the white knight.
A2 l l ) An attempt to exchange
queens is 20 ...'lWcs
2 1 .'lWb2! !N Only Houdini 3 knows
why this move. For a human, this is the
last retreat he would consider: 2 l .'i'Vd2
�xe7 2 2 . fxe7 + 'i'Vxe7 2 3 .�g4 .l:re8
24.nc4 b6 2 5 .nd 1 + Kosteniuk-Ju
Wenjun, Nalchik 2 0 1 1 . 2 1 . .. 'if eS
22.nd4 'ifxe2 23.'ifh6+ @es 24.ttJds
�e7 25.tbc7+ @f8 26.fxe7+ 'ifxe7
2 7.'ifas ttJes 2s.ne1 b6 29.'ifxes
'ifxes 3o.nxe5 na7 3 t .nds + <it>g7
3 2.ttJe8+ nxe8 3 3 .nexe8 �e6
34.ngs+! Although here Black has
better chances of a draw, White still has
an extra exchange and good winning
chances;
A2 l 2) 20 ...'ifeS !N This move was
also analysed by Georgiev and Kolev in
their book. There can follow: 2 l .'i'Vd2
�xe7 2 2 .fxe7 + 'i'Vxe7 2 3 .�g4 f5
24 . .l:!.xf5 ; or 24.�xf5 .i::tf8 2 5 .!Idl 'i'Ve5
26.nel 'i'Vf6 2 7 .l::r efl 'i'Ve5 = .
A22) 20.nd1 h 3 2 1 .g3 �d6 2 2 . .i::t e4
2 2 .tbb6 �c5 D 2 3 .'i'Vb2 W c 7 D
2 4 . tbxd 7 n d 8 2 5 . tbxc5 nxd l +
2 6 .�xd 1
'i'Vxc5
2 7 .�f3
.l::!. b 8
2 8 .'i'Vd4=. 22 ...nes ! ? Here Black has
two possibilities and in both cases, a
draw results from correct play. However,
White's play is harder, as he is a piece
Kiril Georgiev
30
Chapter
down. 2 2 . . . �cSN 2 3 .�c3 b6 24.tll x b6
�xb6 2 S .�c6 .!:rb8 2 6 . .l:!.e7 �d4
2 7 . l:lxd4 .l:!.b l +
2 8 .�d l
�g4
29 . .l::!. e xd 7 + �xd 7 3 0 . � a 8 + Wc7
3 1 .� a7 +=. 23.tll b 6 .l:!.xe4 24.'iYxe4
'iYcs 2 S .tll xa8 tll xf6 26.'iYd3 We7
2 7.�f3 hS 28.'iYe2+?
2 8 .�d4!=.
Nisipeanu-Woj taszek,
2 8 ... �e6+
Aix-les-Bains Ech 2 0 1 1 .
B) The pawn move 14...h3 !?N aims
to damage the bastions around the
white king, which now castles: 1 S.0-0
tll d 7 l S . . . 'li'as 1 6 .'i¥e3 �cs 1 7 .�f3
hxg2 1 8 . .l:!.fd l i. 1 6 .tll e4! tll c s 1 7.tll c6
�d7 1 8.tll e s Sg8 1 9 .g3 0-0-0 20.'iUf4
�bS 2 1 .�xbS axbS 22.l:!.xbS 'iUa6
23.a4
2 3 ... l:rd4 24.tll x cS 'iUxbS 2 5 .axbS
hcS=
1 3.tll x d5 exd5
1
-
The P o i soned P a wn w i t h 8 . '1W d 2
A) 1 4.�c4?!N �e 7 ! 1 4 . . . dxc4? ?
l S .lll b S+- . 1 S.�xe7 'iUxe7 1 6.�xdS
'iYxeS + 1 7 .tll e 2 tll c 6 1 8 .0-0 0 - 0
1 9.tll f4 tll e 7 2 0.Jlbe l 'iUgs 2 1 .h4
'i¥xh4 22.'iYb4 �e6 23 .�xe6 fxe6
24.'iUxb7=;
B) 14..l:!.b3 'i¥a4D There are simply
no other retreats.
B 1 ) 1 S.e6 �xe6 1 6.�fl 1 6 .'i¥f4 gs
1 7 .'iUf6 ( 1 7 .'iYeS tll c 6 1 8 . tll x c6
.l:!.g8 !+:) 1 7 . . . tll d 7 1 8 . 'i¥xh8 0-0-0
1 9 .�c3 + �cs 2 0 .'i¥g7 �b4 2 1 .tll xe6
fxe6 2 2 . 'it> d l 'i¥xh4+: . 1 6 ... tll d 7
1 7.�e2 �d6=F ;
B 2 ) Since the bishop will be hanging
in the subsequent play, White has a
good chance here to bring the bishop
back: 1 5.�fl! ?N tll c 6 1 6 .e6 1 6 .tllx c6
'i¥xc6 1 7 .�e2 �cs 1 8 . 0-0 0-0 + .
1 6 ...�xe6 1 6 . . .fxe6 1 7 .tll x c6 bxc6
1 8 .�d3 �e7 1 9.�g6+ 'it>d7 2 0 .'i¥c3
�f6 2 1 .'iYcS �e7 = . 1 7.tllxe6 fxe6
1 8.�d3 0-0-0 1 9.0-0 �d6 20.'i¥e2
She8 2 1 .c4 tll aS 22Jk3 d4 23.Sc2
�cs+
14...�xe6!
14.e61?
The dangerous white pawn needs to be
eliminated, so it cannot cause Black
trouble in the future. Thus, 1 4 . . . �e7 ? !
1 S . exf7 + @xf7 1 6 .�xe 7 'i¥xe 7 +
1 7 .�e2i .
31
Winning w i t h the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
@f8 1 9 . .l::!.xb4 �xa2 2 0 .tt:lxa8 ! �a l +
2 l .@f2 �xh l 2 2 .tll b 6-t) l 8 . tt:lxa3
tt:lxb7 1 9 .tt:lbS .l::!. a4 with some counter­
play. 1 7.tt:lxe6 axbSD After Black's inac­
curacy on move 1 6 , White has a good
choice between two continuations:
B 1 1 1 ) 1 8.tt:lc7 + Wf8
1 5.tt:Jxe6
It is interesting that the move
1 5.lhb7!?N has so far not been seen in
practice, because 1 5 . tt:lxe6, which has
been played in all the games, does not
give White anything clear.
The game can continue:
A) 1 5 ... �cS ! ? 1 6.tt:lxe6 fxe6 I 7 .�d3
0-0 1 8 .@dl es 1 9 .�e l e4 2 0 .�g3
1 9.Wdl ! ! .l::!.a4 20 . .l::!. e l Wg8 2 1 .tt:lxbS
'iVxa2 22.tllc 3 'iVal + 23.We2 .l::!.e4+
24.tt:lxe4 "lia6+ 25.c4 'iVxb7 26.tt:lxcS
tt:lxc5 2 7.°iVxdS
White is slightly
better, but objectively speaking, such
positions are extremely difficult to win
and are close to a draw;
B l 1 2) 1 8.tt:lxcS 'tixc5 1 9.°iVe2+ Wf8
2 0 . .l::!. x d7 'i¥b4+ 2 1 .Wd l ! °iVd4+
22.Wcl "lial + 23.Wd2 °iVd4+ 24.°iVd3
°iVxh4 25 . .l::!. fl f6 25 . . . �gS+
-
The mate threat has to be met. With the
following knight sacrifice, Black de­
flects the white rook, and after this, the
b2-square is freed for the black queen:
20 . . . tt:ld7 2 1 ..l::!.xd7 �b2 2 2 .�xe4 dxe4
2 3 .�b3 + �xb3 24.axb3 a 5 = ;
B) 1 5 ...tt:ld7
B 1 ) 1 6.�bS The white knight needs
the square bS and for this, White does
not even begrudge his bishop. Now:
B l 1 ) 1 6 ... �cS? ! Black should take on
bS and sacrifice his queen: 1 6 . . . axbS
1 7 .tt:lxbS tt:Jcs ( 1 7 . . . �b4 1 8 .tt:lc7 +
32
2 6 .@e l !! .l::!. e 8+ 27 .@f2D d4 2 8 .Wg l !
f6 29.'i¥xd4;!; . 26.Wcl .l::!. e s 2 7.°iVxdS
'iVgs + 28.Wb2 "lixd5 29 . .l::!.xdS Wf7
3 0 .J:!.f3;j;
B 1 2) 1 6 ... axbS 1 7.tt:lxbS
.
Chapter
I
-
The P o i soned P a wn w i t h 8 . Vf d 2
2 2.'il'b4 �e3+ 23 .@g2 �xa3 24 . .l:rxd7
.l:rc3 25 ..l:rxd4 .l:rxc2+ 2 6.@f3 hd4
2 7.'i!Yxd4 .l:rxh2 ! ? (2 7 .. Jha2=) 2 8 .a4
.l:re8t. 22 ....l:rxa3 23 . .l:rel tll f6D 24.°iYcS
.l:rfl=F the three minor pieces are stron­
ger than the queen, and the weak white
king settles it;
B l 2 2 1 2) 2 1 .tllb S !
-
1 7 ... �e7 ! ! I had found this brilliant
sacrifice and hoped to use it, but have
not been able to play it. Black only gets
two bishops for the queen, but he has a
very strong initiative, as we shall see:
B 1 2 1 ) 1 8.�xe7 'M!Vxe7 1 9.tll c 7 + @f8
20.tl'ixa8 �g4+ 2 1 .@fl �f6 + 22.@g3
'ifes + 23.@xg4 2 3 .°YWf4 'i{{c 3 + 24.@f2
'iYxc2+ 2 5 .@g l 'i{{d l + 2 6 .@f2 °YWc2+
2 7 .@g3 'i{{c 3 +=. 23 ... tl'if6+
24.@f3 °YWhs +o 2 s .@e3 'i{{ g s + o
26.@d3 °YWg6+ 0 2 7.@d4 °YWg4+D=;
The white king has no way out of per­
petual check, because the white queen
stands badly and is vulnerable to a fork
vith the king.
B l 2 2) 1 8.tll xa3 �xh4+ 1 9.g3 �gs
B l 2 2 1 ) 20.'M!Vc3 0-0! and now:
B 1 22 1 1 ) 2 1 .0-0 d4! 22.'M!Vxd4 The
srrong pawn must be eliminated, even at
e cost of the knight on a3 , which will
elp the black pieces land a decisive blow
the white king: 2 2 .°YWf3 ? �e3+-+;
2 1 ... �h3 ! A very important moment.
Black stops his opponent castling, but
he has only two minor pieces for the
queen, and so he must play actively and
create threats. 22.@fl 2 2 .tll c 7 .l:rxa2
2 3 .tllx dS li:Jf6 24.li:le7+ @h8 . 22 ...tll f6
23 . .l:rel li:le4+ 24 . .l:rxe4 dxe4 2S.li:Jd6
e3+ 26.@£3 hS ! The black bishop
needs g4 to promote the black pawn,
and there is no better way than this.
27 . .l:rbS �g4+ 28.@g2 �e?=F
B 1 2 2 2) If White allows castling, as
we know, he comes under a terrible at­
tack, so he prevents it with 20.°YWb4!
�e7D 2 1 .°iYbSD
33
Winning w i th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
B l 2 2 2 1 ) 2 1 ...�xa3 !?+:t 22.0-0 <Jile7
23.i:tel This move leads to play with all
three results possible. If White is satis­
fied with a draw, he can play 2 3 .i:txd7 +
�xd7 24.'iVxdS ..ie6 ! 2 S .'iYb7+ <Jild6
2 6 .'iYb6+ <Jile7 2 7 .'iYb 7 + Wd6
2 8 . i:td l + Wes 2 9 . i:te l + Wd6 = .
23 ... i:thdSD 24.'iVc6 i:tab8 25.i:ta7 �d6
26.a4 i:tb4+:t The battle between three
minor pieces and the queen is always
very interesting, especially when almost
all the pieces are still on the board, both
sides' kings are weak and White has a
very dangerous passed a-pawn;
B l 2 2 2 2) 2 1 .. . .l:!.xa3 22.0-0D �cs +
23.Whl 0-0D Black cannot stay pinned
any longer and sacrifices two pieces for
the white rook. White will have a
choice of which bishop to take, to­
gether with the knight. In both cases,
the position is equal. 24.i:txd7 ..ixd7
25.'iYxd7 2 S .'iYxcS i:txa2 2 6 .'iYxdS
�e6 2 7 .'iYd3 .l:!.c8= . 25 ... J::t xa2 26.c3
i:tc2 2 7.i:tf3 J::ta s 28.'iYxf7+ Wh8=
B2) 1 6.tbxe6 fxe6
This may not seem such an important
moment, but the choice of square to
develop the white bishop is extremely
important, as is the subsequent check.
B2 1 ) 1 7.�e2 ..ie7 Mate was threat­
ened, and Black defends by freeing the
d8-square for his king.
B 2 1 1 ) 1 8 .�hs + Wd8 1 9.�xe7 +
Wxe7 20.'iVd4
Now the king has to wander again:
20 ... @d6 ! 2 1 .0-0 The exchange sacri­
fice 2 1 .i:tb6+ leads only to perpetual
check: 2 1 . . . tLixb6 2 2 .'iYxb6+ Wd7D
2 3 .'iYb 7 + @d6 24.'iVb6+ Wd7 2 s . o-o
i:thf8 2 6 .'iYb 7 + Wd6 2 7 .'iYb6 + = .
2 1 ..JfabS 22 . .l:ta7 i:thc8 2 3.'iYf4+ eS
24.i:txd7 + @xd7 2 S .'iYxeS Wc6
2 6 .'iYxg7 'iYe3 +
2 7.Wh l
i:tc7
28.'iVf6 + Wb7 29.�f3 'iYcs 30.'iVxh6
Wa7 with an unclear position, in
which chances are equal and each side
has his pluses.
B2 1 2) 1 8.�xe7 Wxe7 1 9.°tWd4 'iYas+
20.c3 Wd6 2 1 .0-0 i:thb8 22.i:txd7+
Wxd7 2 3 .'iYxg 7 + Wd6 2 3 . . . W c 6 ?
24.c4!±. 24.'iVg3+ We7=.
B22) 1 7 . ..id3 �e7 1 8.kg6+ Wd8
1 9.�xe7+ Wxe7 20.'iYd4! And again,
20 ... Wd6! (the only difference with
line B2 1 1 being that the white bishop is
on g 6 instead of h S ) 2 1 .'iYxg7
(2 1 .i:tb6+ tbxb6 2 2 .'iYxb 6 + Wd7
2 3 .'iYb 7 + Wd6 24.'iVb 6 + @es
2 S .'iYc 7 +
Wf6
2 6 .'iVf7 +
@es
2 7 .'iYc7 + = .
2 1 . .. 'iYe3 +
2 2.Wd l
i:thdSD
Both sides' kings are very weak and
both are attacking; the chances are
roughly equal. 23.kes i:ta7D 24.i:tb3
'tWes ( 2 4 . . . 'tWf4 ? ! 2 S .�xd7 i:taxd7
2 6 .'iYb2 ! - )
2 S .°tWxe S +
tbxeS
2 6 . i:tb6+ We7 2 7 .i:te l @f6 2 8 .i:tfl +
34
Chapter I - The P o i soned P a wn w i th 8 . iV d 2
@ e 7 2 9 .�hS .l:!.c8 = White has a bishop
and play on both wings, so he should
be better, but alas - the powerful black
knight in the centre is no worse than
the bishop.
1 5 ...fxe6
Now White needs to bring his last
fighting units into play.
1 6.�e2
1 6 ..td3 .te7 l 7.�g6+ Wd8 1 8 ..txe7+
'iVxe7 1 9.0-0
White has a mass of threats and ideas,
such as .l:!.f7 , 1lWa5 + , 1lWd4 and the move
c2-c4.
A) 19 ...bSN 20.c4!! The lines must be
opened! 20...bxc4 2 1 ..l:!.£7 'li'cs+ 22.Whl
lbd7D 23.J:lb7 ltJeSD Other moves lose
at once, but the knight move aims to
eliminate the white bishop. 24.J:lxg7
lbxg6 2 5 .'li'el J:lf8 26.lhg6 'li'c6
27.ld:gg7 c3D 28.h4 °iYd6D 29.hS d4
3 0.Wg l ! ! An incredible move, after
which Black turns out to be in zug­
zwang; his pieces are excellently
placed, and any move worsens his po­
sition. The king move also has one
other plus : it takes control of the
square fl , and frees the white queen.
The same king move would have fol­
lowed after 2 9 . . . a5 , for example:
3 0 . . . c2 3 1 .'iVc3 d4 3 2 .1lWxc2 d 3
3 3 .'lWc3 ± . 3 0. . .'li'f4D 3 1 .J:lbd7+ Wc8
3 2 . J:l c 7 + 'li'xc 7 3 3 .'li'xe6+ Wb 7
3 4 Jhc 7 + Wxc 7 3 5 .'lWc4+ Wb 7
36.'li'ds + Wc7 3 7.'li'xd4±.
B) 19 ...tiJd7! One should not be
mean, as Tartakower said. If Black does
not give back the material, he can lose
at once, so we listen to the great mas­
ter's advice.
B I ) 20.J:lxb 7 'li'c5 + 2 1 .Whl
B l I ) 2 1 . .. l:!:fs 2 2 .ld:xfS + ttJxf8
2 2 . . . 'li'xf8 ! ? 2 3 .'li'as+ r:Ji;e7 2 4 . .td3
1!Wc8�.
35
Winning wi th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
23.�d3 After 2 3 . .l:!.xg l ! ?N Black can
give back all the material and then ex­
change the last minor piece, with an
equal position: 2 3 . . . .l:tb8 D 24.�c l
tt:Jxg6 2 S .l:hg6 �b6 2 6 . I:i.xh6 �b l
2 7 .�g l �xg l + 2 8 . @xg l @e l = .
2 3 ...ti:Jd7 24.�el �c6 25.l:!.b l l:!.b8
26.l:!.xb8+ tt:Jxb8 2 7.�eS ti:Jd7
28.�xg7 e5 = Bok-Schut, Enschede
2009;
B 1 2) 2 1 .. . l:!.a7! The white rook on b l
stands wonderfully, s o i t must be ex­
changed off or driven away.
B 1 2 1 ) 22.l:!.b3 l:!.f8! 23.l:!.xfS+ ti:Jxf8
2 3 . . . �xf8 ! ? 2 4.�aS + 1:1.cl 2 S .l:!.f3
�cs 26.�xa6 l:!.c6=F. 24 . .l:Ibs+ @e7
25 .�h5 g6
26.�xh6 It is better to play 2 6 .�f4 ! ?N
and make a draw, than enter a slightly
worse endgame, in which there have
been two games, both of which ended
in Black's favour: 26 . . . ti:JdlD 2 7 . .l:rh8
gxhS 2 8 . .l:rh l + @e8 29 . .l:rh8 + = .
36
2 6 ...�£'2 2 7.�g7+ @d6 28.�xfS +
�xf8 29 . .l:IxfS gxh5 3 0 . .ld.cS 3 0 .l:!.d8+
@es 3 1 . l:rc8 @d4 3 2 .@g l and Black
has the advantage, Baron-Brkic, Rijeka
2 0 1 0 . 30 ... es 3 1 .h4 d4 32.@gl l:!.£7
3 3.l:!.aS @ds 34.l:!.xa6 .l:l:c7 3 5.g4 l:!.xc2
36.gxhS d3 3 7.l:!.aS d2 38 . .l:i:ds+ @e4
39.@fl @e3 0 - 1 Motylev-Sutovsky,
Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad 2 0 1 0 ;
B l 2 2 ) The move 22.l:txa7?! does not
give White any advantage and instead
leaves Black with an excellent position.
The exchange of rooks favours him,
since his king is in the centre of the
board, for example : 2 2 . . . �xal
2 3 .�aS + �b6 2 4 . �xb6+ ti:Jxb6
2 S .�f7 ti:Jdl 2 6 . .l:f.xgl @cl 2 7 .�d3
@d6 2 8 .�xa6. Black is slightly better,
but a draw would be the correct result,
Kiuttu-Palliser, Espoo 2 0 1 1 ;
B 1 2 3 ) 22 . .ld.bb l Of course, it is possi­
ble not to exchange and keep more
pieces on the board, but this has its mi­
nuses. White has lost a lot of time with
his rook moves on the b-file and Black
uses this time to regroup: 2 2 . . . l:!.f8
2 3 . .!:i.xf8 + ti:Jxf8 2 4 . l:!.b 8 + @el
2 S .�hs g6 2 6 .�f4 ti:Jdl 2 7 ..l:rh8 gxhS
2 8 . .l::!.h l+=.
B2) But now let us see how the white
fleet can come from the other side:
20 . .ld:f7 �c5 +0 2 1 .@hl and now:
B2 1 ) 2 1 ..JHS ? ! 2 2.l:!.xg7 llf6 If
22 . . . @cl
Cha p t e r
2 3 .�f7 !N (23 .'li'e l °'li'd4? ( 2 3 . . . 'tWd6 ! oo)
24.ld'.e7 eS 2 S .c4 'it>d8 2 6 . .l:th7 was seen
in T. Kosintseva-Forsaa, Gibraltar 20 1 1 .
White has a large advantage) 2 3 . . . 'li'e7
24.'tWc3 + Wd8 2 S .�hs t . 2 3 .�d3
2 3 .l:!.g8 .l:lf8 24 . .l:tg7 is a draw. 23 ...'iVfS
24. .l::!.h 7 l:i:c8 25.'li'as + .l::!.c 7
26 . .i::l.h 8 °iV:xh8 2 7.llxb7 l::tfl + 28.�xfl
'i¥c3 29.'li'xc7+ 'li'xc7 30.l:i:xc7 Wxc7
3 l .�xa6t Black has the central pawns
and the active king, but White has a
bishop and two outside pawns, which I
don't think Black can stop.
B 22) A better defence is 2 1 ..Jk8 !
and now:
'li'c6
2 2 . . . ld.f8
B 2 2 1 ) 22.°'li'e l
2 3 .'tWxe6 .l::!. xf7
24. 'tWxf7
'li'e7
2 S .°iVxdS
'li'es
2 6 .'li'f7
.l:!.cs t
2 3 .°'li'h4+ Wc7 24.'li'f4+ After
24.°iVg 3 + <;t>d8 a draw was agreed in R.
�amedov-Safarli, Baku 2 0 1 1 . 24... Wd8
25.'ti'd4 .i::l. g8 26.'li'b4 Wc7=;
1
-
The P o i s oned Pawn w i th 8 . tW d 2
B222) 22.lhb7N Now the rooks de­
cide to come in from the left flank as
well, but this also fails to the strong
move 22 .. Jk7! , which offers the ex­
change of rooks and defends the sev­
enth rank. 2 3 . .l::tb 1 If White exchanges
rooks and tries to activate his queen, he
runs into a counterattack from queen
and knight, with which Black obtains
perpetual check : 2 3 . J::!. x c7 <it>xc7
24.'lWf4+ Wd8 2 S .°'li'a4 ( 2 S .°iVh4+
Wc7 2 6 .°'li'f4+ <;t>d8 =) 2 S . . . tt:Jes
2 6 . l:rb7 'li'c3 2 7 .h4 'lWe l + 2 8 .@h2
tbf3 + 2 9 . 'it>h3 tbg l + 3 0 .@g4 'li'e2 +
3 l .Wg3 'li'es + 3 2 . @f2 tlJh3 + 3 3 .gxh3
.!:!.f8 + 3 4.�f7 't/;YfS + = . 2 3 ... tt:Jes
24.l:!.b 8 + l:!'.c8 2 5 Jhc8+ Wxc8
26 . .i::l.xg7 .J:lf8 2 7.�e l White has estab­
lished material equality and it seems he
should have the advantage, but he has
not managed to make luft for his king,
and so his back rank is weak, which
Black exploits, equalising the game.
2 7 ... 'li'as 28.'li'gl 'li'c3 29.°'li'b l °iVb4=
B3) Since the black king is in the cen­
tre and his rooks are not yet playing,
while all White's pieces are in the battle,
he must open lines, even at the cost of a
further pawn sacrifice: 20.c4!N .l:!.f8
2 1 . cxdS 'li'cs + 2 2 . � h l .!:!.xfl +
2 3 . .l:Ixfl 'li'xdS 24.'tWb2 .l:rc8 ! 2 S .�xg 7
2 S . . . .!:!.cs ! and Black is at least not
worse, thanks to his centralised pieces.
37
Winning w i th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
1 6 ...�e7
1 6 . . . �cS .
1 7.�h5+ Wd8 1 8.�xe 7 +
1 8 . �f2 �gs 1 9 .�e2 �c3 + 2 0 .Wfl
I:rf8 2 1 .�f3 tLld7 2 2 .�xe6 �c6=F.
have ended up in a bad position, but my
opponent missed his chance. 22 ... J::t f8
2 2 . . . bxc4 2 3 .l:tb 7 +- . 2 3 . .l:t.xf8+ tLlxf8
24.cxdS l:tc8 25.dxe6+ We7 26.l:tdl
�xh5 2 7.�d6+ We8 28.e7 �xd l +
29.'i!Yxdl Wxe7 3 0.h3i.
22 . .l:t.xg7
1 8...'fixe7 1 9.0-0 tt:Jd7!
If 1 9 ...bS?
22 ... .l:t.cSI
White sacrifices a third pawn and opens
all the lines, for an attack which Black is
not able to repulse: 20.c4!N This move
wins the game. Or also 2 0 .J::tf7 �cs +
2 1 . W h l tLld7 2 2 .c4 ! ! . 2 0 ... �cs +
2 0 . . . bxc4 2 1 .l'.:!.fl �cs + 22 .Wh l tLld7
23 . .l::!. b 7 tt:Jes 24.l:txg 7 +- . 2 1 .Wh l
bxc4 22.l:tf7 tLld7 2 3 .l:tb 7 tt:Jes
24.l:txg7 tLld3 25.g3 J::tf8 (2S ... Wc8
2 6 .�e2) and now 26.�f3 ! !+-.
On 22 ... l:tf6?! White turns out to have
23 . .l:t.gS+! 2 3 .�f3 ? ! 1::!. c 8 24 . .l:t.xb7 .l:t.c7
2S . .l:t.xc7 Wxc7 2 6.h3 Wd6 with an
equal position, Wang Hao-Sutovsky,
Ningbo Wch-tt 2 0 1 1 . 2 3 ...J::t fs
2 3 . . . tt:Jf8
20JH7!
2 0 . J::i. x b ? ? ! �cs + 2 1 . Wh l l:ta7
2 2 .Itbb l nc7 2 3 . .:b!.fe l l:tc6 24.c4 d4.
20...�c5+ 21 .Wh1 J::tf81
Again, on 2 1 . .. bS? White has 22.c4!N
2 2 . .l:t.xg7 .:b!.c8 2 3 .�aS + l:tc7 24.�xa6
�xc2 2 S .�a8 + l:tc8 2 6 .�aS + l::i. c 7
2 7 .�a8 + l::r c 8 2 8 .�aS + .ld.c7 1/2-1/2
Carlsson-Andriasyan, Dubai 2 0 1 1 . I
was glad to draw the game, because I
had mixed up my analysis, and could
38
24.'i!Ye l ! ! .l:t.c8 2 5 . .l:t.xb7 .l:t.c7 2 6 . .l:t.b l ±.
24.l:txf8+ 'i!Yxf8 25.�g4 'i!Yf6 26.l:tel
Wc7 2 7.�xe6 l:te8 28.�xdSi
23.h3
2 3 .'i!Yxh6 �xc2 24.�g S + Wc7
2 S .'i!Yg3+ (2S .'i!Yes+ Wd8 2 6 .�gS +=)
Cha p t er
2S . . . @d8 2 6.1/Wh4+ @c7 2 7 .1/Wb4 bS
2 8.�g4 l:rg8 2 9.1/Was+ @b8 3 0.l:i.xbS+
axbS 3 1 .'IWxbS+ @a8 3 2.°YWaS +=.
23 ....l::Ic61 24.ifxh6
24.�e2 1/Wxc2 2 5 .1/Wb4 ld:c7 2 6 .1/We7 +
@c8 2 7 . .bf.fl .ld.xfl + 2 8 .�xfl @b8
2 9 .'t!Vd8 + @a7 3 0 . .!hd 7 .l:!.xd7
3 1 .'t!Vxd7 'iff2 3 2 .�d3 'i:Ye l + 3 3 .@h2
'ifes + .
I
-
The P o i soned Pawn wi th 8 . iW d 2
24...@ca 25.�g4 't!Vxc2 2 6 . .i::Ie 1
'it'f2
2 6 . . . 'ii c 3 2 7 . .l::I x e6 Ihe6 2 8 .�xe6
.i::I fl + 2 9 .@h2 'iie s+ 30 . .l::I g 3 'IWe I
3 l .'iih 8 + = N. Kosintseva-Hou Yifan,
Rostov-on-Don 2 0 1 1 .
27. .i::Ix e6 .i::Ixe6 28.�xe6 'iie 1 +
29.@h2 'ii e 5+= 30.l:rg3 .i::I e8 1 -0
Conclusion
In this chapter, we have examined the move 8 .'ii'd2 ! , which is one of the
two main continuations. It is the main continuation nowadays, and many
top players have tried to find some advantage in this line, as we can see
from the great number of games where it is employed. In the main,
White retains the initiative, but he should not underestimate Black's
counterchances, since in such positions, play assumes a double-edged
character, which allows Black the possibility oftaking over the initiative.
I would advise players who play the black side of this variation to go
over the lines regularly and follow the latest games. One must also be up
to date when playing such sharp lines!
39
Chapter 2
The Poisoned Pawn with 8.�d3
1 .e4 c5 2.tllf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tll xd4 tllf6 5.tll c3 a6 6 .ilg5 e6 7.f4
'iVb6 8.'iVd3
After the second possibility 8 .�d3 , there is also a variation with 8 . . . �xb2 9 .l::rb l
�a3 , but now White must play 1 0 .fS , since the alternative 1 0 .es makes no sense,
since after 1 O . . . dxeS 1 1 .fxeS tlJfd7 !+:, White does not have the follow-up 1 2 .tLle4.
White has given up a pawn for the initiative, and will try to increase it. Sometimes he
even goes for further material sacrifices, giving a second pawn, a third, and some­
times even a piece. We will also show you how to defend such attempts correctly as
Black, how to neutralise the initiative, sometimes by returning the pawn, and if pos­
sible himselftrying to take the initiative, since White's king is also in the centre.
1 .e4 c5 2.tt:Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.tt:Jxd4 tt:Jf6 5.tt:Jc3 a6 6.jlgS e6
7.f4 'tWb6 8.'tWd3 �xb2 9.l:rb1
'ifa3 1 0.f5
If White does not want to attack at
once, then there is only one way to continue developing his pieces, but unfor­
tunately, in this case Black also finishes
his development, and the queen on d3
can come under attack from the knight
at cS : 1 0.jle2?! tlJbd7 1 1 . 0-0 �e7
1 2 .Whl �cs 1 3 . .l:!.f3 bs 1 4.l:rh3 �b7
40
1 S .�f3 .!::!'. b 8 1 6.�e l b4 1 7 .tlJdS exdS
1 8. exdS Wf8 1 9. tlJc6? (he had to play
1 9 . tlJfS with compensation, whereas
after the text, he has nothing, and Black
simply has an extra piece) 1 9 . . . l:re8 Van
der Tuuk-Timman, Utrecht 1 9 8 6 .
As noted above, the a s yet untried
1 0 .eS ? is ineffective here, due to
1 0 . . . dxeS 1 1 .fxeS tlJfd7 !+: .
1 0...�e7
A) In the encounter Gashimov­
Grischuk (see below) , the latter chose
C h apter 2
1 O ... ile7 , but I personally prefer an­
other move, which I have played myself,
and after which, frankly, I do not see
any problems for Black: 1 O ... 'iYa5 !?
A 1 ) 1 1 .ilxf6 gxf6 1 2.'iYc4 1 2 .fxe 6
fxe6 1 3 .'iYc4 tbc6 ! 1 4. tbxc6 bxc6
1 5 .'iYxc6+ '>itd8 t. White is pinned and
all his dark squares are weak, whilst
Black has two strong bishops. His posi­
tion is preferable. 1 2 ... 4Jc6 ! 1 3.lbxc6
bxc6
1 4.°iVxc6 + @dS
1 S.iJ.. d 3
1 5 .�xa8? �xc 3 + .
1 5 ... l:ta7! 1 6.°iVb6+ 'i¥xb6 1 7.l:txb6
and Black's position is more pleasant, as
e has activated his two bishops and
�te's position contains weaknesses
on the dark squares;
:\2) 1 1 .ile2N Here various moves
.:iave been tried, but I have not found
2.:1)' advantage anywhere. I have there­
� re given this standard move, which
mns at completing the development of
e white pieces, opening the way to
tling, and also sets a trap.
-
-
T h e P o i soned Pawn w i t h 8 . �d3
A2 1 ) 1 1 . .. lbxe4? 1 2 .'ifxe4 'ifxc3 +
1 3 .�d2 d 5 1 4.'iYf4 .id6 1 5 .W!Yxd6
'ti'xd4 1 6 .fxe6+- ;
A22) 1 1 . .. 4Jc6 1 2.lbxc6 It favours
White to exchange on c6, so that after
castling, Black cannot himself exchange
on d4, bringing the white queen to the
same diagonal as the king, with chances
of a queen exchange. If 1 2.0-0?! tbxd4
1 3 .°iYxd4 ile7 ! ( 1 3 . . .°iYc5 ? 1 4.'ifxc5
dxc5 1 5 .ilxf6 gxf6 1 6 .fxe6 fxe6
1 7 .tba4;t) l 4.�e3 0-0 1 5 .'ti'd2 b5
1 6.ttJd5 'ifd8 1 7 .fxe6 fxe6 1 8 .tbxe7 +
'ifxe7+. 1 2 ...bxc6 1 3.0-0 l 3.ild2 'i¥c7
1 4.0-0 exf5 1 5 .@h l ile7 1 6.exf5 0-0
1 7 .'ifg3 l:te8 1 8.ild3 �<ls+. 1 3 ...�e7
14.ile3 1 4.ild2 �d8 1 5 .tLla4 exf5
1 6.exf5 0-0+. Now if Black wants a draw,
he can simply castle 1 4 . . . 0-0, when we
get a perpetual attack on the queen with
1 5 .ilb6 W!Ye5 1 6.ild4 'i¥a5= . Instead,
Black himself avoids this and plays a
move which stirs up the battle anew:
14 ...d5 1 5.�d4 0-0 1 6.eS 4Jd7 1 7.f6
1 7 .fxe6 tbc5 1 8.exf7 + l;Ixf7 1 9 .�e3
l:txfl + 2 0 .l:txfl ile6oo. 1 7 ... ilcs
1 8.ttJb5 ilxd4+ 1 9.tbxd4 tllxe5 20.'iVg3
ttJg6 2 1 .fill.5 'iVcS 22 .c3 l:ta7 oo ;
A23) 1 1 ...4Jbd7 1 2.0-0 and now:
A23 1 ) 1 2 ... lbcS? 1 3.'iVe3 Yi...e 7 14.fxe6
he6 1 4. . . tbxe6?! 1 5 .ilxr6 U6
1 6 . .l:!.xf6 ! The strong bishop needs to be
eliminated, and the black pawn forma­
tion spoiled, after which the white
41
Winn ing w i th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
knight jumps to dS , and he will have a
large advantage. l 6 . . . gxf6 1 7 .tLldS 'li'cS
l 8 .t2lxf6+ Wd8D l 9 .c3 !±. 1 5.tLldS !
.ixdS 1 6.exdS 0-00 1 7.tLlfS ±
A2 3 2) 1 2 ... tLleS ! Now i t i s clear that
the battle is taking place on the kingside
and the knight comes to the defence of
the king. 1 3.'li'h3 fi.e7 ;
A23 2 1 ) 1 4.fxe6 'li'cS ! 1 5.'li'e30 fxe6
1 6 ..ixf6 With l 6 .t2la4 t2ifg4! 1 7 .tLixcS
t2ixe3 1 8 .�xe3 dxcS 1 9 . t2lb3 b 6
2 0 .t2ld2 White can probably equalise.
1 6 ....ixf6
This time the sacrifice does not win,
but helps to stabilise the position.
1 7 . .l:1xf6 gxf6 1 8.t2la4 'li'c7 1 9.tLlb6
.1:1b8 20.�hs+ tt:Jf7 2 1 .�h6 2 I .t2lxc8
'li'xc8 2 2 .�g4 t2ld8 2 3 .�hs+ tt:Jf7
24.�g4 t2ld8= ; or 23 . . . We7 24.'li'h6
t2lf7 2 5 .ilxf7 Wxf7 26 . .i::t f l 'li'd8
2 7 .'li'h3
'li'e7
2 8 .�h s +
Wf8
2 9 .'li'h6+= All roads lead to Rome, and
in this case, all variations lead to a draw!
2 1 . ..'li'cS D 22.'li'xf6 0-0
42
23.tLldS The saving sacrifice, after
which White forces perpetual check.
23 ...exdS 24.�xf7+ .1:1xf7 25.'li°gS +
@fS 26.'li°dS+ Wg7 27.�gS +=;
A2 3 2 2 ) 1 4.Wh l ? 0-0 1 5.fxe6 Not
1 5 . .l:1f4?
1 5 . . . tLldS ! 1 6.�xe7 t2ixf4+. 1 5 ... fxe6
1 6.t2lxe6 Wh8 !:+;
A2 3 2 3) 1 4. .l:1b3 ! Another white piece
goes to the kingside, to take part in the
attack. Admittedly, after this move,
Black obtains the advantage with accu­
rate defence, but he will not survive the
position without good preparation.
1 4 . . . 0-0! 1 5 .Wh l ild8 1 6.�g3 Wh8=F .
Back to the position after 1 0 . . . 'lW aS .
A3) 1 1 .�c4 t2lbd7 l I . . .Wd8 1 2 .�d2
�cs 1 3 .t2la4 'li'xc4 l 4.ilxc4 t2lc6
1 5 .fxe6 t2ixd4 1 6 .ilaS + We7 1 7 .t2lb6
fxe 6 l 8 . t2lxa8 t2lxc2+ l 9 .We2 bS
2 0 .�d3 t2ld4+ 2 l .We3 t2lc6 2 2 .�c3
�b7 2 3 .t2lb6 Wd8 24 . .bf.hc l Black is an
exchange down, but he has two pawns
and the black knight on b6 does not
have any moves. For this reason, Black
has the advantage, Jadoul-Nunn,
Brussels 1 9 8 5 . 1 2.fxe6 �xgS 1 3.exf7
We7 1 4.�e6+ Wd8 1 5.�e8+ t2ixe8
1 6 .t2le6+ We 7 1 7.fxe8�+ Wxe8
1 8.tLlxgS .1:1a7 1 8 . . . tlJcS ! ?N. During the
game, I could not remember which of
these two moves I considered strongest,
Chapter 2 - The P o isoned P awn w i th 8 . °1Wd3
but I was happy that there is not a great
difference, and even in the event of
choosing the less strong move, the
position is equal. 1 9.�c4 ttJeS
1 9 ... j)_e7 . 20.�e6 �xe6 2 1 .tbxe6 @d7
22.tbd4 tbc6 23.tLixc6 bxc6 24. .l:!.b8
@c7 25.l:te8 @d7 Because this was a
club event, and a draw on my board
suited us at that moment, I decide to
force the draw, but for the sake of com­
pleteness, I should point out that even if
we had continued, the position is abso­
lutely equal, for example: 2 5 . . . g 6
2 6 . 0-0 �g7 2 7 .l:tf7 + @b6 2 8 .tba4+
@b5 2 9 . l:txg7 l:txg7 3 0 . l:txh8 @xa4
3 1 .'it>f2=. 26.l:tb8 @c7 with a draw,
Gao Rui-Andriasyan, China tt 2 0 1 2 .
A4) 1 1 .�d2 This is the principled
and strongest reply to my favourite
move 1 O . . . iVa5 .
A4 1 ) 1 1 . .. iVc? 1 2.�e2 1 2 .fxe6 fxe6
1 3 .�e2 tbc6 transposes. 1 2 ... tLic6
1 3.fxe6 1 3 .tbxc6 bxc6 1 4. 0-0 exf5
This idea has been seen several times in
these lines; the point is not to give
iVhite the choice of when to exchange
on e6, opening the f-file. Now if White
replies l 5 .exf5 , then the f-file remains
closed, and instead the e-file is opened.
But that shouldn't be a problem since
Black has already castled. 1 5 _j)_e3
( 1 5 .exf5 d5 =F ; 1 5 .@h l j)_e7 1 6.exf5
0-0 1 7 .iVg3 @h8 1 8 .j)_d3 I:i.e8=F)
1 5 . . . l:tb8 1 6 .l:[xb8 iVxb8 1 7 .iVc4 iVa8
1 8 .exf5 j)_e7 1 9 .iVf4 0-0 2 0 .g4 h6
2 1 .h4 tLih7=F. 1 3 ...fxe6 1 4.tbxc6
We have already seen what happens af­
ter the recapture with the pawn on c6.
In all cases Black is OK, but even so, if
one looks at it from a purely practical
viewpoint, it is very hard for Black to
play those lines if he does not have
good analysis checked sufficiently
deeply with a strong computer :
A4 1 1 ) 1 4 ... bxc6 1 5.0-0 1 5 .e5 dxe5
transposes. 1 5 ... �e? 1 6.e5 dxeS
1 7.'tWh3 With 1 7 .tbe4 ! ? White has
compensation for the pawn, but it is not
more than enough to equalise, since
Black can play the position quietly:
1 7 . . . 0-0 1 8 .tLixf6 + j)_xf6 1 9 .�e4 j)_d7
2 0 .h4 j)_e8 2 1 .h5 'iWd6 2 2 .�e3 iVd5
2 3 .'iWg4 e4 24.l:tb4 c5 2 5 .�c4 iYxh5
2 6 .j)_xe6+ @h8 27 .l:txe4 - Black has an
extra pawn and every chance of win­
ning, Goh Weiming-Lu Yijie, Kuala
Lumpur Open 2 0 1 0 . 1 7 ... 0-0 1 8 ..1d3
a5 1 9.tbe4 tLixe4 20.�xe4 and now:
A4 1 1 1 ) Black has two extra pawns,
but for the moment, he has some pieces
undeveloped, and needs to think about
how to bring them into play as quickly
as possible, even if this is at the cost of a
pawn: 2 0 ... g6 2 1 .�e3 and now:
2 1 . ..l:tf5 In case of 2 1 . . . ..ta6 2 2 . l:txf8+
.l::!.xf8 2 3 .'li'xe6+ @g7 24.'li'xc6 'li'xc6
43
Winning
w
i th the Naj d orf S i c i l i an
2 S .i[xc6 i[b4, Black's position is
slightly more pleasant, but chances are
equal. 2 2 . g4 After 2 2 . i[xfS exfS
2 3 .�b6 �d6 24.llfd l �e6 Black can­
not be worse, because his pawn line on
the e- and f-files is very strong. But
Black has one problem: how to develop
the light-squared bishop, and then
bring the rook into play. 22 .llxfl +
23 ..llxfl
•••
23 .....ia6 If 2 3 . . . �d6 24.gS ld:b8 2 S .c4
c S . 24.ld:f7! 24.�xg6 hxg6 2 S .'iVh6
�gs 2 6 .�xg6 + �g7 2 7 .�xe6+ Wh8
2 8 . llf3
..ixe3 +
2 9 ..l:he3
�a7
3 0 .�h6+ Wg8 3 1 . � g 6 + �g7
3 2 .�xc6 i[b? 3 3 .�e6+ �f7 3 4.�xeS
�ds =F . 24 ... Wxf7 2 S .�xh7+ We8
26.�g8+ Wd7 2 7.�xa8 ..ic4 28.�xg6
jldSD Black should cut off the queen's
path to the kingside, because if the
white queen gets there, his position
will be winning. If 2 8 . . . ..ixa 2 2 9 . ..ie8 +
Wd6 3 0 .�a6 + - . 29.gS
44
It is interesting that the computer as­
sesses the position as absolutely equal,
and gives the same assessment after al­
most every move. In my opinion, White
is slightly better here, because of his
connected passed pawns and more
active pieces;
A41 1 2) 20...ld:xfl + 2 1 ..llxfl and now:
A4 1 1 2 1 ) 2 1 . .. g6 2 2.�g4 �cS + !
2 2 . . . ld:b8 2 3 .h4 �d7 24 . ..ie3 .ll b4D
2 S .hS -+ . 23.Whl and now:
A4 1 1 2 1 1 ) 23 ... .llb 8 Black tries to ex­
ploit the weakness of White's back rank,
but this fails, because White starts an at­
tack on the king with the move h4,
which at the same time makes luft for
the king. 24.h4! 'iVg7D 25.hS gSD
26.�xc6 26 . ..ixgS .i::l'. b4
27 .c4! A nice decoy. 2 7 . . . .llxc4D (it is a
shame that 2 7 . . . i[e? does not work, be­
cause of the cosmic reply 2 8 .i[g6 ! ! and
the subsequent variation 2 8 . . . hxg6
29 .�xe7 �xe7 3 0 .�xg6 + Wh8 3 1 .
�h6+ Wg8 3 2 .llf6 +-) 2 8 .�xh7+
�xh7 2 9 .�xc4 �xhS + 3 0 . �h4
�xh4+ 3 1 . ..ixh4 i[d4. 26 ... ..id6
2 7.�xaS e4 28 . ..id2!;:!;;
A4 1 1 2 1 2) 23 ...�g7! 24.�xc6 llb8
2S .h4! �d6 26 . ..ie4! ;:l;; White is a pawn
down, but his position is clearly better,
on account of his strong and active
pieces, the weak black king and all his
hanging pawns, plus White's passed
C hapter 2
c-pawn, which will soon start to ad­
vance.
A4 1 1 2 2 ) 2 1 . .. �c5 + 2 2.@h l g6D
23.'i¥g4! In this position, the queen
stands very well on g4, where it helps
the advance of the white h-pawn, and
also attacks the black pawns at e6 and
g6, tying down the opponent's pieces.
2 3 ... 'i!'g7 24.�xc6 �a7 24 . . . J:l'.b8
2S . ..txas ;t.
-
T h e P o i s on e d Pa wn with 8 . \Wd 3
'iYcS + D 2 2 .@h l .l:!.f8D 2 3 .'iVg 7 + �e7
24.�xe S ;t . 1 7 . ..te3 �xe5 1 8 .�d4
'iYg5
25 ...teS ! �e7 26.'iVa4!;t.
A4 l 2) Let's see what happens after
the other recapture on c6: 1 4 ... 'iiixc6
1 5.0-0 ..te7
1 9.I:Ixf6 As is well known, the knight is
the king's best defender. When one starts
an attack, one should always neutralise
the enemy knights, so as to strengthen
the attack as much as possible.
A4 1 2 1 ) 1 9 ... gxf6? 20.ltJe4 'iVg6D
20 . . . 'iffS ?? 2 1 ..l:rfl ! + - . 2 1 .�xf6 d5 D
2 1 . . . .l::i'. g 8 ? 2 2 . ..ths 'iYxhS 2 3 .�xe7
'iii g 6 (23 . . . l:!.g6 24 . ..t gs +- ) 24 . ..tgs
dS 2 S .�a3 �g7 2 6 . ltJf6 + @f7
2 7 . .l::!.f l +- . 22 ...txe7 'iYxe4D 23.�a3
1 6.e5 ! Without the sacrifice of the
e-pawn, White's preceding moves make
no sense. 1 6 ... 'i¥c5 + 1 6 . . . dxeS ?
1 7 Jhf6 White's beautiful sacrifices de­
stroy the enemy bastions and lead to a
dear advantage. 1 7 . . . ..txf6 D 1 8 . ..thS +
g6 l 9 . ..txg6+ hxg6 2 0 .'i¥xg6+ @d7D
(2 0 . . . @e ? ? ? 2 l .ltJe4+- ) 2 l . 'iYxf6
23 ... 'iiie 5D 2 3 . . . Vixe2 24 . ..tgS ! ! @d7
2S .�e7+ @c6 2 6.�f4! ! +- . 24.�h4!
°iYd4+D 25.�£'2 'iYe5D 26.�g3 �d4+
Or 2 6 . . . °iVgS 2 7 .�b4!±. 2 7.@h l +- ;
A4 1 2 2) 1 9 .....txf6 ! 20.�xf6 �xf6
2 0 . . . gxf6 ! ? 2 1 .ltJe4 Wies 2 2 .ltJxd6+
@f8 2 3 . ltJc4 �cs + 2 4 . @ h l bS
2S .'i¥f3 Wg7 2 6 .�xa8 ( 2 6 .�g3 + @f8
45
Winning with the Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
2 7 .�f3 <;itg7=) 26 ... bxc4 2 7 .�f3 hS
2 8 .�g3 + <;i(f7 oo. One does not see
such a position every day: the players
have made 2 8 moves, only three pieces
remain on the board (excluding
pawns) , and two of Black's three pieces
have not moved. But, as they say, to re­
turn to our mutton: Black has an extra
pawn, but White's pieces are more ac­
tive and he has sufficient compensation.
2 1 .tlJe4 'Y!VeS D 22.tt:lxd6+ <;ite7D At
first glance, Black should win, as he
stands excellently in material terms, but
he has the problem that his king is in
the centre and all his pieces at home.
2 3 .1:!.dl 2 3 .tDxb7 �xb7 24.1:!.xb 7 +
<;itf8 2 5 .�d7 �a l + 2 6 . �fl �f6
2 7 .'Y!Vd6+ <;itg8 2 8 .�c4 'ifa l +
2 9 .�fl = . 2 3 ... bS 24. 'Y!Va3 'Y!Vxe2
2S.tbxc8+ <;itf6D Not one step back!
This is the only move, which forces
White to take the draw. 26.'Y!Vc3 + <;itg6
2 7 . .l:l: e l 'iVxe 1 +D 2 8 .'Y!Vxe l 1:!.hxc8
29.'Y!Vxe6+ <;itgS= .
A42) 1 1 ...eS ! ?N
A42 l ) 1 2.tlJdS 'Y!Vxa2 1 3.tbc3 'Y!Vas
1 4.tlJdS 'Y!Vd8 ! ? This is what Black plays
if he wishes to avoid a draw and to con­
tinue the battle ( 1 4 . . . 'l!Va 2 1 5 . tbc3
'Y!VaS =) ;
A42 2) 1 2.tlJb3 'Y!Vc7 and now:
A42 2 1 ) 1 3.�e2 b6 14.g4 h6 1 S.h4 A
battle is taking place for the dS-square,
46
and both sides are in a decisive mood.
White's idea is very simple: he wants to
drive the knight from f6 with his pawns
but he has a problem having to spend a
tempo defending the rook on h 1 , and
Black exploits this to create counterplay
on the queenside. 1 S ... �b7 and now:
A42 2 l l ) 1 6.�f3 tbc6! In the Najdorf
in general, the knight stands very well
on d7 , but of course there are excep­
tions. Here Black threatens to bring the
knight to b4, attacking the queen and
pawn, and also continuing the fight for
dS . 1 7.gS White goes va-banque, as he
has no time for moves such as a2-a3.
He must go forward without taking a
step back; for example 1 7 .a3 tbe7 !
1 8 .gS hxgS 1 9 .hxgS 1:1.xh l + 2 0 . .ixh l
tlJd7 '.f . 1 7 ... tbb4! 1 8 .'Y!Ve2 hxgS
1 9.hxgS 1:1.xhl + 20 ...txhl tlJd7 2 1 .l:!.b2
2 1 ...aS ! ! A very strong computer move.
A human player's hand would not
weaken the light squares in his own
camp in this way. But the main thing is
to free a6 for the knight and bishop.
22.a3 tba6 23.g6 fxg6 24.fxg6 �e7
Black has an extra pawn and his king is
not weaker than White's. The position
is very interesting, reminding one of
Fischer's play! ;
A42 2 1 2) 1 6.0-0 'Y!Vc6 1 7.�f3 1 7 . g S ?
hxg 5 1 8 .hxg 5 tbxe4 1 9 . .if3 dS
20 .1:!.fe l l:!.h4!-+ . 1 7...�e7 1 8.1:!.f2
Cha p t er l
1 8 . g S hxg5 1 9 .hxgS tll h 7 ! 1 0 . g 6
tll f6 ! =i'= . 1 8 ...tll b d7 1 9.g5
1 9 ... tll gS The idea is simple: to con­
tinue the fight for the square d5 by
bringing the knight to e 7 , which the
bishop will free by moving to d8 . Black
will then be fine. 20.l:!:g2 After 1 0 .tll d S
hxg5 1 1 .hxgS l:!:c8 2 2 .�gl �d8 !
1 3 .'i¥g3 tll e 7=i= Black should gradually
realise his advantage. 20 ... hxgS 2 1 .hxgS
�d8 !=i'= Black just has an extra pawn and
he should start exchanging pieces, after
which his advantage will be obvious.
A42 21) 1 3.g4! is a strong attacking
move. There is really no time for quiet
moves such as �el or l:!:g l , White must
immediately start the battle for the
-square, and every tempo is precious.
1 3 ... bS 1 3 . . . h6 1 4.�gl �e7 1 5 .h4
_c6 1 6 .gS tll b4 1 7 .'it'el hxg5 1 8 .hxgS
:.xh l + 1 9 .�xh l tll d 7 1 0 .l:!:cl tll b 6
_ J .a3 tll c 6 1 1 .tll d S tllx d5 1 3 .exdS tll a 7
-4.�e4 �d7 1 5 .c4. 1 4.g5
-
The P o i soned Pawn w i th 8 . \Wd 3
14 b4! 1 5.gxf6 bxc3 1 6.�xc3 and
now 1 6 ... g6! 1 7.�aS 'lic6 1 8.'i¥c4 gb7
Black is fine, whilst White is less so,
since all his pawns are hanging.
B) 1 O ...tll c6 Black obliges White to
force matters. 1 1 .fxe6 fxe6 1 2.tllxc6 bxc6
•..
B l ) Now White can develop quietly
here, or demolish Black's structure right
away with a second pawn sacrifice:
1 3.es dxe5 1 4.�xf6 gxf6 1 5.ke2 ge7
1 6.�hS + @f8 1 7 .0-0. This transposes
to a line thoroughly examined below
(page 5 1 , line Bl l ) ;
Bl) 1 3 .ke2 The idea of this is to ex­
ploit the fact that Black's pieces still
stand on their original squares and
there is also an interesting tactical mo­
tif: the bishop check on h5 .
Bl l ) 1 3 ...�e7 1 4.kh5 +
Bl l l ) 1 4 ... g6?If Black takes on h5
with the knight, then he reaches a bad
endgame, but the text fails to a tactical
blow, that gives White the advantage:
47
Winning w i th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
1 5 .e5 ! dxe5 1 5 . . . tll d s 1 6 .l:!b3 ± .
1 6 . .ld:b3 e4 1 7.°iVd4 ! ? 1 7 . °iVh3 ! ± .
1 7 ...'f!fd6? In this game, Black did not
find the most tenacious defence and
lost at once. It was necessary to seek
drawing chances in an inferior end­
game with 1 7 . . . 'iic S ! 1 8 .llxf6 l:!f8
1 9 .'iVxcS llxcS 2 0 .tll xe4 gxhS 2 1 . l:!fl
and White's advantage isn't that big.
1 8.�xf6 0-0 1 9.�e2 l:!xf6 20.'f!fxd6
�xd6 2 1 .tllxe4 lle7 22.tllxf6+ �xf6
2 3.l:i:fl ± Robson-De Firmian, Philadel­
phia 20 1 O ;
B 2 1 2) 1 4 ... tll xh5 1 5 .�xe 7 tll f40
1 6.°iVd4! Looking at the games which
have reached this position, it is obvi­
ous that the only hope of an advantage
is the text, after which we reach a very
interesting endgame, whereas after
the move 'iY g 3 , Black saves himself
tactically: 1 6 .'i¥g3 eS ! 1 7 .l:!d l .ig4
l 8 . .ixd60 °'lWaS D l 9 . .l:ld2 ( 1 9 . 0- 0
�xd l 2 0 .°iYgS .l:la7-+) 1 9 . . . .l:Id8 0
2 0 .h3 l:!xd60 Black cannot castle, as
his bishop is hanging , whilst he can­
not move the bishop away, because he
loses the g 7 -pawn and with it, the
game. 2 1 .l:!xd6 'iVa3 (the point of
Black's play. Now White must part
with the exchang e , after which
chances are equal) 2 2. 'iYxg4 'itxd6
2 3 .'itxg 7 ! ( 2 3 .'itc8 + @f7 24.'i¥xh8
'iVd4 2 5 .tll e 2 'lWe3 2 6 .@ d l tll x e2
27 . .l:Ifl + tll f4 28 . .l:Ie l 'itd4+ 2 9 . @ c l
'ita 1 + = ) 2 3 . . . .l:If8 2 4 . .l:I f l 'itd4
25 . .l:!.f3 tll d 3 + 2 6 . cxd3 'itxc 3 +
2 7 . @e 2 'it b 2 + 2 8 . @e l 'itc3 + = .
1 6 ...e 5 1 7.'i¥xe5 'itc l + This move is
probably stronger than 1 7 . . . tll g 2 + ,
but in both cases, White i s better, and
will obtain an ending with some ad­
vantage due to his more active pieces :
1 7 . . . tll x g2 + 1 8 .@f2 dxeS 1 9 .llxa3
tll f4
48
20.tlla4! . Theory used to consider this
position to be equal, but after this idea
was found it became clear that White has
the advantage, on account of his strong
pieces and the fact that he does not per­
mit Black to castle. 20 . . . llg4 (20 . . . �h3
2 l .tll b 6 l:!d8 22.tll c4 cS 2 3 . .ixcS lle60
- the only move that does not lose at
once. White threatened 24.l:!b7, after
which the threat of 2 5 .tlld 6+ is decisive,
but the bishop move forces the knight to
come to d6 at once, without the inclusion
of the rook. 24.tllxeS .l:!:c8 25 .�a3
l:!xc2+ 2 6.@e3 tll g 6 2 7.l:!b6 tllxeS
28 . .l:Ixe6+ @f7 29 . .l:Ie7+ @g6 3 0.l:!g l +
@h6 3 1 .llc 1 tll g 6 3 2 .l:!d7 l:!hc8
33 ..id2 tll e s 3 4.@e2+ gs 3 5 .l:!d6+ and
White wins) 2 1 .tllb 6 l:!d8 2 2 .tll c4 tll g 6
2 3 .@g3 �c8 24.tlld 6+ @d7 2 5 .tllf7 and
White won in Carlsson-Claros Egea,
Malaga 20 1 0. 1 8.l:!xcl dxe5 1 9 .�d6
tllx g2+ 20.@fl tll f4 2 1 .l:!b l h5
2 l . ..�a7 ! . 22.tlla4 �g4 23.l:!b7 :!:Ids and
White has a large advantage, Carlsson­
Eriksson, Vasteras ch-SWE 2 0 1 1 .
B22) 1 3 ... 'iVa5 ! As we will see from
the variations that follow after
1 3 . . . .ie7 , the queen on a3 is constantly
under threat from White's pieces,
whereas with the text Black transfers
the queen with tempo, to a necessary
defensive post.
B 2 2 1 ) 1 4.�xf6 gxf6 1 5 .0-0 Jl.e7
1 6.�g4
Chapter 2
B2 2 1 1 ) 1 6 . . . 0 - 0 ! ? 1 7 .tLle2 �gs
1 8 . ..th3 dS 1 9.tlJf4 dxe4 2 0.�xe4
cs + 2 1 .@h l fs 22 .�e2 .l:!.f6 2 3 .g4 es
24.tlJhS with an extremely powerful at­
rack, in which all White's fighting units
are taking part. There can be no doubt
about his advantage, Solodovnichenko­
Zakhartsov, Cappelle la Grande 2009;
1 7.�h3
.l:!.gS
B 2 2 1 2) 1 6 ... .l:!.gS
1 8 .tlJe2 .l:!.bS An alternative is
1 8 . . . 'iY'cs + 1 9 .@h l aS .
·e have reached an extremely interest­
g position, where White has the ini. rive for his sacrificed pawn. Black has
problems defending the pawn on e6
- d his king remains in the centre. In
rerurn, he has the good square eS and
e white pawn structure is damaged.
:022 1 2 1 ) 1 9.l:!'.bdl ld.cS?! 1 9 . . . l:!'.b4!
e rook has achieved miracles, travelling
- the way from h8 to bS , where it has
ght and won the battle for the open
file. Now it helps Black start coun-
•
-
The P o i s oned Pawn w i th 8 . �d3
terplay by attacking the pawn on e4.
20.c3 .l:!.b2 2 1 .tlJd4 'tWes 22.'f!Yc4 @f7=.
20.�hl 20.tt:Jd4! . 20...�s 2 1 .'i!'f3 �d7
22.tllf4 'iY'c4 23.l:!'.bl .l:tbS 24.l:rb3 @£7
2S.a4 l:!'.xb3 26.cxb3 �cs 2 7.�g4;
B22 1 22) 1 9.liJd4!?N A move which
involves the sacrifice of a second pawn.
White understands that he is already
one pawn down and needs to undertake
decisive measures. 1 9 ... l:!'.xb l 20.l:!'.xb l
�xa2 2 1 .c4 d S 22.exdS �cSD 2 3.dxe6
�xd4+ 24.@hl .l:i.a70 The pawn h7 is
hanging and Black cannot afford to lose
it, because he will be mated. With the
text move he defends it, but gives
White the chance to regain his piece
and equalise the position: 25 .l::!: fl �es
26.e7 .ld:xe7 2 7.�xc8=.
B 2 2 1 3 ) 1 6 ... �gS ! ?N Looking at
Black's other moves, it is clear that these
also lead to a reasonable position, but
we must not forget that he has an extra
pawn and the better pawn structure, so
he should fight for the advantage.
1 7.�c4 @£7 1 8.�xc6 .l:i.a7 1 9.l:!'.b8
�xg4 20 ..l:i.xc8 l:!'.xc8 2 1 .�xc8 �g8
Black's position is the more pleasant,
because of the structure and his good
pieces. The exchange of queens will in­
crease his advantage.
B222) 1 4.�d2! ? He does not want to
exchange this bishop, because his dark
squares are all weak and the bishop de­
fends them. 14 ...�c7
•
•
_
49
Winning w i th the Naj d or f S i c i l i an
B 2 2 2 1 ) 1 5.0-0 .ie7 ! 1 6 .e5 dxe5
1 7 .tlJe4 0-0! l 8 .tlJxf6 + ..txf6=F;
B 2 2 2 2) 1 5 .g4 tlJd7 1 6 . 0 - 0 tlJe5
1 7 .�h3 l:i.b8 1 8 .l:rxb8 �xb8 1 9 .g5 g6
2 0 . .ig4 tlJxg4 2 l .'lWxg4 'lWb6+ 2 2 . l:rf2
.ig 7 23 .tlJa4-+ Pap-Tosic, Pozarevac
20 1 2;
B2223) 1 5 .e5 dxe5 1 6.tlJe4 l 6 . .ig5
..te7 1 7 . ..txf6 j/_xf6 1 8 .tlJe4 0-0 1 9 . 0-0
l:rb8 2 0 .l::t bd l c5 2 1 .'lWh3 c4 2 2 .tlJg5
'lWc5 + 2 3 .Whl .ixg5 Black is winning
Apryshko-Gabuzyan, Albena jr 2 0 1 1 .
1 6 ... ..te7 1 7.tt:Jxf6+ �xf6 1 8 ...th5 + g6
1 9.0-0 0-0
White is two pawns down and this is
beginning to tell, so he has to sacrifice
the piece and give perpetual check:
2 0 .�xg6 hxg6 2 l . .ih6 .ig7 22 . .l:txf8+
Wxf8 2 3 .l:rfl + ..tig8 24.'lWxg6 'lWb6+
2 5 .Wh l l:ra7 2 6.�xg 7 .l:i.xg7 2 7 .'lWe8+
..tih7 2 8 . 'lWxc8 'lWb5 2 9 .'lWf8 'lWe2
3 0.'lWf3 = .
50
1 1 .£le2
1 1 .fxe6 fxe6 1 2.�e2 1 2 .'lWc4 0-0!
1 3 .tt:Jxe6 bS !-+ . 12 ...'lWa5 1 2 ... 'lWcs
1 3 . ..te3 'lWc7 1 4.0-0 0-0 1 S .�c4 'lWd7
l 6 .�b3 bS 1 7 .a4 tlJc6 1 8 .axbS tlJxd4
1 9 ,j/_xd4 axbS 2 0 .�xbS 'lWb7 By giv­
ing back the pawn, Black rids himself of
all his problems and easily equalises. Al­
though a lot of pieces remain on the
board, in my opinion, the draw is not
far away, Kiran-Ju Wenjun, Olongapo
2 0 1 0. 1 3.�d2 'lW c7 1 4.g4 h6 (transpos­
ing to l l . .ie2) 1 5.e5 dxe5 1 6 .'lWg6+
�f8 1 7.tlJf3 ..td7 1 8.g5 �e8 1 9.'lWd3
hxg5 20.tlJxg5 'lWd7 The strongest
move of the many possibilities at Black's
disposal, and one which gives him
good chances of achieving mutual play.
2 0 . . . ..tig8 ; 2 0 . . . ..tf7 2 l .tlJxf7 ..tixf7
2 2 .l:rg l . 2 1 .'lWg3 ..tf7 22.l:rgl l:rg8
2 3.tlJxf7 ..tixf7 24.'lWg6+ ..tif8 25 ...th5
'lWe8+- Adhiban-Gao Rui, Mashhad
Ach 2 0 1 1 .
1 1 ...�a5!
A) The black queen cannot afford to
remain in White's camp any longer, and
must return home to help its side in a
difficult defence. If 1 1 . .. 'lWc5 1 2 ...te3
'lWc7 1 3 .fxe6! Black wants to close the
position with the move es whilst
'
White must prevent this. After l 3 .g4 h6
1 4.fxe6 fxe6 l S .0-0 0-0 1 6 .h4 dS
1 7 .es tlJh7 White has compensation,
Duistermaat-Hort, Utrecht 1 9 8 6 .
1 3 ...fxe6 1 4.0-0 1 4.�c4. 1 4 ...tt:Jc6
1 4 . . . 0-0 1 5 .'lWc4 'lWxc4 1 6 ..ixc4 tlJc6
1 7 . .ixe6+ .ixe6 1 8 . tlJxe6 l:rf7
l 9 . l:rxb7 ;!; . 1 5.'lWc4 'lWd7 1 6.tlJa4 tt:Je5
1 7.'lWb3 ..td8 1 8.tlJb6 l 8 .l:rxf6 gxf6
1 9 . ..ths +
tt:Jg6
2 0 . .ig4
tt:Jf8
2 1 ...thS +=. 1 8 .....txb6 1 9.'lWxb6 0-0
20 ...tg5� White exchanges Black's cen-
Chapter 2
rral defender, the bishop on e 7 , after
which he has a strong initiative on the
dark squares;
B) 1 1 . .. tbc6? 1 2.fxe6 fxe6 1 3.tbxc6
bxc6
B l ) 1 4.0-0 White has other, possi­
ly slightly better possibilities ,
whereas castling grants Black time to
return the queen to his own camp.
7he better lines are mentioned in the
nriations 1 4 ... 'li'as 1 4 . . JH8 1 S .�e3
as 1 6 .�d4 .nf? 1 7 .'li'c4 cs 1 8 . ..tf2
c7 1 9 . ..tf3 l::r b 8 with compensation
or White, as seen in a correspon­
ence game Marcotulli-Myakutin.
B 1 1 ) 1 S.'li'd2�;
B 1 2) Or 1 S.�xf6 gxf6 1 S ... �xf6 ?
6 . .l:!.xf6 ! gxf6 1 7 .'li'xd6 �d7 1 8 .l::r d l
.:d8 1 9 . tbds ! L. 2 0 .�hS +- Van der
:..inde-Zsu. Polgar, Utrecht 1 9 8 6 .
6.�g4 White makes the standard
ishop transfer to h3 , from where it
ill exert pressure on the e6-pawn, at
e same time freeing the el-square for
knight, which will add to Black's
oblems when it reaches either d4 or
·
B 1 2 1 ) 1 6 ... 0-0 1 7.Whl 1 7 .'iWc4 ! ? dS
. . 'lWxc6 'li'cS + 1 9 .'li'xcS ..txcS +
_O . Wh 1 dxe4 2 1 . tbxe4 ..te ? oo .
7 ... Wh8 1 8.tbe2� 1/2- 1/2 Lastin­
eschenko, St Petersburg Chigorin Me­
orial 2 0 0 2 ;
-
T h e P o i soned Pawn w i t h 8 . � d 3
B 1 2 2 ) 1 6 . . .h s
1 7 .�h3
Wf7
1 8 . Wh l � 1/2- 1/2 Nataf-Marjanovic,
Budva tt 2 0 0 3 ;
B 1 2 3 ) 1 6 ....!:!'.g8 1 7 . ..th3 and now:
B 1 2 3 1 ) 1 7 ... .l:!.gs We have seen this
idea several times already: the rook
uses the fifth rank to help defend the
weak squares in his camp and the
weak pawns which need constant de­
fence. 1 8 .tb e 2 'li'cs + 1 8 . . . .l:!.bs
1 9 .l::r b d l .l:!.cs 2 0 .Wh l 'iVbs 2 1 .'li'f3
� d 7 2 2 . t2Jf4 'i'c4 2 3 . 1:1'.b l .l:!.bs
2 4 . .l:!.b3 Wf7 with compensation,
Gashimov-Areschenko ,
Lausanne
2 0 0 6 . 1 9.Whl as� (Sambuev-Koka­
rev, St Petersburg 2 0 0 2 ) 20.c4 hS
2 1 .tbd4 es 22.tbe6 ..txe6 2 3 .ii.xe6
'li'a7 24.'li'f3 h4 2 S .'i¥h3 .l:!.b8
2 6 . 'i¥xh4+- , Brandenburg-Kodent­
sov, Dieren 2 0 0 9 ;
B 1 2 3 2) 1 7 ... Wf7
1 8.Whl
.!::l. a 7
19 .tbe2 ii.d7 20.eS fS 2 1 .tbd4 White
has a very strong attack, although later,
he did not find the best moves and lost
in Van der Ploeg-Kozlowicz, IECG 2 0 0 3
Telechess 1 0 S .
B 1 3 ) 1 S . ..t d 2 �c7 1 6 .eS dxeS
1 7 .tba4 .l:!.b8 1 8 . .l:!.xb8 'li'xb8 1 9 .'li'g3
0-0 20 .�d3 tbdS - Black beats off the
white attack and keeps two extra pawns.
He is winning, Van der Linde-Zsu.
Polgar, Utrecht 1 98 6 .
B2) 1 4.eS?!
SI
Winning w i th the Naj d orf S i c i l i an
1 4 ...dxeS The move 1 4 . . . tbdS ? does not
work, for several reasons: firstly, White
exploits the bad position of the black
queen, secondly, the black king remains
in the centre, and thirdly, the black
pieces are still on their starting squares:
l S.tbxdS �as+ ( 1 S ... �xd3 1 6.tbc7+
Wd7 1 7 .ilxd3 +-) 1 6 .tbb4 �xgS
1 7 .il.hS+ g6 1 8.hg6+ hxg6 1 9.�xg6+
Wd7 20.�g 7 + it...e 7 2 1 .exd6 �gs
22.�xh8 it...b 7 2 3 .�3 cs 24.0-0+-.
1 S ..hf6 gxf6 1s ...M6? 1 6.il.hS+ g6
1 7 .it...x g6+ hxg6 1 8 .�xg6+ We7
1 9. 0-0+- . 1 6.it...hS + @fS
B2 l ) 1 7.0-0 and now:
B2 1 l ) 1 7 ... e4 1 S.'i¥h3 1 8.�d4 �cs
1 9 . .l::txf6+ Wg8=F. 1 s ...f5 1 9.Whl .l::tgs
20 . .l::tb 3 �cs 2 1 .tbxe4 �es 2 l . . . �xc2
2 2 .it...f3 �xa2? (this is already a bit too
much. The queen should retreat, rather
than worsening its position: 22 . . . �c4!
23 . .l:rd l fxe4 24.�xh7 �xb3 2 S .�h6+
l:Ig7 2 6 . axb3 exf3 2 7 .�h8+ Wf7
2 8 .�hS+=) 23 .�xh 7 ? (23 .�h6+ .l::!. g 7
24.l:rfb l ±) 23 . . . �xb3 24.it... h s es
2 S .11xfS+ (there is nothing better than
this exchange sacrifice, after which
White can give perpetual check)
2S . . . il.xfS 2 6.�xfS + Wg7 2 7 .�g6+
Wf8 2 8 .�fS + ended in a draw by per­
petual in Van der Wiel-Gavrikov, London
play-off l 9 8 S . 22.l:re3 l:tg7 23.�f3 l:tbS
24.tbg3 �cs 2S.�e2 @gs 26.I!:es �a7
2 7.l:rxe6 it...xe6 2 S.�xe6+ WhS
S2
29.ttJxfS �fl Although Black has an ex­
tra exchange, he has fallen under a dan­
gerous attack and it is a good job that he
has the queen move, which underlines
the weakness of White's back rank and
equalises. 30.tbe3 �d2 3 1 ..l::td l �fl
32JHl �h4 3 3.ttJfS �fl 34.tbe3= ;
B 2 1 2 ) 1 7 ... fs
Black starts to
strengthen his position and to take con­
trol of the central squares, but White has
compensation, in the shape of the bad
position of the black king. l S .Whl .!:!.gs
1 9.�c4 �g7 20.tba4 as 2 1 .l:!.fdl it...a6
22.�xe6 .!:!.ads 2 3 .ld:b3 lhd l +
24.il.xdl White is winning, since if the
queen moves away, White mates in two
with the rook check from d3 ,
Shabalov-Krush, St. Louis ch-USA 2009;
B22) 1 7.�e3 and now:
B 2 2 1 ) 1 7 ... �cS 1 S.�h6 + @gs
1 9.tbe4 �d4 Despite the fact that
White has not managed to castle, his
king in the centre feels rather safer than
the black king on g 8 , which is under a
mating attack. 20.l:rb3 2 0 .tbxf6 + ! ± .
2 0 ...�xe4+ 2 1 .Wdl �dS + 2 2 . .!:!.d3
�xg2 2 3 .l:!.g3 + �xg3 24.hxg3 ±
Oakley-Horrocks, England corr. 1 9 9 S ;
B 2 2 2 ) 1 7 ... Wg7
1 8 .�b3
�cs
1 9 .�g 3 + Wf8 2 0 .tbe4 �as + 2 1 .�c3
�g8 2 2 .�h3 �a4 2 3 .tbxf6 it...xf6
24.0-0
�d4+
2 s .@h1
e4-+
Pyhala-Tella, Finland tt 1 9 9 3 .
Chap t e r 2
B 2 2 3 ) 1 7 ... ld.g8 l 8 . �h 6 + i:I g 7
1 9 .llb3 �as 2 0 . 0-0 fsoo Safarian-T.
Nakamura, corr. 2 004.
B23) 1 7.�d2 Wg7 18 ..Ub3 Sadly. the
knight sacrifice does not work. White
therefore has to start the attack immedi­
ately with the move .Ub3 , but this has its
minuses 1 8 .tll d S .l::l. d 8 ! ( 1 8 . . . exdS
1 9 .l:Ib3 �xb3 2 0 .cxb3oo) 1 9 . .Ub3
.l:!.xdS 20 ..Uxa3 I:!.xd2 2 l .Ug3+ @h6+.
18 ...�a5 Here we see the drawback of
1 8 . .l:!.b3 : the black queen comes to aS
and does not allow the white knight to
escape, even at the cost of a piece. If
1 8 . . . �d6 1 9 .tll d S ! .l:!.g8 20 . .l:!.g3+ @h8
2 1 . lhg 8 + 'i£txg 8 2 2 .tll xf6 + 'i£th8
( 2 3 .�h6
�b4+ ! =)
2 3 .�xd6
23 . . . �xd6 24.0-0 (24.tll e 4 �a3 ! =)
24 . . . l::i.a 7 2 S .tll e 4 �a3 =. 1 9.0-0 .l:!.g8
20.@hl Wh8 2 1 .�h6 The lesser evil is
2 1 .�e3=F. 2 1 . ..�d8 22.tlle4 f5 23.�£7
White also loses after 23 .�h3 �gS ! and
23 . .Ud3 'iff8 24.�d2 fxe4! . 23 ... �fiJ
24.�h5 .Ug7 24 . . . .l:!.g4-+ . 25.�e8 a5
26.�xc6 �a6 2 7.l:tfl Or 2 7 .itbS a4!
28 . .Ubb l �xbS 29 . .l:!.xbS �c8 ! 3 0 .tll g 3
f4 3 1 .tll e 2 �c6- + . 27 ... .UdS 0 - 1
unn-Kasparov, Brussels 1 9 8 6 ;
B 3 ) 1 4.�h5 + g 6 O r 1 4 . . . tll x hS ?
1 S .�xe7 tll f4 1 6.°iVd4 tllx g2+ 1 7 .@f2
eS 1 8 .'ifxeS dxeS 1 9 .�xa3 tll f4 we've seen this endgame earlier in the
game Carlsson-Claros Egea: after
20.tll a4 White has an edge.
.
-
The P o i soned Pawn wi th 8 . \Wd 3
1 5 .e5 An excellent tactical nuance,
which gives White a large advantage.
Once again, the bad position of the
black queen on a3 tells.
B3 1 ) 1 5 ... dxe5? 1 6.�xf6 �xf6
1 7.�xg6+ hxg6 1 8.'lWxg6+ Wd70
1 8 . . . Wel ? ?+- 1 9 . 0-0 .l:!f8 2 0 .tll e 4+ - .
1 9 .0-0 �e70 20.tlle4! +- ;
B3 2 ) 1 5 ... tll d 5
1 6 . .Ub3
'lWa5 0
1 7.�xe7 tllxe7 The best option, al­
though it still leaves White with a much
better position. Not 1 7 . . . @xe l ?
1 8 .exd6+ Wxd6 1 9 .0-0+-. 1 8.exd6
tllfs 1 9.�f3 �d7
20.�d2 !;:!;; Now White regains the
pawn and shatters the black position,
leaving him with all his dark squares
weak, as well as White having a strong
passed pawn.
1 2.�d2
1 2.0-0 is slow, and Black manages to
develop his knight, after which rather
53
Winning
w
i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
th an thinking about attacking, White
has to concern himself with how to
prevent the exchange of queens:
A) After 1 2 ... 0-0 White has a choice
between 1 3.�e3 ; 1 3.�d2 �c7 1 4.g4
lLlbd7 l S .gs lLieS ; and 1 3 .<;t>hl lLic6
1 4.lLlxc6 bxc6 1 S .�d2 ( 1 S .�d2 �c7
1 6.�f4 lLie8 1 7 . �bd l l:ta7 1 8 .�xe7
�xe7 1 9 .l:td3oo) l S . . . exfS 1 6.lLldS
�d8 1 7 .lLixe7 + �xe7 oo Black still has
an extra pawn, but White has the two
bishops, which I think should be
enough for equality;
B) 1 2 ... lLlbd??!N In this position, it
seems to me that Black should bring his
knight to eS. But this can only be done
via d 7 , because if the knight comes to
c6, White exchanges it. From eS , the
knight controls the important squares
c4, g4, and f3 , which are very impor­
tant for the defence. However, the move
runs into a specific and concrete retort:
1 3 .fxe6 ! 1 3 .�hS lLieS ( 1 3 . . . lLicS)
1 4.�e3 ( 1 4.�d2 lLlc4 (or 1 4 ... exfS)
1 S .�d3) 1 4 . . . lLifg4 1 S .�xg4 lLixg4
l 6 . �d2 �xg S 1 7 .�xgS �xc3
l 8 .�xg7 + . 1 3 ...�xgS
Here White has three continuations,
but the most logical is to take back the
piece with check. After this, White has
a clear advantage, because of his strong
knights and, the biggest factor of all,
the black king has not castled. In the
S4
other lines, White does not have an ad­
vantage :
B 1 ) 1 4.l:tfS ? lLleS l S . exf7 + <;t>xf7
1 6 . .!:!:xgS lLlxd3 = ;
B2) 1 4.exf7+ <;t>xf7 1 S .�c4+ l S .lLifs
lLieS l 6.�d4 lLic6 1 7 .�c4+; l S .lLldS
lLics +. 1 s ... <;t>eS l 6.lLlfS tbeS :f ;
B3) 1 4.exd 7 + ! tbxd7 1 4 . . . �xd7 ?
l S .llJfS ± . l S.tbfs and now:
B3 l ) 1 S ... tbes 1 6.tbxd6+ <;t>f8 Black
lacks one tempo to finally castle, as a re­
sult of which he comes under an ex­
tremely powerful attack. If l 6 . . . �xd6
1 7 .�xd6 �e7 ( 1 7 . . . �h3 1 8 .l:tf2 l:td8
1 9 .�a3 l:td7±) 1 8 .°'lWd4; or l 8 .'iix e7 +
<;t>xe7 1 9 .lLldS + <;t>d6 2 0 .J:tb6+ <;tics
2 i .l:td 1 t. 1 7.�ds
.1 •.t •���=
... .
... ._..,,,�
,,.·
•
1 7 ...tbf3+D 1 8.�xf3 �xdS 1 9.exdS
�xd6 20.tbe4 �es 2 1 .d6i The passed
pawn and very active pieces give White
a large advantage. ;
B 3 2 ) l S ... tbcs
1 6.'i¥c4!
�xfS
l 6 . . . �e6 1 7 . lLids �xdS 1 8 .�xdS
0-0D 1 9 .h4 �f6 2 0 .l:tb6±. 1 7.l:txfS
'tWe3 + 1 8.<;t>fl ! f6 1 9.a4!± As we know,
with opposite bishops, having the at­
tack is often more important than mate­
rial. In this case, it is White.
C) 1 2 ... tbc6! A strong move, causing
White a lot of trouble. 1 3.tbxc6 bxc6
1 4.�d2 1 4.�e3 0-0 1 S .g4 ( 1 S .�b6
�es l 6.�d4=) l S . . . exfS 1 6 .exfS
lLld7 ! :f . 1 4 ... 'tWdS 1 S.tba4 0-0 Black has
Chapter 2
extra pawn and an excellent position.
Soon, he will take on fS and play
. . . d6-dS , after which he will have a
great advantage.
an
1 2 'iifc7
...
Risky is 1 2 ... t2Jc6 ! ? 1 3 .fxe6 fxe6
1 4.t2Jxc6
bxc6
1 5 .tt:Jds
'i¥d8
1 S . . . Wfxa2 ! ? 1 6. ttJxf6+ .txf6 1 7 . 0-0
0-0 1 8 .�gS Wfas 1 9 .jt_xf6 gxf6
2 0 .°iWg 3 + Wigs 2 1 . °iWxd6 'tWeS = .
1 6.t2Jxe7 'i¥xe7
-
The P o i soned Pawn w i th 8 . � d 3
opment advantage would be of little
consequence .
1 3.fxe6
1 3.0-0 1 3 .g4 ! ? es 1 4.ttJb3 h6 ! =F .
1 3 ... t2Jc6 1 3 . . . eS ? ! 1 4.tlJb3 b S ; whereas
with 1 4 . . . 0-0? Black would step into a
dangerous attack: l S .g4! dS 1 6 .gS dxe4
1 7 .'tWe3 ! ± . 1 4.tbxc6 and now:
A) How should Black recapture? Both
options have their plusses and minuses:
if Black takes with the pawn, he has the
possibility of . . . d6-dS, obtaining a
strong pawn centre, but the downside is
that he opens the b-file for the white
rook. Taking with the queen starts pres­
sure on the e4-pawn, but deprives him
of the chance of a strong pawn centre.
1 4 ... bxc6 1 5.�g3 'iitf8 1 6.�d3 exfS
1 7.eS dxeS 1 8.�e3 e4 1 9.0-0i Wfa7 ! If
Black does not exchange queens, he can
be mated quickly. But even after the ex­
change, White would retain pressure,
despite the fact that he is two pawns
down.
such situations, Black is preparing
. . . e6-eS , closing the position, and
White has to do something concrete,
because in a closed position, his develIn
1 7.�e3 1 7 . exfS hS ! . 1 7 ... .tlbS !
1 8.l:!.xbS 'ii'xb8 1 9 .exfS hS Black has a
strong pawn and his position is very
firm, whilst the strong idea of advanc­
ing the h-pawn forces White to tie his
pieces down.
B) 1 4 ... 'ii'xc6 1 5.'ii'g 3 g6 ! The best
move. Black cannot castle because of
jt_h6 , after which he loses the ex­
change, whilst playing 1 S . . . 'iit f8 and
losing castling rights is also unattrac­
tive.
B 1 ) 1 6.fxe6 .ixe6 1 7 .�h6 1 7 . .tg S
tt:Jhs 1 8 .jt_xh5 jt_xg S
55
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
14.g4
1 9 .tZ:ldS �d8 20.�g4 �xg4 2 l .�xg4
0-0=F. 1 7 ...tl:lxe4 1 8.tl:lxe4 �xe4 1 9.�f3
�d4+ 20.@hl �4! 20 . . .�h4 2 1 .c3 !
�xg3 2 2 . cxd4 �h4 2 3 .g3 �f6
24.�xb7t. 2 1 .�xh4 �4 22.g3 �e7
23.bb7=, but White has some pressure.
B2) 1 6 .@hl 0-0! 1 6 . . . tl:lxe4 1 7 .tl:lxe4
'iWxe4
A) 1 4.�h3 This move has two ideas:
an attack on the e6-pawn and check
from the bishop on h S . 14 ... tl:lc6 and
now:
A l ) 1 5.tl:lxe6 i.xe6 1 6.�xe6 tl:ld4
1 7.'ii'h 3 1 7 .�c4? �xc4 l 8 . �xc4
tl:lxc2 + + . 1 7 ...tl:lxe2 1 8.@xe2 0-0+;
A 2) 1 5. tl:lxc6 �xc6 16 .i.h5 + tl:lxh5
1 7.�xh5 + g6 1 8.'ii'h6 �f6+ 1 9.tl:le2
�d7 2 0 . 0 - 0 .l:!.f8 2 1 .l::!: b 3 .iil e 7 ? !
22 . .l:!.bf3 .l:!.xf3 23 . .l:!.xf3 �xe4 24.tl:lg3?
�d4+ 2 5 .i.e3 'iYh8 ! 26.i.gs �c6
27 ..l:!.f2 �xg5 28.'iWxgS 'tWe5 29.'tWh4
'tWg7! 3 0.'tWg4 'tWe7 3 1 ..l:!.e2 @d7-+
Bezgodov-Naer, Elista ch-RUS 2 0 0 1 ;
B) 1 4.0-0 0-0 1 5.'tWc4 'tWd7 In the
event of l 5 . . . �xc4 l 6 . �xc4 bS
1 7 .�xe6+ �xe6 1 8 .tl:lxe6 .l:!.c8 1 9 .a4
White has a minimal advantage.
1 6 .'tWb3 With the idea of taking on e6
with the knight, and if . . . 'iWe6 , then
�c4. 1 6 ... @hs 1 7.�c4 1 7 .tl:la4! tl:lc6!
l 8 .�e3 tl:lxd4 1 9 .�xd4 'tWc6+± .
1 8 .fxe6 fxe6 1 9 .I:!'.be l !-+. 1 7.e5 dxe5
1 8.f:xg6 fxg6 1 9.�h6 .l:!.£7 20.�xe5
White has compensation for the pawn,
but this suffices only for equality.
1 3 ...fxe6
�.�'=.�·=.l�..:;;;1� 1
56
1 7 ... dS ! 1 8.exd5 b5 1 8 . . . tl:lc6 ! ? .
1 9.�e2 �c5 20.@hl exd5 ! 2 0 . . . �xd4?
2 l .'tWb4! A double attack! After this, the
advantage swings to White. 2 1 .�e3?
2 1 .�gS ! with compensation for the
sacrificed pawn. 2 1 ... tl:lc6 2 1 . . . .l:!.e8 !+.
22.tl:le6 'tWxe6 23.�xc5 .l:!.e8 24.�f3
�b7 25.a4 tl:la5 26.'tWb4 tbc4 2 7 . .l:!.bdl
Chapter 2
tll e 4 2 8 .tllxe4 dxe4 29 ..ie2 e3 3 0 .axbS
axbS 3 1 .'li'xbS .ia6 Black is a little
better, Gashimov-Grischuk, Elista 2 0 0 8 ,
but Black even lost this game.
1 4... hG
Not 14 ... 0-0? 1 5 .gS tll e 8 1 6 . .ig4;l;.
Or 1 4 ... d5 1 5 .exd5 ! 1 5 .g S tll x e4
1 6 .tll xe4 dxe4 1 7 .'li'xe4--+ 1 5 ... tllxd5
1 6 .tll xd5 exd5 1 7.0-0 tll c 6D 1 8.�f4±.
White is also clearly better after 14 ... h5
1 5 .gS tll g 4 1 6 .'li'h3 'li'cs 1 7 . .ixg4
'il'xd4 1 8 . .ixe6±.
1 5 .�h3
A) An interesting pawn sacrifice,
which gives White the chance to stop
Black castling and begin an attack on
his king, stuck in the centre, is 1 5 .e5 ! ?
dxe5 1 6.'li'g6+
The king can go to both d8 and f8 , and
in both cases a draw results more or less
by force:
A l ) 1 6 ... 'itidS !? 1 7.tll f3 tll c 6 1 8.g5
�es 1 8 . . . hxgS ! ? 1 9 .tll x gS �f8 2 0 . J:tfl
�d4 2 1 .tll f7 + 'itid7 22 . .2.f3 --+ . 1 9.0-0
�d4 20.gxh6 tll xe2 + ? 20 . . . .i:txh 6 !
2 1 .�xh6 gxh6 2 2 .tll xd4 exd4 with un­
clear complications. 2 1 .tll xe2 with a
draw on move 2 7 , N. Mamedov-Safarli,
Baku ch-AZE 2 0 0 9 ;
A 2 ) 1 6 . . .'iti fS 1 7.tll f3 �d7 1 8.g5 ..tes
1 9.'il'd3 and now:
-
The P o i s oned Pawn w i th 8 . �d3
A2 1 ) 1 9 ... tll h 5 ! ? 2 0.gxh6 tll c 6
2 1 .tll e4 .l:td8 22.'li'c3 b5 22 . . . �xh6
23 .�xh6 gxh6 24.0-0 'itig8 2 5 .'il'e3 .
23.a4 b4 24.'iYc4 'li'b6 25.VWxa6 'li'xa6
26.�xa6= ;
A22) 1 9 ...hxg5 20.tl:lxg5 Black faces a
choice: the move 2 0 . . . �f7 is bad be­
cause it is too defensive. That leaves two
other options: I do not like the king
move, because the pawn on e6 remains
under attack. I think the strongest move
is 2 0 . . . VWc8 , which defends the e6pawn and does not reveal Black's plans.
A2 2 1 ) 2 0 .....tf? ? 2 1 .tt:'ixf7 'itixf7
22.�gl 'itif8 2 2 . . . .id8 2 3 . tll e 4 ! ?
( 2 3 .'li'g 6 + ! 'itif8 2 4 .tll e 4 tll x e4
2 5 .�b4+ 'itig8 2 6 .'li'xe6+ 'il'f7
2 7 .kc4
�h4+
2 8 .'itie2
'il'xe6
29 . .ixe6 + @h7 3 0 .�fs + 'itig8
3 1 .�xe4;l;) 2 3 ... tll xe4 24.'il'xe4 tll c 6??
( 2 4 . . . .2.h4+DN
2 5 . @d l
tll c 6
2 6 .'li'g 6 + 'itif8 ) 2 S .'li'g6+ @f8
2 6 . 1:1fl + .2.f6 2 7 . .l:txf6 + ! gxf6
2 8 .�xf6+ 'itig8 2 9 . l:!.b3 .i:th7 3 0 . .2.h6
�as + 3 1 .'itifl 1 -0 Radjabov-Rowson,
Calvia ol 2004. 2 3.'li'g6 ! 2 3 .tll e 4?
tt:'ixe4 2 4 . 'li'xe4 tll c6. 23 ... l:!:h4
24.VWxg7+ 'itie8 25 . .l:tfl tt:'ibd7 26.l:i.b3
1:1c8 2 7.�g5 laxh2 28.'li'g6 + 'itid8
2 9 .�xf6
tll xf6
3 0 .l:i.xf6
�xf6
3 1 .'li'xf6 + 'li'e7 3 2 .'li'xe 7 + 'itixe7
3 3 .l:hb7+! An interesting practical
endgame, with knight and bishop
against rook and pawn, but the advan­
tage of the minor pieces is clear, be­
cause of the weak black pawns;
A 2 2 2 ) 20 ... 'itigS ? ! 2 1 Jigl 'li'd7
22.VWg3 tllh5 One should not criticise
Black, because the position is sharp and
complicated, and it is easy to go wrong
if one does not have home preparation.
But he should have played 2 2 . . .bS ! ,
with equal chances : 2 3 . .l:td 1 tll h S
2 4 . 'li'g 2
'li'd4
2 5 .�g4
�xgS
57
Winning with the Naj d orf S i c i l i an
2 6 .ilxe 6 + ilf7 2 7 .�xf7 + @xf7
2 8 .�xgS tLlf6 2 9 .'ll\Y g 6+ @e6 3 0 .�fl
'll\Yh 4+ 3 l .�f2. 'll\Yh 7 3 2 .'ll\Y g 2 �a7D
3 3 .�gS 'll\Yh 3D 34.�xf6 + . 23.'lWxeS
�d6 24.'ll\Y e 4 �xh2 2 S .�c4 tLlf6
26.'ll\Yg2 'll\Yd4 2 7.�xe6+ @f8 2S.ti:lf3
White is winning, as mate, the queen
and the bishop are all threatened. There
is no way to defend all three at once. R.
Mamedov-Cernousek, Pardubice rapid
2009;
@gs
A2 3 ) 20 . . .�cS ! ?
2 1 ..l:!.gl
22.'ll\Yg3
29 ....l:!.xe2+ This exchange sacrifice and
the unlikely variation that results ends
in threefold repetition: 30.@xe2 'll\Yxc2
3 1 .'lWxeS �bS + 3 2 . .l:!.xbS 'll\Y c 4+
3 3 .@el axbS 34. .l:!.hl + @g7 3 S . .l:!.h7+
@gs 36 . .l:!.h6=.
B) 1 5.gS hxgSD 1 6 .eS dxeS 1 7.ti:lf3
e4 1 S .ti:lxe4 ttJxe4 1 9.'ll\Yxe4 0 - 0
20.tlJxgS 2 0.ild3 .l:!.fs 2 1 .'ife2 g4
2 2 .�xfS exfS 2 3 . tLld4 �h4+ 24.@d l
and Black has a large advantage, al­
though he managed to lose in
Guseinov-Kotanjian, Dubai 2 0 1 0 .
20 ... �xgS 2 1 .�xgS ttJc6 22 . .l:!.b3 'ifes
23.'i:VxeS tl:lxeS 24 ..l:!.g3 bS 25 . .l:!.hgl
.l:!.a7 26.�e3 .l:!.d7 27.�h6 .l:!.ffl 2S.�hS
@h7 29.�xf7 An equal endgame, and
a draw was agreed in a couple more
moves, Gashimov-Grischuk, Nice blind
2 0 1 0.
1 5 . 0-0
..
2 3 .tlJce4?
A2 3 l ) 22 ... ..tfS ?
23 . .l:!.b6!±. 23 ...ttJxe4 24.tLlxe4 tLld7
2S . .l:!.b3 and White has a strong attack,
despite his two pawns deficit,
Fercec-Zivkovic, Croatia tt 2 0 1 0 ;
A 2 3 2 ) 22 ... ti:lbd 7
2 3 .tlJxe6
g6
24.'ll\Yd 3 .l:!.h7 25.tLlgS .l:!.xh2 26.tiJdS
..tds 2 7.tLlxf6+ ttJxf6 2S.�b3+ @hs
29.'lWg3
A) 1 S ... .l:!.h7? Sometimes one has to
play a bad move, in order to win a bril­
liant game.
1 6 . .l:!.fl tl:lc6 1 7 .tl:lxc6 'ifxc6 1 S.eS dxeS
1 9 . ..td3 e4 The only move, after which
a fantastic battle ensues: Whiet sacri­
fices a piece and draws the black king
into the centre, to mate it. 20.tl:lxe4
ttJxe4 2 1 .'ifhs+ @d7 22 . .l:!.dl .l:!.hS The
bishop move proves the decisive mis­
take. White should have played 2 3 . 'if eS
58
C h apter 2
after which we offer a sample variation,
leading to a draw: 23 . . . tll d 6 24 . ..tb4
.ih4+ 2 S . We2 ..tf6 2 6 . .l:!.xf6 gxf6 2 7 .
'iWxf6 �g2 + 2 8 .'it>e l �g l + with per­
petual 23 . ..tf4 ..tb4+ 24.c3 tll x c3
25.jld2 �ds 26 . .l:!.£7+ 'it>c6 27 . .l:!.cl
'it>b6 2 8 . .ie3 + 'it>aS Gashimov­
Grischuk, Bursa Wch-tt 2 0 1 0 . This
game is one of the most beautiful of re­
cent years, and reminds one that there
is still some romanticism left in chess.
Grischuk's king march is phenomenal,
and brought him a no less phenomenal
victory.
Al) 1 6 .gS !N This novelty is one that
many players have known about for a
while, but are unlikely ever to get to
use, because it is only possible after
1 S . . . .l::f.h 7 , which nobody is going to re­
peat. 1 6 . . . hxgS 1 7 .tll xe6 'iWc6 1 8 .�fS
�xe6 1 9 .�xe6 .l:!.h4 2 0 .0-0 tll bd7 D
2 1 ...te 1 ;l; .
B) 1 5 ... tll c 6?! Not the best move in
this position, as it gives White the
chance to obtain a strong initiative,
thanks to a nice pawn sacrifice.
1 6.tllxc6
B l ) 1 6 ... i¥xc6 Or 1 6 . . . bxc6 1 7 .eS
dxes 1 8 . g S tll d s 1 9 .�hs + 'it>d8
20.tll e 4 l:rb8 2 1 ..l:!.d l .l::f.b 2 2 2 . gxh6
gxh6 23 .c4 'iWb6 24.�xeS;l;. 1 7.gS and
now:
B 1 1 ) 1 7 ... tllxe4? l 8 ...tf3 dS 1 9 .tll xe4
dxe4 20 ...ths + 'it>d7 2 1 .Ilfl 2 1 .0-0 ! ?
in the majority of cases, castling and
getting the king out of the centre is
considered good, but here we have an
exception to the rule, and the king was
much more comfortable in the centre.
2 1 ..JHS D
2 1 ...e3?
2 2 .�as +- ;
2 1 . . .hxgS ? 2 2 . .l:!.dl 'it>c7 23 . .l:!.f7 'iWcs
24.'iWg 3 + eS 2 S .�xgS +- . 22..lhfS
�xf8 23 . .l:!.dl 'it>c7D 24.'i¥g3+ eSD
25.'iVxeS+ �d6D 26.'i¥xg7+ ..td7D
-
-
T h e P o isoned Pawn w i t h 8 . � d 3
Vugar Gashlmov
2 7.gxh6 and now:
B l 1 1 ) 2 7 ... J:1f8? 28.jlc3 ! ! e3 29 ...tes
..txeS 3 0.iVxe S + @cs 3 1 ..l:!.ds +- ;
B 1 1 2) Black needs to offload his e4pawn, which prevents him starting
counterplay. However, sacrificing it still
doesn't save him: 2 7 ... e3 28.jlxe3
iYhl + 29.'it>d2 'i¥xh2+ 2 9 . . . �dS +
3 0 .'iWd4+- . 30.'it>cl 'li'xhs 3 1 .'i¥d4
..ta3 + 32.'it>b l �bS + Black has an extra
piece, both players have open kings, but
the white pawn on h6 is very strong,
and Black has to give back the piece, to
avoid mate. If 3 2 . . . .l::rd 8 3 3 .�f4+ 'it>c8
3 4.h7 �cs 3 S .h8� �xh8 3 6.�xcS +
..tc6 3 7 .�fs + .l:!.d7 ( 3 7 . . . �d7
3 8 .�as+-) 3 8 . l:!.d6+- . 3 3 .'it>al
..tb2+ 34.'li'xb2 �xb2+ 35 .'it>xb2±
59
Winning w i th the Naj d orf S i c i l i a n
B l 2) 1 8.gxh6 Now Black needs to
solve the problem of the white pawn on
h6, but in addition, his king is very
weak and comes under checks from the
white pieces.
B l 2 1 ) 1 8 ... tt.Jes
20.0-0 ti.Jes 2 1 .Whl �gs 22 . .t:!.bJ ;t
1 6.g5 hxg5 1 7.tt.Jxe6
1 9 .hxg7 This cannot really be called a
queen sacrifice, because the white pawn
promotes in a few moves. 1 9 ... l:!:xh3
20.gS'tW+ Wd7 2 1 ..l:!.b3 bS 22.'ti'g7
White threatens �gs and ti.JdS , whilst
the bishop on e 7 is not easy to defend,
but Black finds an exchange sacrifice,
after which he is slightly worse but has
compensation. 22 ... .!:!.£'3 If 2 2 . . . .l:!.xc3
2 3 .�xc3 White is slightly better.
2 3 .�xf3 tllxf3 + 24.We2 tt.:lxd2
2S.Wxd2;t ;
B l 2 2 ) 1 8 . . . gxh6 1 9 .'ti'xe6 tt.:lf6
20.°tWb3 tllxe4 2 1 .�f3 �h4+ 2 1 . . .�fs
2 2 . .l::i. g l .l::i.f8 2 3 .l::r g 7 �h4+ 24.We2
0-0-00 (the only move not to lose at
once. The knight is pinned, and the
other pieces have to defend it, so the
king needs to escape the centre to avoid
mate) 2 S .�xe4 1:!'.de8D 2 6.'ti'xb 7 +
'ti'xb 7 2 7 . .l::i. bxb 7 �xe4D 2 8 .tt.:lxe4
.l::i.xe4+ 2 9 .Wd3 dS 3 0 .c3;!;. 22.We2
tt.:lxc3+ 23.�xc3 �g4 24.�xhS 'ti'e4+
2S.Wd2;t;
B 1 2 3) Also playable is the exchange
sacrifice 1 8 ... .l:txh6 1 9.�xh6 gxh6 ,
when White retains a slight edge:
60
1 7.. �c6
.
The black queen hangs, but Black has a
beautiful possibility to put the queen
on another square, where she will be at­
tacked but not able to be taken because
of the pin, and from where the queen
can be transferred to e S . 1 7 ... 'ti'cS ! ?N
A) 1 8.tt.:lxcS �xh3 = ;
B) 1 8 . .l:txb7 tt.:lc6 1 9.ti.JdS 1 9 .tt.:lxcS
�xh3 . 1 9 ...tt.JxdS 20.tt.:lxcSD From this
move, mass exchanges start, leading to
an equal endgame. 20 ... �xh3 2 1 .exdS
2 l .�c4 dxcS 22 .�xdS + Wh8 2 3 .�xc6
.!:!.ab 8 = . 2 1 . .. tt.:ld4 22 . .l:txe 7 dxcS
23 . .l:tgl .!:!.ab8 24.�e3 tt.Jxc2+ 2S.Wd2
tt.:lxe3 26.Wxe3 .!:i.be8=;
C) 1 8 .°tWfS ! 'iYxfS 1 9.exfS �xe6
20.fxe6 bS 2 1 .�f3 .l:ta7 2 2.a4 g4
23.�g2 bxa4
Chapter 2
24.h3 The black pawn on g4 is very
strong. White needs either to exchange
it or force its advance. The exchange is
not favourable for Black because it
opens the h-file, and Black can be
mated, whilst after g3 , the pawn will be
undefended.
24 ... g3
24 . . . gxh3
2S . .i::!. x h3 +- . 2 5 .0 - 0 l:te8 26.tlJd5
tLlxd5 2 7 .�xd5 ;!;
-
The P o i soned P awn with 8 . \Wd3
2 l .�g6 is threatened, and if Black then
takes . . . �xe6, then after the move �h6
White gives mate. Black has to react and
there is only one way to do this:
20 . . . �d8 2 1 .tLlxd8 �xfS 2 2 . tLlxf6+
gxf6 2 3 .tLlxc6 �xe4 24.l:rg l �xc6
2 S . l:rxg4+ �f7 = ;
A 2 ) 1 9.l:rg l ? ! �f8D H e needs to de­
fend g 7 , since the threat was �gS . In
addition, Black attacks the knight on e6
and obtains the advantage: 2 0 .tLld4
�xfS 2 l . tLlxc6 tLlxe4=F ;
A3) 1 9.0-0 �fS
1 8Jlf1
A) The white pawn on e4 was hang­
ing, and needs to be defended, whilst
this move may also help the white
knight reach dS . l 8.Vi'fs l::[ e 8
A l ) 1 9.h4 g4!? White was trying to
open the h-file, which would be ex­
tremely dangerous for Black, and the
text is a typical device for avoiding this.
1 9 . . . �f8 2 0 .hxg S �xe6 2 1 . 'iWf4
tLlbd7 0 2 2 .�h4 �f7 2 3 .gxf6 tLlxf6
24.�hS + �e7 2 S .�xe8 �xe8 2 6 . �d l .
20.tlJd5
The knight on e6 is hanging, and it is
not easy to see how White can defend
it, so White is ready to sacrifice it for
the sake of the attack: 20.tlJd5 0 �xe6
2 1 .tLlxf6 + 0 gxf6 2 2.�g6 + 0 �g7
23.ld:xf6 0 tlJd7 White's attack looks
very strong and in order to repulse it,
Black has to return the piece and com­
plete the development of his pieces. If
2 3 . . . �xa2 2 4 .l::[ b 3 �xb3 2 S .cxb3
�xe4 2 6.�c4+ dS 2 7 .�f7 + �h7
2 8 . Vi'hs +
�g8
with equality.
24.lhe60 tlJe5 2 5 .lhe s + .lhe8
26.'tWxg5 .Ue6 2 7.'tWdS+ .Ues 28.�g5
�xe4 29.�e3 and the resulting posi­
tion is equal, because the black knight
on eS is not weaker than the white
bishops;
A4) 1 9 .tlJdS �d8 2 0 .tlJxd8 �xfS
2 1 .tLlxf6+ gxf6 2 2 .tLlxc6
61
Winning w i t h t h e Najd orf S i c i l i an
A4 1 ) 2 2 ... �xe4 2 3 . tll xb 8 .ixh 1
24.@f2 l::r axb8 2 5 .l::r xh l l::r e4 2 6 .�d3 ,
Brkic-Palac, Zagreb 2 0 1 0 . The ending is
very interesting, because the black rook
and two pawns are fighting two bish­
ops, which is always interesting. Gener­
ally, these positions are not worse for
the side with the rook, and in this case,
the computers assesses the chances as
equal. Still, I think White can fight for
the advantage. It does not surprise me
that White did eventually win, as I
reckon he will do so in every other
game, on average, in such positions;
A42) 22 ...l::rxe4!N 23.ti:JM 2 3 .tll x b8
�g4 24.tll d 7 l::t xe2 + 2 5 .@fl @£7 .
2 3 ... l::r xd4 24.l::r f l �g4 2 4 . . . �xc2
2 5 .�c l . 25 ..ixg4 l::r xg4 26.l::rxb7 tll c6
27.l::rxf6 tbeS =;
B) 1 8.0-0 This move again leads to a
forced draw and the sides have no way to
avoid this. 1 8 ... dS 1 9.exdS tllxdS D
20.tbxdS 2 0.�g4?! �cs + 2 1 .tllxcS D
'MYxcS+D 22 .@h l tll f4 23 . .ixf4 'MYc6+
24.'MVg2 ..txg4 2 5 .tll dS �h3 26.tll e 7+
@h7 2 7 .tll xc6 �xg2 + 28.@xg2 tllxc6
29 .�xgS=. 20 ...'IWxdS D This game, be­
tween two top players, one a leading ex­
pert on the variation, confirms the draw­
ing tendency of this type of position.
2 I ...td3 2 1 ...tg4 .l:!.xfl + 22 .l::rxfl '1Wxd2
23 .'1Wf3 ..tf6 24.'1Wb3 @h8 2 5 .'MYh3 +
@g8 2 6 .'1Wb3 = . 2 1 . .. l::rxfl + 22.llxfl
�cs + 23.�e3 �xe3+ 24.'iVxe3 'IWxe6
62
2 5 .kc4 11Wxc4 2 6.'1We 8 +
@h7
2 7.'IWhs + @gs with a draw by perpet­
ual in Gashimov-Karjakin, Nice rapid
20 1 0.
Back to the position after 1 8 .l::r f l . Here
Black has four continuations. Many
games have been played, between
strong players, and have finished in
draws, in many different ways.
1 8. g4!?
..
Although here Black had other ways to
equalise, Grischuk showed how to do so
best. See his next game against
Gashimov, at Linares 2 0 1 0, given below.
A) 1 s ... nes 1 9.tbds �dso
20.l:!'.xf6 2 0 . tll x d8 �xh3 2 1 .tll x c6
tll x ds + .
20 ... �xf6 D
20 . . . gxf6 ?
2 1 ...tg4!±. 2 1 .tllxf6+ 2 1 .�g4 tll d 7 .
2 1 ...gxf6 22.'iYfs �xe6 23.'1Wg6+ @f8
24.'1Wxf6 + i.f7 2 5 .�xgS l:!'.xe4
26.'1Wh8+ �g8 2 7.'1Wf6 + �f7=;
Chapter 2 - The P o i soned P awn w i th 8 . � d 3
B) 18 ...dS?! is the only continuation
where White, after a forcing spell of
play, obtains a small advantage: 1 9.exd5
li:Jxd5 20.tLlxdS �xd5
2 1 .li:J c 7 ! 2 1 . .l:l:xf8 + �xf8 2 2 . tb c 7
Axh3 23 .tLlxdS b S 24.c4 1i..d 6 2 5 . .l:l:b3
Ae6 26 . .l:!.e3 �xdS 2 7 .cxdS . Black has
an extra pawn, but the two strong bish­
ops give White compensation, and a
draw is the most likely outcome,
Krivoborodov-Womacka, Schwarzach
2 0 1 0 . 2 1 ...1i..xh3 22.tLlxdS Black is
slightly worse, but because of the re­
duced material, White does not have
great winning chances. 22 ... ..ixfl ?
2 . . . �f6 ? ! 23 . .l:.f3 1i.. g 2 24.tbxf6+ gxf6
5 . .l:!.g3 �c6 2 6.h4t . 23.li:Jxe7+ @£7
24.�xfl .l:l:e8 25 . ..ixg5 b5 2 6 .a4
_ 6 .Wd2 ! ? .l::i. x e7 2 7 .1i..x e7 Wxe 7
8 .�g2 .l:l:a7 2 9 . a4t . 26 ... li:Jc6;;!;:
Kurnosov-Nepomniachtchi, Irkutsk
_010;
C) Also good is 1 8 ... li:Jxe4!?N
1 9 . .l:l:xf8+ �xf8 20 . .l:l:b6 �e8D
2 1 .tLlxe4 �xe6 22.�d3 �g6 2 2 . . .1i.. e 7
23 .tLlxgS �xgS 24.�xgS tLld7 25 . .l:!.xd6
- an interesting fighting position with
mutual chances. White has the two bish­
ops, but his king is in the centre and his
pawns are broken. 2 3 . .l:!.xb7 tbc6
24.tLlxgS 'i¥xd3 25 ...ixd3 �xa2! The
pawn capture is obligatory, else White
has the advantage. 26.i::i.b 2 1i..d5 2 7.c4
2 7 ...fill 1 ! ! The fearless bishop finds the
only square in the back of the enemy po­
sition, where it can avoid the chasing of
the white pieces. 28.�7+ Wh8 29 ..l:l:b3
g6 30.�xg6 Wg7 3 1 ...ic2 �e7 32.li:Je4=.
1 9.�xg4D
1 9 .tLldS ? �xdS ! .
1 9...tbxg4D
And now the long-awaited Gashimov­
Grischuk game. I think both players had
analysed the position very thoroughly
and knew the final assessment of the
position, but Gashimov decided to test
his opponent all the same.
20..l:!.xfS+
20.tbxf8 ! ? �xf8D and now:
A) 2 1 .l:!.xf8+ Wxf8 22.'ti'h8+ @£70
2 3 .tLldS 2 3 .�hS + Wg8 (23 . . . Wf8
24.°iVh8+=) 24.tLldS °iVd7 2 5 .h3 tbc6
2 6 . hxg4 'i!Vxg4 2 7 .'i!Ve 8 + Wh7
2 8 . tbf6 + gxf6 2 9 .�f7 + 'iY g 7
63
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
3 0 .'iYhs + <;tig8 3 1 .'iYe8+ = . 2 3 ...�c4
24.�hs+ <;tJf8 25.'lllVh s+ <;tif7
20...jlxfSD 21 .'iYxg4D 'ild7
2 1 . .. 'iYe8 2 2 . tll d S transposes.
It is perpetual in any case, but it was
possible to make it prettier by first
sacrificing the rook: 26 . .l:!.xb7+ �xb7
2 7.'iVhs + <;tJf8 2s.'iVh8+=;
B) 2 1 .tll ds 'tWxc2 22.tll c 3 2 2 . .l:rxf8+
<;tixf8 2 3 .'iVh8 + <;tJf7 2 4.'iYhS + = .
2 2 ... tll c 6 23 . .l:!.xf8+ 2 3 .J::!. c l ?
22.tt:Jd5D 'ifxe6
In the event of 22 . . . 'iYf7 2 3 .tll d c7 l:!.a7
24.'iYfs �e7 25 .�e3 b6 26 . .l:!.xb6
White has a slight advantage.
23.'iVxe6+D �xe6
.l:!.a7D 25.tt:Jxe6
24.tll c 7D
Not 2 5 .�e3 ? ? �xa2 2 6 . .l:Ib2 b6-+ .
25 . b5 26.tt:JxfS
..
2 6 .a4 tll c 6 2 7 .axbS axbS 2 8 .<;tie2
( 2 8 ..!hbS l:!.a4 2 9 .tll gs �e7 =)
2 8 . . . l::t e 7 2 9 .tll g s g6=.
23 . . . tll f2 ! ! 24.'iVhs tll d 3+ 2 5 .@e2
tllx cl + 26 ..l:!.xcl tlld4+ 2 7 .<;tie3D �2
28 . .l:.!.b l 'iYa3 2 9 .<;tixd4 'iYcs++.
23 ... <;tJxf8 24.'iYh8 + <;tJf7 2 5 .'iYhs+ g6
26.'iYh7+ <;tif6 27.'iYh8+ <;tJf7 28.'iYh7+=
26 ...<;tixfS 27.�b4 <;tie7 28.e5
tt:Jc6 29.exd6+ <;tie6 30.a4
An absolutely equal endgame, although
the players played quite a few moves
more,
Gashimov-Grischuk, Linares
20 1 0.
Conclusion
With 8. 'ii'd3, White sacrifices a pawn and tries to seize the initiative. This
· move has several pluses. In many variations, White has interesting ideas in­
volving �hS and tlldS , which show that the black queen on a3 is not very
well-placed. The queen on d3 can quickly come to the kingside, to the
squares g3 or h3 , from where she will attack the enemy king, something
which is not possible if the queen instead goes to d2.
Black can neutralise White's initiative, in the main by sacrificing the pawn
back, which stabilises the position. The games of top players confirm this.
64
Chapter 3
The Poisoned Pawn with 8. ttJ b3
1 .e4 c5 2.lllf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.lllxd4 lllf 6 5.lllc3 a6 6 ..ig5 e6 7.f4
'ifb6 8.lll b 3
This is not a principled move, nor the strongest one, but it has been played many
times by Gata Kamsky. The idea is to avoid the theoretical debate surrounding the
sacrifice of the b2-pawn, and simply to play a dynamically roughly equal position.
But if Black plays very accurately, he has no problems.
1 .e4 c5 2.ttJf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.ttJxd4 ttJf6 5.ttJc3 a6 6.�g5 e6
7.f4 'ifb6 8.ttJb3?1 ttJbd7 9.'iff3
�e7 1 0.0-0-0 'ifc7 1 1 .�d3
I l .g4 bS 1 2 . .,txf6 tLlxf6 1 3 .gS tLld7
(this is a standard position in the Classi­
cal Line with 7 . . . ile7 , but instead on d4
die white knight is on b 3 . This differ­
ence is in Black's favour) 1 4.a3 .l:!.b8
1 5 .h4 b4 1 6 .axb4 .l::!. xb4 1 7 .tLla2 .l:!.b6
l 8 .'if c3 'i!Vxc3 1 9 .tbxc3 h6 20 . .,te2
kb7 2 1 .tLlaS . After the exchange of
queens, we reach an endgame, where
Black has two bishops but has some
problems defending the pawns on a6
and d6, and this balances the chances,
opalov-Kasparov, Novgorod 1 99 7 .
1 1 ... b5 1 2 ..l:!.he1
Black just needs to castle to complete his
development, but if we think a little fur­
ther, it becomes clear that he has no need
to hurry, as he has other strong moves,
which pose problems for White.
65
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
1 2 . b41
..
In case of 1 2 ... �b7 we have:
A) 1 3.°iYh3 b4 1 4.tlJe2 1 4.tlJb l eS
1 S .4:J l d2 as 1 6 .tlJc4 a4 1 7 .4:Jbd2
0-0=F.
1 4...tbxe4! Why not take a pawn if it is
hanging, even though after this, the
black king is deprived of castling rights;
he is securely protected by his pawns.
1 5 .i.xe 7 r:J;; xe 7 1 6.°iYh4+ tlJdf6
1 6 . . . 4:Jef6 1 7 .tlJed4 g6 1 8 .g4 with a
good white initiative. 1 7.4:Jg3 1 7 .g4
h6 ! . 1 7 ... 4:Jxg3 1 8.hxg3 as 1 9.tll d4
'iYcS 20.i.bs a4 White is a pawn down
and does not have sufficient compensa­
tion, despite the fact that all his pieces
are active and the black king is in the
centre. Therefore, Black has the advan­
tage.
B) 1 3 .°iYg3?! b4 14.tll d S? This is not
good, but after 'iY g3 , no other knight
move makes sense. So I will not exam­
ine other retreats, which leave Black
with the advantage. 1 4 ... exdS 1 5.exdS
r:J;;f8 1 6.tlJd4 h6 1 7.l:txe7 hxgS 1 8.fxgS
4:Jxd5 -+ ;
C) 1 3.r:J;;b l b4 1 4.tll e2 h6 1 4 . . . 0-0
1 s .'iYh3 . 1 s .°iYh3
Black can castle either side, and only
has to choose. Let us examine each op­
tion.
66
C 1 ) 1 5 ... 0 - 0 - 0 ! ? 1 6 .�xf6 tbxf6
1 7 .'iYe3 r:J;;b 8 1 8 .c3 dS 1 9 .eS tlJd7 = ;
C2) 1 5 ... 0-0N 1 6.�xh6 gxh6 . The
provoked sacrifice looks winning, but
when we analyse further, it turns out
that White has no more than perpetual:
C2 1 ) 1 7.'tWxh6 l:tfc8 1 8.'iVgS+ r:J;;f8
1 8 . . . r:J;;h 8 1 9 .'iVh4+ r:J;; g 7 2 0 .V/iig S + = .
1 9.Wih6+ r:J;; g s 1 9 . . . r:J;; e 8 2 0 . 4:Jed4
leads to a sharp position, in which
White has good compensation for the
sacrificed piece, but Black also has his
plusses. The position is dynamically
equal. 20.eS White can also avoid the
draw. 2 0 ... dxeS 2 1 .fxeS WixeS
2 1 . . .tlJxeS 2 2 .V/iig s + r:J;; f8 2 3 .°'lWh6+
r:J;; g 8 24. tlJed4 (24.°iYgS + =) 24 . . . �dS
2S .l:te3 tbeg4 26.l:l'.g3 �d6 2 7 .V/iixf6
�xg3 2 8 .°iYgS+ Wf8 2 9 .hxg3 4:Jf2
3 0. l:tfl 4:Jxd3 3 1 .cxd3 'iVe7 3 2 .°iYeS
V/ii c 7= Black keeps an extra exchange,
but White's attack is enough for perpet­
ual check. 22.tll f4 tlJe4 23.4:Jg6 fxg6
24.V//ix g6 + r:J;; f8 D 2 5 .�xe4 i.xe4
26.l:txe4 V/iifs 2 7.'iVh6+ r:J;;g8 28.l:td3
2 8 .l:tde l �f8 2 9 .V/iid 2 tbcs 3 0 . l:rxb4
tlJxb3 3 1 Jhb3 �g 7 =F . 2 8 ... �gS
29.V//ixe6+ Wixe6 3 0.l:txe6= .
C2 2 ) 1 7 .4:Jed4 l:tfe8
1 7 . . . l:tfc8
1 8 .tbxe6 fxe6 1 9 . 'iYxe 6 + -+ . 1 8.eS
dxeS 1 9.fxeS tt:JxeS 20.V//ixh6 jlds
transposes to 1 7 .Wixh6.
D) If there is a chance to prevent the
move . . . bS -b4, then one should take it,
Chapter 3
because after it the white knight on c3
lacks a good retreat square. 1 3.a3 h6
1 3 . . . 0-0-0 1 4.fS e5 1 5 .�xf6 tll xf6
1 6 .tll d S tll x d5 1 7 .exd5 @b8 1 8 .g3
l:i.c8 1 9 .h4 �f6 2 0 .@b l 1lWb6 . 1 4.�h3
and now:
D I ) 1 4.. Jks and now:
D 1 1 ) 1 S .tl:ld4 �b6 1 6.tllxe6 fxe6
1 7.eS dxeS 1 8 ..ig6+ @d8 1 9.fxeS tlJdS
20 ...txe7+ tl:lxe7 2 1 .�e4! The only
move which gives White the possibility
co continue the attack, although even
here, Black has many normal continua­
tions and the assessment is one of
dynamic equality. 2 1 .�f7 ? ! �xc3
(2 1 . . .l:tc6 ! +) 2 2 .�xc3 �d5 2 3 .�h5
�f8 24.�f3 �c7 2 5 .�b4 g5 2 6.�d6
�xf3 2 7 .gxf3 �xd6 2 8 .exd6 tll f5 ,
Kamsky-Ljubojevic, Buenos Aires 1 994.
An unusual position, in which two
white rooks fight against two knights
and a bishop. The position is approxi­
mately equal, although I would slightly
prefer White. 2 1 . .. ..txe4 22.lhe4 @es
22 .. Jhc3 2 3 .�xc3 l:i.f8 oo . 23.l:i.ed4
!lies 24.b4 tllb 7 25.l:td6 tl:lxd6 26.exd6
�c6 2 7.d7+ 2 7 .�xe6 �c7 ! ! This had
co be foreseen in order for Black to go
in for this position. The rook remains
under attack, and defends the square e 7 ,
and both knight and rook are untouch­
able because of the pin. 2 7 ... @f7
28.dxc8� lhc8= .
-
The P o i s on e d P a wn w i th 8 . i2l b 3
D 1 2) l S.@b l ! A strong prophylactic
waiting move. Black cannot castle
queenside, whilst castling kingside is
extremely dangerous because of �xh6.
And so it is not obvious what useful
moves Black has left. 1 S ... �b8 A move
with the idea of sacrificing the ex­
change on c3 . The strange 1 5 . . . @f8 is
the computer's first choice, but I do not
even want to look at it, as it is a very
weak move, after which White can con­
tinue how he likes and will have a clear
advantage. 1 6 . .ixf6 ! If 1 6 .g4 �xc3 !
1 7 .bxc3 �c7 1 8 .�xf6 gxf6 ! 1 9 .�fl
tll b 6 Black has excellent compensation
for the sacrificed exchange. 1 6 ... �xf6
1 7 .es dxeS 1 8.�g6 tll f8 D 1 9 .fxeS
tllxg6 20.exf6 0-0 2 1 .l:i.d4;!:;
D2) 1 4 0-0-0
.••
1 S.�xf6 ! 1 5 .�h4 g5 1 6.�f2 gxf4+.
1 S ...tl:lxf6 After 1 5 . . . �xf6! ?N 1 6 . ..txbS
�xc3 1 7 .�xd7+ @xd7! 1 8 .bxc3 @e7 !
1 9 .l::r e 3 Black has some advantage be­
cause of the pawns, but if he exchanges
queens he will have an excellent posi­
tion, and can even look to take the ad­
vantage. 1 6.a4!N We have a position
with a great deal of play. It is very strange
that this move has not been played yet,
because it is White's only chance to fight
for an advantage. If 1 6.@b l @b8 1 7 .fS
e5 1 8 .�f3 l:i.c8 1 9.tll d S �xd5 20.exdS
�b6 2 1 .g4 l:i.c7 2 2 .h4 tll d 7 23 .�g3 f6
67
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
24 . .tt e 4 tbcS 2 S . tbxcS ttxcS 2 6 .il.e2;l; ,
Akopian-Van Wely, Cap d'Agde 1 99 6 ;
o r 1 6 . tbdS tbxdS 1 7 . exdS �xdS
1 8 .�xbS il.b7 , which is quite unclear,
but I like Black's position on account of
the two bishops and central pawns.
1 6 ... bxa4 1 7.tbxa4 @b8 1 8.@bl ttc8
1 9.'i¥e3�
1 3.tbe2
No good is 1 3 .tbdS ? exdS 1 4.exdS
�f8 ! +: .
1 3 ...�b7 14.t2Jed4
After 1 4. @b l h6 1 S .�h4 tbcS !
1 6.tbxcS ( 1 6 .tbg3 tbxd3 1 7 .'i¥xd3 gS
1 8 . fxgS
tbd7
l 9 . 'i¥d2
tbeS=F)
16 ... dxcS we get a very interesting po­
sition, where Black is at least not worse.
1 7 .cxd3 a S =F . 1 7 ... tbxg4 1 8 .�xe7
'iWxe7 1 9 ..tt g l tbf6 20.eS dxeS 2 1 .fxeS
t2Je4 22 . .tt d e l tbcs 2 3 .'i¥h3 tbxb3
24.axb3 �dS 2S . .ttg 3 g6 26.'i¥h6 ttad8
2 7 . .ttegl 1:i.d7 28 . .tth 3 fS 29.l:i:xg6+
hxg6 30.'iVhs+ @f7 3 1 .l:i:h7+ @es
32.ttxe7 + ttxe7'f After what has been
in some sense a forced period of play,
we have a position with a white queen
against two black rooks, but Black has
the advantage, thanks to his passed
f-pawn. However, the problem for him
is his very weak king;
B) 1 6.tbxcS dxcS 1 7.'i¥h3 ! c4! 1 8.eS !
1 8 . �fl .tt a d8 =F . 1 8 ... cxd3 1 9 .exf6
dxc2+ 20.tbxc2 .ttac8 2 1 .tbd4 il.cs
22.fxg7 .ttfe8 23.'i¥e3 �xd4 24.ttxd4
'i¥c2+ 25.@al as
1 4 ... t2Jc5 1 5 .@b1
The position is very sharp, but in my
opinion, Black is slightly better.
15 ...h61
The alternative is 1 S ... 0-0 and now:
A) 1 6.g4 tbxd3 1 6 . . . .ld.ac8 1 7 .'iWh3
tbxd3 1 8 .cxd3 aS 1 9 .il.xf6 �xf6 2 0 .gS
�e7 2 1 .'i¥e3 �a6 2 2 . .ld.c l . 1 7.'tWxd3
1 6.�h4
0-0
1 8.cxd3 .ttfc8
1 7.�f2
Here too, Black is slightly better, be­
cause of the bishop pair, central pawns
and the advance of the a-pawn.
Conclusion
With 8 .tt:lb3 , White does not sacrifice the b2-pawn, but wishes to com­
plete his development and play a position with equal material. But this
line is not dangerous for Black and there are practically no forcing lines
that need to be remembered. The important thing is just to fight!
68
t2Jxd3
Part I I
The Dangerous 6.�c4
The move 6 .�c4 was preferred by the great Bobby Fischer himself. Fischer's han­
dling of the position was quite original. He is the only great player who preferred,
in the Sicilian Defence, to retain the light-squared bishop, rather than the dark­
squared one.
Let us go on to the specific position. The bishop move to c4 is one of the most
aggressive, dangerous and principled continuations here. After this move, White
has two possible and equally sharp continuations, which are distinguished by
where he castles.
After queenside castling, we reach a position very similar to that which arises
after 6 .�gS .
But I prefer kingside castling. This is because if we choose 6 .�c4 instead of
6.�g S , then it makes sense to continue with moves that fit into the general concept
of the move 6.�c4. White's idea is quite simple and, in my opinion, quite logical.
White puts his bishop on b 3 , and his knight on d4, attacking the square e6. After
kingside castling, White's idea is to advance his f-pawn. The pawn aims to reach fS ,
and then there is a choice of further continuations, depending on how Black reacts.
In the variation with 6.�c4, White has problems defending the e4-pawn, due to
the fact that his light-squared bishop is on the a2-g8 diagonal, and so cannot help
to defend the e4-pawn, which instead comes under pressure from the enemy
light-squared bishop. The advance e4-e5 is generally considered a strategic mistake,
because Black exchanges his d6-pawn for the f4-pawn, after which White has three
pawn islands and the pawn on eS becomes weak. But e4-e5 is also a concrete move,
and if White finds a concrete way to make use of it, then he has the right to play it,
although it does contain a definite element of risk.
69
Winning with the Naj dorf S i c i l i a n
Chapter 4
White Retreats the Bishop to b3
1 .e4 c5 2.tt:Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tt:Jxd4 tt:Jf6 5.tt:Jc3 a6 6.]lc4 e6 7.�b3
In this chapter, we will examine the variation involving the transfer of the bishop to
b 3 , which is the way Fischer preferred to play this line from 1 9 S 9 onwards. White
moves the bishop away from the twin threats of . . . d6-d5 and . . . t2:lxe4. At the same
time, he prepares the march of the f-pawn and for the moment, does not spend a
tempo on kingside castling and retains the possibility of castling queenside. But
Black understands the dangers he faces, and decides immediately to neutralise the
bishop by bringing his knight to d7 and c S ; after the exchange of the bishop, Black
will have no problem with the defence of e6, or along the a2-g8 diagonal.
1 .e4 c5 2.t2Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.t2Jxd4 t2Jf6 5.t2Jc3 a6 6.�c4 e6
7.�b3 t2Jbd7 8.�g5
A) This move is one of the most prin­
cipled and dangerous for Black, who in
several lines obtains a position similar
to those arising after 6 . .ig S . The dan­
ger of the line consists in the fact that
White places his pieces aggressively,
whilst retaining the option of castling
on either side, which retains a degree of
flexibility and dangerfor Black. 8.0-0
tbcs and now:
70
Robert Fischer
Chapter 4
A l ) 9.l:Iel j;_,e7 1 0.f4 1 0.°i¥f3 0-0
1 1 .°i¥g3 transposes to line D : 8 .'llif3 .
1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .eS 1 1 .°i¥f3 �c7 1 2 .eS dxeS
1 3 .fxeS
1 3 . . . tt:Jxb3N In this position, the most
dangerous white piece is the bishop on
b 3 , which points at the black king and
is prepared to sacrifice itself on e6, as
well as controlling the a2-g8 diagonal.
With 1 3 . . . tt:Jxb3 , Black eliminates this
bishop, making his life much easier.
1 4.tt:lxb3 tt:ldS 1 5 .tLlxdS exdS 1 6.c3
�e6 1 7 .tt:ld4 l:rae8=. 1 1 . ..dxeS 1 2.fxeS
ltJxb3 1 3.axb3 ttJdS 1 4.tt:le4 fS 1 S.exf6
ltJxf6 The position will assume an open
character, where Black has the two bish­
ops and the white king is weak;
A2) 9.'l/Vf3 �e7 again transposes to
line D : 8 .°i¥f3 ;
A3) 9.f4 transposes to line F: 8 .f4;
A4) 9.Wie2 �e7 1 0.f4 0-0 1 1 . <;t>h l
and now:
-
Whi t e R e t r e a ts the B i shop to b3
A4 1 ) 1 1 ...'iVd7 1 2.�e3 After 1 2 .eS
tt:lxb3 1 3 .tt:lxb3 tt:ldS 1 4 . .l::l:f3 tt:lxc3
1 5 . .l:f.xc3 bS Black has an excellent posi­
tion, although White. also has his
trumps, with the active rook on the third
rank and attacking prospects. 1 2 ...tt:lfxe4
1 3.ltJxe4 tt:lxe4 1 4.fS dS 1 S.fxe6 1 5 .c4?
eS !=F, for example 1 6.tt:lc2 t2Jd6 1 7 .t2Jb4
dxc4 1 8 .�c2 f6 1 9.tt:lds �d8 2 0.�b6
aS 2 1 .b3 .!d'.a6 22 .�xd8 °i¥xd8 2 3 .bxc4
.llc 6 24 . .l:f.ad l b6 2 5 . ld.f3 �a6 2 6.!:[h3
Black is winning. TomczakNegi,
Cappelle la Grande 20 1 2. 1 S ...fxe6 1 6.c4
White has compensation for the pawn,
sufficient for equality;
A42) 1 1 ...'iVb6 1 2 .eS ti:lxb3 1 3.tt:lxb3
A42 1 ) Black has eliminated the �b3 ,
but he has concrete problems, associated
with his development, so he needs to
play some accurate moves. It seems to
me that Maxim did not manage to solve
all the problems he faced in the opening.
1 3 ... tt:leS 1 4.a4 �d7 1 5 .�e3 �c7 1 6.aS
.ld.c8 1 7 . .l:f.ad l dS 1 8 .�b6 Wic4 1 9.'tWe3
f6 2 0 . <;t>g l fxeS 2 1 .fxeS tbc7 22 . .l:[xf8+
.ld.xf8 2 3 .'iVd3 Wixd3 24.cxd3 l:!.c8
2 5 .tt:lcS - Black's opening troubles are
now behind him, thanks to his accurate
play in the middlegame, The position is
absolutely equal, Kuzubov-Vachier­
Lagrave, Spain tt 2 0 1 1 ;
A422) 1 3 ... dxeS!N Thanks to the fact
that White has the initiative, due to his
71
Winning with the Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
superior development, Black needs to
exchange a pair of pieces and simplify.
The text, followed by . . . ttJdS , success­
fully solves his problems. 1 4.fxeS tiJdS
1 5.ttJe4 as 1 6.'iYd3 1 6 . .igs .ixgS
1 7 .ttJxgS 'iYe3 1 8.'iYhs h6 1 9 .l:rxf7
hxgS 2 0 .r:!.xf8 + @xf8 2 1 .l:rfl + @g8
2 2 .'iYe 8 + @h7 2 3 .'iYhS + = . 16 ... fs
1 7.exf6 ttJxf6 1 8 ..ie3 'iYd8 1 9.�d4
ttJxe4 2 0.'iYxe4 'iY dS 2 1 . 'iYxdS exdS = .
B ) The bishop sacrifice 8 . .ixe6? is
premature, because all the white pieces
are still on their initial squares, and
with such pieces, White is not ready for
active operations. 8 .. .fxe6 9 . ttJxe6 'i¥b6
1 o .�e3 tbcs
C 1 ) 9. 'iY f3 b S This position has
arisen six times, with Black winning all
six. Even without the computer, it is
clear that Black is better, as the white
queen is bad on f3 , and Black intends
. . . �b7 , when it will not be clear how to
defend the pawn e4: 1 0 .�gS �b7
l l .�xf6 'ii'xf6 1 2 .'t}Vxf6 gxf6 l 3 .f3 hS
1 4 . .l:!.d l .ih6 1 5 .a4 b4 1 6 .ttJa2 as
1 7 .tiJbS @e7 l 8 .@f2 (White's position
is strategically lost, and Black only has
to conduct the game accurately to a
conclusion. White cannot take on d6,
because Black plays .ia6 and l:rhd8)
1 8 . . . ld:hd8 and Black is winning
Edvardsen-l'Ami, Reykjavik 2 0 1 2 ;
C2) 9.f3 As I have said several times
already, the combination of the move
f2-f3 with the transfer of the bishop to
b3 is not very good; White needs either
to play �b3 and f4-fS , or else play f2-f3
and leave the bishop on f l 9 �e7
I O.'ii'd2 l O .'t}Ve2 't}Vc7 l l .g4 bS 1 2 .gS
ttJfd7 and now:
.
•..
l l .tiJxf8 .l:Ixf8 1 2 . 0-0 .ie6=F. Despite
the fact that he has an extra piece,
Black's position is not yet winning, be­
cause White has a very strong pawn
structure, Black cannot castle kingside
and he has a weak pawn on d6.
C) 8.�e3 ttJcs
It's wise for White to prevent the
. . . b5 -b4 push here: 1 3 .a3 ( 1 3 .h4 b4!N
1 4. tiJa4 ttJxb3
1 5 . axb3 ttJcS=F)
13 ... ttJxb3 1 4.cxb3 0-0 and Black is
slightly better. 1 0 ... 0-0
C2 l) 1 1 .0-0 This move is not even
worth examining in detail, as it is so
toothless. After castling, Black is simply
better and plays l l . . . 't}Vc7 with the idea
of . . .bS and . . . �b7 .
72
Chap t e r 4
C22) 1 1 .g4 This move i s also not dan­
gerous for Black, but it is stronger than
1 1 .0-0, since it is obvious that White
should castle queenside and attack on
the kingside, even though Black is faster.
1 1 . .. tll fd7! 1 2.g5 'file? 1 3.0-0-0 b5
Black has an excellent position; he wants
to play . . . �b7 ,with the idea of . . . bS -b4
and . . . d6-dS and, depending on circum­
stances, either take the bishop on b3 or
trap it by . . . a6-aS . 14.Wb l tll b 6 1 5 .a3
l:[bs 1 6.h4 tll ca4 1 7.tllxa4 bxa4 1 8.�a2
d5 1 9.exd5 tll x d5 20.�xd5 exd5
2 1 .�f4 �d6 22.�xd6 'ff/xd6 23.Wal
�d7 24.h5 l:[b6 25.h6 and Black won in
Akylbekov-Amanov, Khanty-Mansiysk
Olympiad 20 1 0 .
D) 8.'iYf3?! tll c 5 9.0-0 9 .�e3 ? bS
1 0 . 0 - 0 ( 1 0 . e S ? �b 7 =F ; 1 0 . 0 - 0 - 0 ?
�b 7 + as Black will take on e4,
Gdanski-Jasnikowski, Warsaw 1 990)
1 O . . . �b7 l l .'ff/e 2 �e7 !=F. If Black plays
. . . tll fxe4 White takes with the knight on
e4 and in case of �xe4, he has the small
tactic tll b S , after which a dynamically
equal position arises, but after the sim­
ple developing move �e7 Black has the
advantage. 9 ... �e7 and now:
D 1 ) 1 0.l:[e 1 is not dangerous for
Black, because it is very slow and Black
manages to complete his development
favourably. He has many ways to obtain
good play, and can even fight for the ad­
vantage: 1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .�g3 and now:
-
Whi te R e t r e a ts the B i shop to b 3
D l l ) 1 1 ... �d7 1 2.tll f3N 1 2 .a 3 ? !
tll x b3 1 3 . cxb3 l:[c8 l 4.�h6 tll e 8
l S .l:[ad l �h4 1 6 .'i¥g4 fS 1 7 .exfS exfS
l 8 .'iVf3 gxh6 and White didn't have
enough for the piece: 1 9 .tll e 6 �xe6
20.l:[xe6 'iVd7 2 1 Jhh6 �d8 2 2 .tll d s
� g7 23 .l:[h3 'it>h8 24.tll f4 � g4 0 - 1
Tissir-Anastasian, Abu Dhabi 2 0 1 0 .
1 2 ... e5 1 3 .�g5 �c6 1 4.�d5 tll e6 with
balanced play;
D 1 2) 1 1 ...WhS! ? 1 2 .�gS h6 1 3 .�d2
�d7 1 4.l:[ad l bS l S .a3 �b6 l 6 .tll f3
tll xb3 1 7 .cxb3 es 1 8 .'iVh4 �e6 1 9 .b4
Wg8 2 0 .h3 'iVb7 2 l .tll h 2 ld'.ac8
22. 'iVg 3 Black is slightly better and after
the correct exchange sacrifice
22 . . . l:[xc3 23 .�xc3 tll x e4, he retains a
small but stable plus, thanks to his
strong light-squared bishop and mobile
pawn centre. De Firmian-Ivanchuk, Lu­
cerne Wch-tt 1 9 8 9 ;
D 2 ) 1 0.'i¥g3 0 - 0 l 1 .�h6 tll e 8
1 2.�e3 1 2 .ld'.ad 1 ? tll x b3 1 3 .axb3 �h4
1 4.'i¥g4 fS Again this trick. This hidden
trap is not so obvious, at a brief glance
at the position. It turns out that the
white queen has no squares on the
g-file and if she leaves the g-file, then
the bishop on h6 is lost. l S .exfS exfS
1 6 ."ii'h S gxh6+:. 1 2 ... �h4! 1 3.'ff/g4
�f6! I had looked at all of this before
the game. The bishop on f6 is very im­
portant, as I can force the queen away
from the dangerous square g3 and play
bS in peace. 1 4.�e2 b5 1 5 . .1::.adl In
case of 1 S .a3 �b 7 1 6 .f3 tll x b3
1 7 .tll xb3 'iVc7 Black is slightly better.
1 5 ... 'ii' c 7 1 6.a3 �b 7 1 7.f3 tll xb3
1 8.cxb3 �e7 1 9.l:[cl �d7 20.l:[fdl
tll f6 2 1 .b4 l:[fd8 22.tllb 3 'ii'e s 23.tll a5
l:[d? 24.l:[d2 l:[c8 25 . .l:!:cdl �as 26.'ff/f2
2 6.a4 dS 2 7 .eS �xb4. 2 6 . . . h6 2 7 .tll b 3
eS A dynamically equal position, in
which both sides have their chances.
73
Winning w i t h the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
White's advantage is that he controls the
square d5 and does not allow Black ac­
tive counterplay. Black has the plus that
he has the better pawn structure and a
strong light-squared bishop, Tomic­
Andriasyan, Plovdiv Ech 2 0 1 2 ;
E) 8.g4? is not a very logical move, as
with the bishop on b 3 , White should be
advancing the f-pawn, so as to create a
weakness on e6. 8 ... tll cS 9.�e2 h6
1 0.f3
1 O Ji.d7N Because there have not been
many games in this line, I have analysed
the position further myself. I believe the
text move is the strongest here, with the
idea of . . . .i::l. c 8 and the advance of the
b-pawn, and this plan can be carried
out quite rapidly. 1 1 .�e3 l:i:c8 Black is
better, as the .1l.b3 does nothing. Black
will soon play . . . b7-b5 and . . . b5-b4,
whilst White will have to play 'lWd2 , to
free the e2-square for the king;
F) 8.f4 tll cs This move is the stron­
gest and most principled to my mind,
and it is no surprise that this is the
move preferred by all the players from
the top echelons. At first sight, it looks
extremely dangerous, but when one
looks at the games of the best players
and analyses the resulting positions, it
becomes clear that Black will have no
problems, if he knows what he is
doing:
F l ) 9.�f3 Ji.e7 9 . . . e5?! 1 0 .fxeS dxe5
1 1 .tll fS
tll x b3
l 2 . axb3
�xf5
1 3 .'lWxfS �. 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .�e3 �c7
1 2.g4 bS 1 3.gS tll fd7 14.�dS �b7
( 1 4 . . . l:tb8) 1 5.�xb7 tllxb7 1 6 .�hS b4
We have reached a position very similar
to those typical of the Scheveningen,
with the sole difference that the light­
squared bishops have left the board. In
my opinion, this position is one of dy­
namic equality.
F2) 9.0-0 tll fxe4 9 . . . �c7 1 0.'i¥e2
.1l.e7 1 1 .eS dxe5 1 2 .fxeS tll fd7 l 3 .�f4;
1 3 .l:Ixf7 @xf7 -+ . Of course, White
was not obliged to sacrifice the rook,
and could have played .1l.f4, after which
he has a strong initiative. 1 o.tllxe4
tllxe4 1 1 .f5 eS 1 2 .�hS
•••
74
This is probably one of the sharpest po­
sitions which can arise in this variation.
1 2 ... dS This move looks perfectly cor­
rect, mainly because it closes the diago­
nal of the bishop on b 3 , and opens that
of the black bishop on f8 , which will
develop with tempo. After l 2 . . . 'i¥e7
1 3 .'i¥f3 tll c 5 1 4.tll c 6 a big fight is be­
ginning. White's task is to open the cen­
tre at all costs, since he has already lost
his central pawn, and has nothing to
lose, so he seeks a way to keep on sacri­
ficing. 1 4 . . . 'i¥c7 1 5 .j)_ds a5 1 6.�gS
l:Ia6 1 7 .tll d 8 f6 1 8 .tll f7 l:Ig8 1 9 . .1l.e3
g6 2 0 .tll g s l:I g 7 2 l .fxg6 l:Ixg6
Cha p t e r 4
2 2 .�f7 + �xf7 2 3 . tlJxf7 Wxf7
24.�xcS dxcS 2 S .:C:ad l 1 -0 Topalov­
Kasparov, Amsterdam 1 99 6 . 1 3.l:!.el
F2 1 ) 1 3 ...gcs 1 4.l:txe4 An interest­
ing moment. White absolutely has to
take the piece and this leads to a pictur­
esque position:
F2 l 1 ) 1 4 ... �f6?? 1 S.�gS ! +- In the
game, the Indian player was unable to
cope with all the subtleties and failed to
exploit Black's crude mistake and win
the game at once, although of course it
was not so easy to find the right line at
the board: l S .�xdS 0 - 0 1 6 .�gS
gxd4+ 1 7 . l:!.xd4 "lWb6 1 8 .Wh l �xd4
1 9 . .l:!.dl �f2 2 0 .f6 �fs 2 1 .Wg l gxf6
2 2 .l::! d 3 fxgS 2 3 . .!d:g3 g4 0 - 1 Vishnu­
Smirnov, Moscow 2 0 1 1 . 1 S ...�xd4+
1 6.l:!.xd4 'iWb6 1 7.�a4+ Wf8 1 8 ..!d:dl
exd4 1 9 . .!d:el and White is winning;
F2 1 2) 1 4...�xd4+
F2 1 2 1 ) 1 S .�e3 0-0 1 6.l:!.xd4 exd4
1 7.�xd4 f6 1 8.�f3 ( 1 8 .�cS ? ! l:!.e8:f
-
Whi t e Retreats the B i shop to b 3
Despite White's threatening position,
Black has an extra exchange. Admit­
tedly, White has a pawn for it, but Black
is still a little better, Topalov-Short, Am­
sterdam 1 99 6 . 1 8 ... Wh8 1 9.�xdS �c7
20.c4 2 0 .c3 ? ! �d7 ! 2 1 .�xb7 .l:!.ab8
2 2 .�xa6 .!d:xb2:f Tatar Kis-Likavsky,
Salgotarjan 2 0 0 3 . 20 ...�d7! 2 1 .�f2
and White must fight for a draw;
F2 1 22) 1 S.l:txd4! °iVb6! The only
move that does not lose. Black does not
rush to take the rook, since it is pinned
anyway and is not going anywhere. With
the text, he wins an important tempo,
which he needs for breathing space.
1 6.c3 exd4 1 7.°iVe2+ Wf8 1 8."lWes
h6!?N A strong prophylactic move,
which has several ideas: firstly opening a
bolthole for the king, and secondly tak­
ing control of gS , and thirdly playing
. . . �f6 and after the exchange on f6 , the
white bishop will not have the impor­
tant square h6. 1 8 . . .�f6 1 9 .�xdS ! h6D
20 .�f4 �xfs 2 1 .l:!.fl ! (2 1 .�es 1lWg6
22.l:!.fl Wg8 23 . .!d:f3 �e4 24."lWxf7+
Wh7 2 S .l:!.g3 1lWxf7 2 6.�xf7 led to a
draw in Dembo-Prentos, Greece tt
2 0 06) 2 1 . . . l:rd8D 2 2 .Vi'cs + \tlg8
23 .�g3 g6D 24.�eS and White's posi­
tion is better because Black's king on g8
is weak, his rook on h8 does not take
part in the game and it is not clear how
this rook can be brought into active
play) 1 9 .cxd4 �f6 20.�xdS �xfS
2 1 .�e3 �e6 2 2 .�cS + Wfie7 23 .Vi'xfS
�xe3 + 24.Wh l 1lWe7 2 S .l:!.fl f6 2 6 . .!d:c l
and White has a good initiative;
F2 1 3 ) 1 4 ... 0 - 0 1 S .l:!.g4 l S . l:!.e l ? !
�xd4+ 1 6 .'it>h l g 6 1 7 .fxg6 hxg6
1 8 .'lWh6 e4 1 9 .�gs �g7 2 0 .�xd8
�xh6 2 1 .�aS �e6 2 2 .l::t ad l l:!.fc8
2 3 .c3 b6 24.�xb6 :C:cb8 2 S .�c7 .l:!.bS
2 6 . l:!.d4 aS . It is clear just from a glance
at the position that the coordination of
7S
Winning w i th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
the white pieces has been disrupted and
Black's pieces occupy excellent posi­
tions, whilst his strong pawn centre will
soon start to advance. 1 S ... �xd4+
1 6 .Whl e4
The position reached is very interesting.
White is attacking with all his pieces,
but Black's strong dark-squared bishop
defends its king on its own. 1 7 .c3 !N
1 7 .�h6 Wh8 l 8 .c3 transposes to
1 7 .c3 . 1 7 ...�f6 1 8.�h6 Wh8 1 9.�e3
d4 20.cxd4 'iiVd 7 2 1 .l:i.f4;!; .
F22) 1 3 ... 'iiVc 7 This move is stronger
than developing the bishop, as we will
see. After 1 3 . . . �c5 White retains a
small but stable advantage.
F 2 2 l ) 1 4.�xdS tt::l f6 D 1 S .�xf7 +
'iiVxf7 1 6.l:i.xeS+ il.e7 1 7.'iiVe 2 Wf8
1 8.�gS and now:
F 2 2 l l ) 1 8 ... il.d6 1 9.tt::l e 6+ il.xe6
20.fxe6
20 ...'i!'c7 !N It is strange that, despite
the fact that he is under a very strong at-
76
tack, the exchange of queens i s not
good for Black. The text avoids the
exchange. 2 0 . . . 'iiVh S 2 1 . 'Yi'xh5 ! tt::lxh5
2 2 . l:i.dS ! �c7 2 3 .l:i.d7 ! and after
2 3 . . . .ib6+ White has 24.Wh l , with an
attack, whereas after 2 3 . . Jk8 ?
24.l:i.fl + ! gives White a clear advantage,
as opposed to 24.l:i.ad 1 ? ! , which led to a
draw after 24 . . . tt::l f6 2 5 . .l::i.f7 + We8 in
Armanda-Kozul, Sibenik tt 2 0 1 1 .
2 1 .l:i.fS il.e7 22.l:i.el hS 23.Whl l:i.c8
The position is dynamically equal:
Black has an extra piece, but White has
in return two pawns and a strong attack
on the king. I give a sample variation,
but both sides have many possibilities:
24.�f3 'iiVc 6 2 5 .�xf6 gxf6 2 6 .l:i.xf6+
We8 2 7 .'iiVfs 'i¥xc2 2 8 .'iiVd s 'iiVc 6
29.'iiV g S �c2 3 0 .'iiVd S with equality.
F22 l 2) l 8 . . . �d7 ! is a much stronger
move than l 8 . . . �d6 , since the bishop
stands very well on e 7 : it defends the
tt::lf6 and blocks the e-file, whilst on c8 ,
the bishop prevented the rook coming
into play. After 1 8 . . . �d7 , White still has
the initiative and compensation for the
piece, but in my opinion, Black is a little
better: 1 9 .l::r e l .l:!.e8 2 0 .Wh l h6 2 1 ..ih4
�d6 2 2 .�xf6 gxf6 2 3 .tt::l e 6+ �xe6
24.fxe6 'iiVe 7 25 . .l::i.fs .l:lg8 2 6 .'iiVh s
Wg7 2 7 .�h4 ld.gf8 2 8 .l:i.e4. Such posi­
tions often end in perpetual check, with
correct play by both sides, Bejtovic­
Smeets, Sarajevo 2 0 1 1 .
Chap ter 4
F222) 14.c3 ti:Jf6!N In principle, the
older move 1 4 . . . ..id6 and the new
knight move are equally good, but I al­
ways prefer to play something new and
force the opponent to play a position
that I am more familiar with and which
suits my style more. 1 4 . . . ..id6 1 S . ti:le6
�xe6 l 6.fxe6 0-0 ( 1 6 . . . ti:Jf6 ! 1 7 .exf7 +
°ii xf7 1 8 . 'iYxf7 + \t>xf7 1 9 .�e3 �)
1 7 .exf7 + \t>h8 1 8 . ..ie3 ? ( 1 8 .Itxe4!
dxe4 1 9 . \t>h l ! �) l 8 . . . ti:Jf6 ! =F Papp
Zhigalko, Plovdiv Ech 2 0 1 2 . 1 5.'li'e2
�d6 1 6 . ..if4 and now:
F2 2 2 1 ) 1 6 ... e4 1 7 . ..igs ..ixh2+
1 8.\t>hl ..ies 1 9 ...ixdS 0-0 20 . ..ixf6
�xf6 2 1 . 'i¥xe4 \t>h8 An approximately
equal position, but I prefer Black: he has
the two bishops, although White has all
his pieces centralised, and does not let
Black develop;
F2 2 2 2) It is also possible not to give
up the pawn and instead to play like a·
computer with 16 ...ti:Jd7! ? , but then
White sacrifices a second pawn and has
a strong attack. This may not frighten a
computer or a player sitting at home in
his armchair, but it seems to me that
over the board, it is not so harmless. So
we have a choice, either to hang onto
the pawn and play like the computer, or
to return the pawn for a normal posi­
tion. 1 7.f6 gxf6 1 8.ti:Jf5 -+ ;
F3) 9.es dxe5 1 0.fxes ti:Jfd7 l 1 .�f4
b5 ! This is the way! It is important to
-
Whi te R e treats the B i shop to b 3
develop the black queenside quickly!
1 2.'li'e2 1 2 .'li'g4 hS 1 3 .'lW g 3 h4
1 4.�g4 gs 1 5 . 0-0-0 gxf4! ( 1 5 . . . 'iYe7 ?
1 6.ti:Jc6 ti:lxb3+ 1 7 .axb3 'iYcS 1 8 .ti:le4
'lWxc6 1 9 . ..ixgS ..ib 7 2 0 . n d 6 +­
Short-Kasparov, PCA World Champion­
ship 1 99 3 ) 1 6.ti:lxe6 ti:lxe6! 1 7 .1i..xe6
'lWe7 ! l 8 .1i..x d7 + ..ixd7 l 9.'lWf3 .l:f.a7 !
2 0 .nhe l ( 2 0 . ti:JdS ! ? 1i.. c 6 2 1 .ti:Jf6+
'ii'xf6 2 2 . exf6 �xf3 2 3 .l:the l + l:!'.e7
2 4 .fxe 7 �xd 1 2 S . exf8 'iY + \t>xf8
2 6 . \t>xd l h3 =) 2 0 . . . �e6 ! 2 1 .°iVf2
.ld.b7 . White has compensation for the
sacrificed piece, but it is only sufficient
for equality, a sample variation being
2 2 . .ld.d6 °iVc4 2 3 .ti:le4 �e7 24. ti:lf6+
\t>d8 2 S . .l:!.xa6 �xf6 2 6 .exf6 l:!:c7
2 7 .nas + l:!:c8 28 . .l::!. a 7 l:!:c7= 12 ... ..ib?
1 3.0-0-0 1 3 . 0-0 1i..e 7 1 4 . .ll ad l 0-0
Black has solved his opening problems,
and can now himself play to seize the
initiative. 1 3 ... 'iYb6 and now:
F3 l ) 1 4. .l:!.hfl ! 1 4 ... �e7 1 5.'iYg4 g6 !
1 5 . . . 0-0-0?! 1 6.1i..g 3 ? ! ( 1 6 .�xg 7 ! ndf8
1 7 . 'ii'h 6 0 )
1 6 . . J 1hf8
Sharbaf­
Cheparinov, Baku 2 0 1 1 ( 1 6 . . . hS !
1 7 .�xg7 h4 ! � ) 1 6 . ..ih6 ! ti:lxe5
1 7.'Wif4 f6 1 8 ...ig7 0-0-0 1 9 . ..ixf6
1 9 .1i..x h8 .ld.xh8 with excellent compen­
sation for the exchange! 1 9 ... tlled3+
20 . .l:!.xd3 2 0 .cxd3 .l::!.hf80 2 1 .ilxe6+
ti:lxe6 2 2 .'lWg4 .l:!.xf6 23 . .l:!.xf6 ..ixf6
24.ti:lxe6 'lWe3 + 2 5 .\t>c2 hS 2 6 .'ii'h 3
�xh3 2 7 . gxh3 .l:!. e 8 = . 20 ... ..ixf6
2 1 .�xe6+ ti:lxe6 22.ti:lxe6 .!:!:xd3
23.'iYxf6 'iYe3+ 24.\t>b l .!:!:es 25.cxd3
.!:!:xe6= ;
F 3 2) 1 4.\t>b l 1i.. e 7 1 5 .h4 0 - 0 ! ?
1 5 . . . 0-0-0 ? 1 6.a3 ! ti:lb8 1 7 .�e3 ti:lc6
l 8 .�a2 ti:lxd4 1 9 .�xd4 "ilc6 2 0 . .l:!.hfl
I:rhf8 2 1 .g3 \t>b8 2 2 .l:!:f4 fS 2 3 .exf6
gxf6 24.b4 eS 2 5 .bxcS l:txd4 2 6 .l:tfxd4
exd4 2 7 . 'Wixe7 l:!:e8 2 8 . '1Wf7 1 -0
Topalov-Anand, Wijk aan Zee 1 9 96.
77
Winning with the Najdorf S i c i l i a n
1 6 ..igs .l:Iae8 1 7.'i¥g4 �h8? Black has
solved the problem of castling, success­
fully developed his pieces, and is him­
self ready to strike a blow;
F 3 3 ) 1 4. .l:Ihe l ? ! .ie7 1 S .'i¥g4 gs
1 6.�g3 l 6 . .ie3 0 - 0 - 0 � 1 6 ... hS
1 7.'i¥e2 h4 Black has an excellent posi­
tion!
F4) 9.fs .ie7 1 0.'i¥f3 In the event of
1 0. 0 - 0 ? ! eS l I .t2Jf3 0-0 Black is at the
very least not worse. 1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .�e3
1 1 .0-0 �d7 1 2 .�e3 bS l 3 .a3 tbxb3
Black has the advantage. 1 1 ... eS
1 2.tLlde2 tt:Jxb3 1 3.axb3 bS 14.g4 b4
1 S.tlJa4 �b7? Black has eliminated the
dangerous light-squared bishop, devel­
oped his piece, and is attacking the
e4-pawn. Soon the central break
. . . d6-dS will follow and Black's advan­
tage will be indisputable.
G) s .'i¥e2?! tt:Jcs 9.�gs .ie7 1 0.f4
h6 1 1 .�xf6 l 1 ..ih4? tbfxe4+ .
1 1 . ..�xf6 1 2.0-0-0 'i¥c7 1 3 .fS 0-0=F
White has given up his strong bishop
and weakened his dark squares, whilst
Black at the same time has developed
his pieces to active squares and will
soon advance . . . bS-b4, with a clear ad­
vantage.
8...ttJc5 9.f4
A) The slow play which arises after
castling cannot be favourable for White,
because his previous moves were ambi­
tious and aggressive. It is clear why cas­
tling is less popular than other moves.
9.0-0 �e7 1 0 . .l:Iel h6 1 1 .�h4 and
now:
A l ) 1 1 . .. 'i¥c 7 ? ! 1 2 .f4! 0 - 0 Here
White is at a crossroads. He can play
1 3 .'i¥f3 and sacrifice the queen, but as
we will see, this is not dangerous for
Black, whilst the other move 1 3 .es is
very interesting and leads in a few
78
1 S.exf6 �xf3 1 6.fxe7 .l:Ife8 1 7.tt:Jxf3
Three pieces for the queen; this is one
of the most interesting and difficult po­
sitions to assess. It seems to me that it is
dynamically equal. Black should some­
where play . . . d6-dS , closing in the
bishop on b3. The weakness of the
white e4-pawn, king and f4-pawn will
then have its say. Black will sacrifice the
exchange on e 7 , and try to exploit the
weakness of the diagonal g l -a 7 . For ex­
ample: 1 7 ... b4 1 8.tlJa4 tbxb3 1 9.axb3
'i¥xc2 20.tLlb6 .l:Iab 8 2 1 .tLlc4 dS
22 ..l:Iacl 'i¥xb3 23.tLld6 'i¥xb2 24.tbxe8
.l:Ixe8 2S.fS aS Despite the fact that the
computer assesses the position in
Black's favour, such positions are abso­
lutely unclear and tend to be won by
whoever does not make the final mis­
take, Rublevsky-Sutovsky, Kragujevac tt
2009;
A l 2) 1 3 .eS ! ? dxeS 1 4.fxeS tt:Jfe4
1 S ..ixe7 tLlxc3 1 6 .�d6 'i¥xd6 1 7.exd6
tt:Jxd 1 1 8 . .l:Iaxd 1 �d7 leads us to an in­
teresting endgame, where White prob­
ably has a small advantage. But Black too
has his ideas: he wants to play . . . f7-f6
and . . . e6-eS , and put his king on e6,
whilst White wants meanwhile to start
an attack on the kingside.
Chapter 4
-
Whi te Retreats the B i shop to b 3
A2) 1 1 ... 0 - 0 1 2.f4
1 1 .0-0
A2 l ) A real computer move, which
probably only a computer could find.
Usually in the Sicilian, the queen goes to
the d8-aS diagonal, whilst the d7 -square is
reserved for the knight or the light­
squared bishop. 1 2 ... 'i1Vd7 1 3.eS 1 3 .fS bS
1 4 .fXe6 fXe6 1 S . tbfs tbxb3 1 6 . tbxe 7 +
'ifxe7 1 7 .axb3 i.b7=. 1 3 ...dxeS 14.fxeS
tbds 1 s.�xe7 tt:Jxc3 1 6.bxc3 'i1Vxe7
1 7.J::[ e3 bS 1 8.tbc6 In the event of l 8 . .l:f.g3
tbe4 1 9 . .l:[g4 i.b7 20.�e l tbcs 2 1 .�g3
B 22.exf6 l:rxf6 23 .h3 'ilk'f7, at the very
least Black is not worse, mainly because he
will soon exchange off the bishop at b3 ,
which would otherwise cause Black many
problems. 1 8 ... 'ilk'd7 1 9.'iVd6 tLlb7
20.tbe7+ @h7 2 1 .�4 .:I.es 22.tLlxcS
fucS=F Black has a clear advantage on ac­
count of his superior pawn structure and
better pieces;
A22) It is also possible to play
1 2 ... .:1.eS ! ? , reaching a new position, for
example 1 3.fS tbxb3 1 4.axb3 �d7
with equal play.
B) 9.'iVe2 Ji..e 7 1 O.f4 h6 1 1 .�6 i.xf6
1 2.0-0-0 'if c7 transposes to 8 .'ilk'e2 .
9.. .te 7 1 O.'iff3
.
If 1 0 . 0 -0 tbcxe4 l l . tbxe4 tbxe4
l 2 .Ji..xe7 'ilk'xe7 l 3 . °iVd3 dS=F.
1 0...�c7
White has a choice of which side to cas­
tle. If he castles kingside, then he avoids
the counterattack on the queenside, but
also loses the chance himself to attack
on the other flank.
1 1 .0-0-0 bS !=F Black begins an indirect
attack on the pawn on e4, by attacking
its defender and freeing the square b7
for his bishop, which will then attack
the e4-pawn.
A) 1 2.i.xf6 i.xf6 1 3.g4N In such po­
sitions, it is hard to recommend any­
thing, since in bad positions, there are
no good moves. Neither the g2-g4 push
nor the knight sacrifice are sufficient
for equality: 1 3 .tDcxbS axbS 1 4.tLlxbS
tbxb3+ 1 S .'l?Hxb3 'i!k'cS 1 6 .tbxd6+ @f8
1 7 .es i.e7 =F ; not 1 3 .tt:Jfs ? exfS 1 4.tbds
°iWd7 + , or first 1 3 . . . tbxb3 + ! ? 1 4.axb3
exfS l S .tLldS 'ilk'b7 1 6 .exfS 0-0+ as in
Istratescu-Akopian, Mamaia Wch-jr
1 99 1 . 1 3 ...:tbs 1 4.@b l b4 1 s.tt:Je2
..ib7 1 6.tbg3 i.h4+ ;
B) 1 2 . .:1.he l Ji..h 7 1 3.fS ? ! tbxb 3 +
1 4.axb3 b4!N After this strong move,
White is obliged to sacrifice a piece,
since he has no other moves. The com­
plications are only good for Black
1 4 . . . eS 1 S .Ji..xf6 Ji..xf6 1 6 .tLldS °iWaS
1 7 .tbxf6+ gxf6 1 8 .tLle2 'ilk'a l + 1 9 .@d2
'lWas + 2 0 .@cl 'lWal + 2 l .@d2 �as +
2 2 .@c l with a draw in Berndt79
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d orf S i c i l i a n
Areschenko, Germany Bundesliga
2 0 1 0/ 1 1 . 1 5.fxe6 bxc3 1 6.exf7+ �xf7
1 7.bxc3 l:the8=F.
11 .. 0-0
.
Here White has a choice: either to de­
velop his last piece, or to begin the at­
tack at once. In my opinion, White lacks
the time to involve his last piece, and he
should go for the complications.
1 2.fS
A) After 1 2 .l:tae l t2Jxb3 1 3 .tLlxb3 bS
1 4.eS �b7 1 S .'tWg3 dxeS 1 6 .fxeS lLlhS
1 7 .�h4 �xgS 1 8 .'!WxgS g6 1 9 .a3 aS
2 0 .tLlxbS �b6+ 2 1 .tLl3d4 �a6 22 .c3
�xbS 2 3 . l:tf3 �c4 24.g4 �dS 2 S . l:tf2
tLlg7 2 6 .l:te3 tLle8 Black is winning,
Palac-Kurnosov, Istanbul Ech 2 0 0 3 .
B ) 1 2 .l:tadl
15 ... �d7 ! N A strong move, indirectly
defending the hanging pawn on e6,
which cannot be taken because of
1 6 . . . �c8 , after which White loses a
knight. After 1 S . . . b4? 1 6.t2Jxe6 �a7 +
1 7 . .te3 �b7 1 8 .tLldS tLlxdS 1 9 .l:txf8+
.txf8 2 0 .exdS �xdS 2 1 .tLlc7 �b7
2 2 . �f3
.l::!. b 8
2 3 .�ds + 'tWxdS
2 4 . tLlxdS Black has a minimal
advantage, Ramnath-Sandipan, New
Delhi 2 0 1 2 . 1 6 .�hl �cs 1 7 . .te3
�cS=F
14 ....tdSI
1 5.tLldS
1 6 ..txdS+ t2Je6 1 7.�xf6
exd5
1 7 . .txa8 tLlxgS is disastrous for White,
Gunther-Repkova, Ceske Budejovice
1 9 94.
17... l:i.xf6 1 8.e5 �a7+1N
1 2 . . . h6 ! ?N (the immediate 1 2 . . . bS was
the old move) 1 3 .�h4 bS 1 4.eS �b7
1 5 .�e2 dxeS 1 6 .fxeS t2Jfe4 1 7 .tLlxe4
�xe4 1 8 .�xe7 �xe7 1 9 .b!f4 �g6 and
Black is slightly better, as White has no
attack, whilst Black will soon begin to
press on the queenside.
1 2 ... bS 1 3.fxe6 fxe6 1 4.tLlfS
A very attractive move, but not so effec­
tive, although it is hard to recommend
anything stronger. 1 4. �h3 t2Jxb3
1 5.axb3
80
After the mistaken 1 8 . . . dxe S ? White
does not play 1 9 . .txa8 ? ? as in
Lefebvre-Berbatov, Aix-les-Bains Ech
2 0 1 1 , on account of the riposte
1 9 . . . tLld4, which is good for Black, but
1 9 . .txe6+! �xe6 2 0.�xa8±.
1 9.@h1 dxe5 20..txaa g6
21 .�e4 gxf5 22.�xfS °fie7
23.l:i.ae1 �b7 24.'i!Yd3 t2Jf8
An unclear game, in which White has a
rook and pawn for two pieces, but
Black's king is exposed and the white
pieces are very actively placed.
Chapter 4
-
Whi t e R e treats the B i shop to b 3
Conclusion
In this chapter, we have been looking at one of the sharpest lines of the
Najdorf, which begins with 6 .�c4. Our study shows that if Black
chooses the accurate moves, he can first complete the development of his
pieces and prevent White from developing the initiative, associated with
his rapid development and a quiet attack. White has two ways to develop
his attack: firstly, by advancing his f-pawn to f5 and creating threats on
the f-ftle and the a2-g8 diagonal, bu we have seen that in this case, Black
puts his knight on c5 and solves all his problems. The second method for
White is to attack with pieces, and without his f-pawn, by playing his
queen to f3. But then after the exchange of a pair of minor pieces,
White's attack is weakened and Black is ready to seize the initiative.
We can conclude that with accurate play, Black has no problems and he
can play boldly, after a careful study of this chapter.
81
Chapter 5
6.�c4 e6 7 .0-0 : Wh ite Castles Kingside
1.e4 c5 2.tbf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tbxd4 tbf6 5.tbc3 a6 6.�c4 e6 7.0-0
In this chapter, we will analyse the most dangerous plan: kingside castling. The idea
of 7 . 0-0 is to complete the rapid development of the kingside and begin an attack
as soon as possible. There is a significant difference between this move and 7 . ..tb3 :
after the latter, Black immediately brings his knight to d7 and c5 , and eliminates
Fischer's favourite bishop, whereas after castling, Black has to play . . . b7-b5 to drive
the bishop to b 3 , and can only then start trying to eliminate it. But the move
. . . b7-b5 also has its minuses: firstly, the weakening of the a8-h l diagonal can cause
Black a lot of trouble, and also another point that is often overlooked - after cas­
tling, White prepares a sacrifice on e6, if Black tries to play . . . tl'ibd7 at once.
1 .e4 c5 2.tl'if3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.tt:Jxd4 tl'if6 5.tt:Jc3 a6 6.�c4 e6
7.0-0
For other alternatives for White, see the
next chapter.
7... b5
As mentioned in the introduction,
Black has difficulties after 7 ... tl'ibd7
8 . .l:!.e l (even 8 ...txe6 fxe6 9 . tl'ixe6 is an
option) , for example 8 . . . b5 9 . ..tdS ! ,
8 . . . �c7 9 .�xe6! or 8 . . . ..te7 9 .�xe6 ! .
82
8.�b3
C h a p t e r S - 6 . �c4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : Wh i t e C a s t l es King s i d e
Black has a choice: h e can either develop
one of his bishops or take the highly
poisoned pawn. Let us first examine the
continuations which develop the pieces.
In such positions, one often gets trans­
positions, if both . . . ile7 and . . . il..b 7 are
played, but this is not the case here.
White has an interesting bishop sacri­
fice, after which he has the initiative, and
has very good compensation.
bination 1 9.tiJdS+ .!:!.xd8 20.l!Ye6+ @g6
2 1 .l::!.'. g 3+
@h7
22.�f5 +
@gs
23.'iYe6+=;
A 1 2 ) 1 0 ... l!Yb6? 1 1 .tiJd5 i.xd5
l l . . .�c6 1 2 .il..h 6 ! ± . 1 2.exd5 tiJbd7
1 3.a4 l::!.'. c8 14.axb5 l!Yxb5
8 ..te7
..
A) If 8 ...i.b7 White can strike at once:
A 1 ) 9 .il..xe6 fxe6 1 0.ttJxe6 :
A l l ) 1 0 ... �cS ! ? 1 1 .tiJd5 il..x d5
1 2.exd5 @£7
Given that White has a piece less, in order
to pose real problems to the opponent, he
needs to exploit all his resources. Looking
at the position, it is obvious that apart
from the rook on a 1 , all of his pieces are
ready for action, and the move a2-a4 will
open the third rank for his rook, as well
as starting a second front on the
queenside: 1 3.a4!?N tiJbd7 14.l::!.'.a 3 After
1 4. .l::e 1 there followed 1 4 . . .b4 ! , taking
control of the important square a3 , and
on 1 5 . .td2 �b7 1 6 .'t?Ve2 h6 1 7.M .l::e 8
White forced the draw with 1 8 .tiJd8+
l::!.'.xd8 1 9.'t?Ve6+ @g6 2 0 .h5+ @h7
2 1 .°tWfS + in Klima-Czakon, Ostrava
2005. 14 ...h6 1 5 ..l::!.'.e l 't?Vb7 1 6.axb5 axb5
1 7.l!Ye2 l::!.'.c8 1 8.l::!.'.c 3 l::!.'.e 8 and here again
White should resort to the drawing com-
1 5.�e l ! @£7 1 6.tiJg5 + @g6 1 7.�a5
l!Yc4 1 8.f4 h5 1 9 .f5 + @h6 and now
20.c3 ! maintains White's clear advan­
tage. Black runs out of good moves and
White is threatening to play his queen
to e6 and f7 . The immediate 2 0 .�e6
would fail to 20 . . . �d4+, 2 1 . . .�eS and
2 2 . . . �e8 ;
A 1 3) 1 0 ... �d7 1 1 .tiJdS @f7 D (the
only move; after anything else, White
has a clear advantage) 1 2 .tiJgS + @g8 D
1 3 .tiJb6 �e7 1 4.ltJxa8 �xa8 1 5 . .!:!.e 1
h6 1 6 .tiJh3 .txe4 1 7 .f3 �xc2 1 8 .l:!.xe7
�xd l 1 9 . .l:!:c7 @h7 20.tiJf4 dS 2 1 .tiJe6
�e2 22 . .td2 .
White is slightly better, on account of
his active pieces.
A2) 9.1::!.'.e l tiJbd7
83
Winning w i th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
A3 2) 1 1 .�xf6 'li'xf6 Taking with the
queen is stronger, since it defends once
again Black's one weakness, the square
e6. 1 2.a4 b4 1 3.tlla 2 and now:
A3 2 1 ) 1 3 ... tlics
1 4.tll x b4
as
1 S.tllb c6! es 1 6.�dS exd4
1 O.�xe6 This i s the only dangerous
move for White. For 1 O .�gS see line
A3 with 9 .�g s . 1 0 ... fxe6 1 1 .tllxe6
'li'c8! 1 2.a4 b4 1 3.tllds Wf7 1 4.tlld c7
h6 1 S.�e3 �xe4 and Black defends,
without great problems; he just needs
to complete his development and ex­
ploit his material advantage;
A3) 9.�gs tllb d7 1 0 . .l:!.el h6 (not to
be recommended is 1 0 . . . tll c S 1 1 .�dS !
or 1 O . . . 'li'b6 l l .a4! b4 1 2 .tll d S exdS
1 3 .exdS +) and now:
A3 1 ) 1 1 .�h4 gs (again 1 1 . . . tll c S
1 2 .�dS !) 1 2.�g3 tlies is unclear, for
instance : 1 3 .tll f3 �c7 1 4.tll d 2 hS
1 S .h4 gxh4 1 6.�xh4 tllfg4 1 7.a4 b4
1 8.tll a2 'li'cs 1 9.'i¥e2 tllg6 20.�g3 h4
2 1 .'li'xg4 hxg3 22.�xg3 �h6 23.tllf3
�f4 24.'li'g4
24 ... We? ! 2 S .tll c l �xc l 26 . .l:!.axc l
.l:!.ag8 2 7.g3 tlieS 2 8 .tll xeS .l:!.xg4
2 9 .tllxg4 fS 0 - 1 Ehlvest-Dvoirys ,
Podolsk 1 99 3 ;
84
Apart from the 1:1a 1 , all the white pieces
are taking part in the attack, and once
the rook gets involved, Black is hardly
likely to be able to defend. 1 7 . .l:!.a3 !N
One can say that this move wins the
game at once, whilst the move 1 7 .es
only leads to complications: 1 7 . . . dxeS
1 8 . .l::i.xeS + Wd7 (this move loses the
game at once; instead, 1 8 . . . tll e 6 contin­
ues the battle, with mutual chances)
1 9 .'iWg4+ Wc7 20 . .l:!.fs 'iWg6 2 1 .'iWf4+
'iWd6 2 2 . .l::!.xf7 + Wb6 23 . .l:!.xb 7 + tllxb7
2 4 . 'iWxd4+ 'iWcs 2 S .'iWd3 �d6
2 6 .'iWb3 + 1 - 0 Golubev-Zagorskis ,
Karvina 1 99 2 . 1 7. . .d 3 1 8 . .l:!.xd3 ! tllxd3
1 9.'iWxd3 �e7 20.'iWb3! �a6
Chap t er S
-
2 1 .tll b S
.l:hb8
22 .�c 6 +
@ f8
23.°ifxbS+ .ids 2 4. .l:!.dl and White is
winning;
A3 2 2) A better defence is the imme­
diate 1 3 ... aS ! , not allowing White's sec­
ond knight to enter the attack: 1 4.tllb S
( 1 4.c3;\:; Nunn) 14 ... .l:!.cS 1 5 .tllx d6+
..ixd6 1 6.°ifxd6 .l:!.c6 1 7.�g3 �xb2
1 8 . .l:!.abl °ifd4 1 9 . .ld'.bdl °iff6 20 . ..idS
.t:.b6 2 1 ...ib3 .l:l:c6 = ;
B) As we have already remarked sev­
eral times, the pawn on e4 is poisoned,
and with his pieces undeveloped, Black
cannot afford to grab material, and
should certainly not take the pawn:
8 ... b4? 9.tll a4 tll xe4 1 0 . .l:!. e l dS
1 0 . . . tll f6 ?! opens the e-file for White:
1 1 .�gS d5 1 2 .�f3 �el l 3 .�xf6 ..ixf6
1 4.�xdS .l:!.a7 1 5 .tll c 6 tll x c6 1 6 .�xc6+
'it>f8 1 7 .J::rad 1 ± . 1 l ...if4! and now:
B l ) 1 I . ..tll f6 1 2 . .l:!.cl ! White will ad­
vance the c-pawn, so it is better first to
put the rook on c 1 and then do it, since
Black has no useful moves and cannot
develop his pieces normally. 1 2 ... �d6
1 3.�xd6 �xd6 1 4.tll fS± ;
B2) If 1 1 ...�d6 1 2.l:!:xe4! dxe4
1 3.tllxe6 �xe6 1 4.�xd6 White has a
strong attack and Black cannot castle, plus
his pieces are not developed and it is not
obvious how to bring out both rooks.
Back to the main line after 8 . . . �e7 .
6 . �c 4 e6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi t e C a s t l es K i n g s i d e
Here White has two main continua­
tions.
9.�f3
Since the l 9 9 0 's this queen move has
ousted 9 .f4 as the most common line.
We will also examine the advance of the
f-pawn, which contains mutual dangers
- Black must be careful because White
immediately attacks the e6-pawn, but
later he can himself hope to exploit the
weakness on e4:
9.f4
A) 9 ... 0-0 and now:
A l ) 1 0.fS
1 o ... b4! 1 1 .tll a4 es 1 2.tll e 2 �b 7
1 3.tllg 3
A l l ) Not 1 3 ... tllxe4?. Black has other
moves which give him the advantage,
whereas after he text the game ends in a
draw : 1 4.tll xe4 �xe4 1 5 . � g4 dS
1 6.�h6 �f6 1 7 .�xg7 �xg7 1 8.f6 �g6
1 9.fxg7 'it>xg7 20 . .l:!.adl d4 2 1 .�xf7
85
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
2 1 .. . .l::f.xf?! 2 1 . . .ti:Jd7? gives White the
edge after 2 2 .�xg6 .l::f.xfl + 23 . .l::f.xfl
hxg 6 2 4 . �f3 t . 22 . .l::f. xf7 + Wxf7
2 3 . .l::f. fl +
Wg8
24.�e6+
Wh8
25.�xeS + Wg8 26.tllcS ti:Jc6 27.�e6+
Wh8 2 8 .ti:Jd7 �c7 2 9.�f6 + Wg8
30.�e6+=;
A l 2) 13 ...ti:Jbd7 Now after 1 4.'U:fe l
as 1 S .c4 �c7 1 6 .'i!Ve2 .l::f.fc 8 1 7 .i,gs
tt:Jcs 1 8 . .l::!. a c l h6 1 9 .�e3 tt:Jcd 7 !
2 0 .i,f2 .l::f. a 6 2 1 ..l::tc 2 �b8 2 2 . .l::f. e l �a8
23 .'iYd3 ? ti:Jg4 24.ti:Jfl ti:Jdf6 2S .ti:Jd2
ti:Jxf2 2 6 .Wxf2 �c6 2 7 . .l::f. cc l �a7 +
2 8 .We2 .l::!. d 8 2 9 .i,d 1 . . .
. . . Black gained a decisive advantage
with 2 9 . . . dS !-+ in Anand-Ivanchuk,
Linares 1 99 1 . Also after 1 4.�f3 �c6
Black is simply better, as White's pieces
are very badly placed, and are almost all
on the edge of the board.
A2) 1 0.eS dxeS 1 1 .fxeS ti:Jfd7 Lead­
ing to a complicated and dynamic
struggle. 1 1 . . .�cs is clearly worse.
86
White retains a clear advantage with
1 2 .i,e3 i,xd4 l 3 .�xd4 ti:Jc6 1 4.i,cs
tlJxeS 1 S .i,xf8 'iYb6+ 1 6 .Wh l Wxf8
1 7 .�e l t.
A2 l ) 1 2.�hS ti:Jc6 1 2 . . . �c7 is an al­
ternative. After the text White has a
choice:
A2 l l ) 1 3.ti:Jxc6? ! �b6+ 1 4.i,e3 and
now:
A2 l l l ) 1 4 ... �xe3+? is a mistake be­
cause it fails to a concrete idea. Black
has a hanging bishop on e7 and the
queen is very uncomfortable on e3, un­
der the attacks of the white pieces, so
for this reason, it is better to take the
dangerous knight on c6, rather than the
bishop on e3 . 1 5.Whl 'iYgS 1 6.�f3
tllcs
1 7.tllxbS !N A very strong move, after
which White retains an extra pawn and
every chance of conducting the game to
victory. Less strong is 1 7 . tlJe4 because
Black's position is strategically superior,
and exchanges always favour the side
with the better pawn structure:
1 7 ... tt:Jxe4 1 8 .ti:Jxe 7 + 'U:fxe7 1 9 .�xe4
i,b7 2 0.'iYg4 'iYcS 2 1 ..l::f.a e l .l::f.a d8
22 . .l::f. e 2 �d4 2 3 .'iVhs �f4 24.Wg l
'i!Vd4+ 2 S .Wh l 'ifxb2 and Black has a
large advantage, Stehno-Jedlicka,
Czechia tt- 2 1 9 9 9 / 0 0 . 1 7 ... i,b 7
1 8.tll b d4 .l::f. a c8 1 9.ti:Jxe 7 + 'ifxe 7
20.�e3;!;;
C h apter S
-
A2 1 1 2) 1 4 ... 'lWxc6 1 5 . .l:i.f3 1 5 . .l:i.f4
'iYc7 and if 1 6.kd4 �c5 ; or 1 6 . .l:i.e l
'iYxeS 1 7 .Vi'f3 kg5 . 1 5 ... kc5 1 6 . .l:i.e l
�b7 1 7.a3 .l::i'. ad8 1 8 . .l:i.g3 g6 1 9.°'lWh6
�xe3+ 20.J::!.exe3 2 0 .Vi'xe3 'ii'c 5 ! . After
the exchange of queens, Black has a
large advantage; White's pawn structure
is bad, the pawn on es is cut off from its
main army and in need of permanent
defence, and the bishop on b3 is dead.
White has a lot of work to do to make a
draw.
20 ... tllc 5 The only move, but suffi­
cient; Black does not allow the enemy
knight into e4 and always threatens
mate on g 2 , pl us he threatens
2 1 . . . .l:i.d2 , after which White will not
be able to defend the g 2-pawn. Black
has an excellent position. 2 1 . .l:!.g4 The
rook makes way for the other rook, so
as to attack h 7 . White has no other
ideas in this position. 2 1 ... ld:d7 The
only move. The idea is simple - to
meet ld:h3 with . . . f7-f5 and defend h 7
with the rook. (2 1 . . . .l:i.d2 ?? 2 2 . .l:!.h3
1hg 2 + 2 3 . @fl + - ) 2 2 .�a2 f5
23.exf6 ld:xf6 24.h3 ld:df7 Black wards
off the white attack and now begins a
counterattack against the white king.
White will have to move his heavy
pieces back to prevent mate.
A2 1 2) 1 3.�e3 tllxd4 14.�xd4 �c5 !
1 5.ld:adl
6 . �c 4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : White C astles Kin g s i d e
1 5 ...'iYb6 ! First, Black wants White to
have to defend the bishop with tll e 2 .
Then the knight will not be coming to
e4, which is very important. 1 6 . .l:i.f4 In
the event of 1 6 .tll e 2 'lWc7 ! White can­
not defend the e5 -pawn. 1 6 ...'lWc7
1 7 . .l:i.g4 �xd4+ 1 8 . .l:i.gxd4 tlixe5 Black
has won a pawn anyway, and White's
problem is that his two minor pieces
can neither take part in the attack on the
black king, nor defend the e5 -pawn.
A22) 1 2.�e3?! tlixe5 1 2 . . . �c7 ? 1 3 .
.!::rxf7 ! . 1 3.°'lWh5
�
.
White has sacrificed a pawn for a very
strong initiative, and in such positions,
Black needs to exchange a pair of mi­
nor pieces, to ease the pressure and
damp down the enemy's attacking
chances.
A22 1 ) 1 3 ...'t:!f c7 1 4. .l:i.ae l At first
sight, White has sacrificed a knight for
two pawns and his next move regains
the knight, so it appears he should be
87
Winning w i th the Naj d orf S i c i l i a n
better with his extra pawn. But the
black pieces imperceptibly come to life
and the story changes, as Black now as­
sumes the initiative, and White must
play very accurately to emerge from a
difficult position. 1 4.tLldxbS axbS
1 5 .tLlxbS 'ti'c6 1 6 .'ti'xeS �b7 1 7 . .l:!.f2
tl:ld7 1 8 .'ti'hS tl:lf6 1 9 .�e2. As we have
said, Black has managed to seize the ini­
tiative, and now this becomes clear to
the naked eye, as the powerful march of
the h-pawn starts. 1 9 . . . hS ! 2 0 .h3 tl:le4
2 l .tLld4 'ti'd7 22 . .l:!.f3 �f6=F. 14 ... tllb d7
1 s ...tf2 ..td6 1 6.tlle4 ..tb7
One can say that this is hardly a sacri­
fice, but the harsh reality of White's
problems. However, even after the sacri­
fice, he will not manage to equalise.
Other continuations are also insuffi­
cient. 1 7 .tl:lxe6 fxe6 1 8.tll g S tll f6
1 9 . tll xe6 tll xhS 2 0 . tll xc 7 + tll c4
2 1 .tLlxaS �xa8=F ;
A2 2 2) 1 3 . . . tl:lbc6 1 4.tll x c6 tll x c6
Here White has two continuations, but
Black can hold the balance with accu­
rate play in both cases. 1 S . .l:!.f3 The
main choice, but White also has the interesting option of a knight sacrifice:
1 5 . .l:!.ad 1 'ti' aS 1 6. tLldS exdS 1 7 .�xdS
b4?? (instead of this move, which loses
immediately, he should have played
1 7 . . . ..te6 , to return the piece and obtain
slightly the better position) 1 8 . .l:!.xf?
88
�e6 1 9 . .l:!.xe7 �xdS 2 0 . .l:!.xdS 'ti'xa2
2 I ..l:!.c7 'ti'c4 2 2 .h3 and White won in
Enjuto Velasco-Aguilar Sevilla, Calpe
2004.
A2 2 2 1 ) 1S ...b4? 16 . .l:!.h3 h6D Since
in the opening White is trying to obtain
the advantage, and he has not previ­
ously managed to create any great prob­
lems for Black, one always suspects that
there should be some improvement
earlier on. This led to the idea of the
following bishop sacrifice, after which
White has two pieces hanging, but
Black cannot take either of them.
1 7 ...txh6!N 1 7 . .l:!.dl °'li'aS 1 8 .tLldS exdS
1 9 . .l:!.g3 d4 2 0 .�dS (20 . .l:!.xg 7 + Wxg7
2 l .�xh6+ Wh7 also leads to a draw by
perpetual check after 2 2 .�g s + )
2 0 . . . �gS 2 1 .�xgS 'i!VxdS.
And now White forced the draw with
2 2 . ..tf6 °'li'xhS 2 3 . .l:!.xg7 + in Short­
Kasparov, Novgorod 1 9 9 7 .
Chapter 5
-
6 . �c 4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi t e C astles K i n g s i d e
1 7...g6D 1 8.'iWf3 bxc3 1 9.'iWxc6 cxb2
20.Ilfl Ila? 2 1 .'iW c3 ! �f6 22.Ilxf6
b l 'iY+
A picturesque position. Black has two
queens and an extra exchange, but he
has to return all the material to avoid
mate: 23.I.tfl 'li'xfl + 24.\¥/xfl f6D
2S.�xf8 'l!Vxf8 26.'iWd3 I.tg7 2 7.J::!.h4!
With ideas of I.ld4 and 'ifh3 . White has
the advantage on account of the weak
black king and pawns;
A2222) 1 5 ... g6 1 6.°iYh6 f6 ! 1 7.Ildl
important moment. Black has a
choice, which way to move the queen,
but luckily for him, both are of virtually
equal strength. After each move, Black
obtains a different structure, but in both
cases, he has sufficient counterplay for
equality.
A22 2 2 1 ) 1 7 ... °iYeS 1 8.tbe4 tbeS !
1 8 . . . tbaS ?? loses: l 9 . .id4 tbxb3 20.�xf6
�6 2 1 .t2Jxf6+ .ixf6 22.I.txf6 tbcs
2 3 .�e3 (White could have started a
winning king chase with the brilliant
2 3 . Ilf7 ! ! @xf7 2 4. 'tWxh 7 + \¥/f6
2 s . I.tfl + @es ( 2 5 . . . \¥/gs 2 6 . g 3 ! )
2 6 .�c7 + @ds 2 7 .Ild l + \¥/c4 2 8 .b3+
@b4 2 9 .a3 + \¥/xa3 3 0.'tWxcS+ <it>b2
3 1 .�d4+) 23 . . . 'ife7 24.lldfl jib7
2S . .l::!: f7 and White also won in
Todorovic-Lazic, Belgrade
1 988.
1 9.Ilh3 I.If? 20.�cs as 2 1 .a3 �xcS +
22.tbxcS White has compensation, as
his pieces are very active, but Black has
no special weaknesses, and just has
problems completing his development.
If he manages it, he will have an extra
pawn, or he may return the pawn and
equalise.
A2 2 2 2 2 ) 1 7 ...'iWc7!
An
1 8.\¥/hl ! ? Prophylaxis! The king always
prevents White establishing a danger­
ous attack, because if necessary, Black
can exchange dark-squared bishops and
queens on the same diagonal.
89
Winning w i th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
If 1 8 .nh3 nf7 1 9 .a4 ( 1 9 .ltJdS ? exdS
2 0 .�xdS �xh3 2 1 .�xf7 + Wxf7
2 2 .'iYxh7 + We6 2 3 .�xh 3 + fS 24.'iYh6
ttJeS - Black is winning and only needs
to take due care, Karhunen-Eklund,
Finland tt 1 990) 1 9 . . . �f8 2 0 .'M¥h4
Black has an extra pawn and is begin­
ning to activate his pieces. 1 8 ... ttJeS
1 9.�f4 'iYb6 20.�xeS fxeS
2 1 .ngJ After 2 l .J::i:xf8+ �xf8 22 .°iWh3
na7 2 3 .ltJe4 .l:!.f7 24.ltJgS .l:!.e7 25 .nfl
White has good compensation for the
pawn, but Black also has his pluses, and
he is ready to give back one pawn, in
return for activating his bishops.
2 1 . .. nf7 22.ttJds ! 'iYa7 2 3.ttJxe7 +
2 3 .nxg6+ draws: 2 3 . . . hxg6 24.'iYxg6+
@f8D 25 .'M¥h6+ We8 2 6 .°iWh8+ �f8
2 7 .ltJf6+ We7 2 8 .ltJg 8 + = . 2 3 ...'M¥xe7
24.ngd3 �d7 ! 2S.'iYe3 naf8 26.h3
�cs 2 7.'iYxeS White is slightly better,
but has no clear advantage, since Black
only has a single weakness on e6.
A2 2 2 3 ) 15 ...�d6 ! 1 6.nhJ h6D
90
1 7.�xh6 In case of 1 7 .ng3 'iYeS !
1 8.'iYxeS tDxeS 1 9 .�xh6 ttJg6 Black is
slightly better after the exchange of
queens, because White's play was based
on the attack. Black can neutralise this
and remain with the better pawn struc­
ture. 1 7 ... 'iYcS + 1 8.'iYxcS �xc S +
1 9.�e3 �xe3+ 20.nxe3 nds The posi­
tion is equal. In fact, I would even pre­
fer Black.
A2 3 ) 1 2.'iYg4 Or l 2.'i!Vf3 . 1 2 ... ttJxeS!
1 3.'iYe4 �cS ! 1 4.�e3
14 ... ttJbc6! 1 S.0ixc6 .ixe3+ 1 6.'i!Vxe3
tllxc6=F With simply an extra pawn,
Black should exchange queens and,
most of all, activate his bishop. 1 7 . .l:!.ad 1
�e7 l 8 .ltJe4 �b7 1 9 .ttJgs nae8
2 0 . .l:!.de l ttJd8 2 1 .'iYg3 h6 2 2 .ltJe4
.ixe4 2 3 .nxe4 ttJb7 24.ng4 g6 2 5 .c3
Wh7 2 6 .�c2 and Black won in
Goncharov-Aveskulov, Alushta tt 2004.
B) 9 ...b4 1 o.ttJa4
C hapter S - 6 . � c 4 e6 7 . 0 - 0 : White C a s tl es K i n g s i d e
B l ) Not 10 ... ttJxe4? 1 1 .fS ! eS
1 2.�xf7+! Or also 1 2 .�dS ! ? ttJf6
1 3 .jixa8 �d7 l 4.b3 when White sim­
ply has an extra exchange and an abso­
lutely winning position. 1 2 ... 'it>xf7
1 3.ttJe6 'lllVe 8 1 4.°iVdS 'iib s 1 S.'l!Vxe4
and White is winning ;
B 2 ) 1 0 ... 0 - 0 1 1 .eS dxeS Also good
may be l l . . . ttJe4 ! ? l 2 .�e3 �b 7
1 3 .�g4 dxeS 1 4.fxeS �gs 1 5 .�e2
ttJd7 1 6 .�ad l �xe 3 + 1 7 .�xe3 'li'e7
1 8 .ttJf3 ttJdcS 1 9 .ttJxcS ttJxcS 20.�c4
.i:rad8 and Black consolidated in
Markovic-Babula, Moravia tt 2 0 0 2 / 0 3 .
1 2.fx.eS tt:'ids Here, Black has a natural
alternative in l 2 . . . ttJfd 7 , hitting the
eS -pawn. Now 1 3 .l:[xf7 l:[xf7 1 4.ttJxe6
'i!VaS seems insufficient for White. An­
other plausible move is l 2 . . . ttJe4, as
was already played in Emma-Najdorf,
Zarate Open I 9 7 2 .
B3) Black has several continuations,
but the strongest becomes obvious,
once one understands White's threat,
which is to advance the e-pawn, open­
ing lines and exposing the weakness of
the black king. But the following move
makes this threat difficult to execute.
1 O ... 't!Vc7! 1 1 .eS dxeS 1 2.fx.eS 'iWxeS
1 3.�f4 'lllVe4 14.°iVd2 'l!Vb7 l S . .i::lael
�d7
1 6.ttJfS exfS 1 7.ttJcs Not 1 7 . .l:!:xe7+
'it>xe 7 1 8 .ttJcS 'iW b6 -+ . 1 7 ... 'i¥b6
1 8.'it>h l ! 'lllVxcS 1 9.�d6 0-0 20.�xcS
�xcS 2 1 .l:tes �b6 22.'t!Vd6 �d8
23 .l::texfS �xfS 24. .!:[xfS ttJbd7 and
now, purely on material, it may appear
Black is winning, but when one looks at
the position more closely, we under­
stand that the white queen is quite
good in the fight against the three black
minor pieces, whilst the advance of the
h- and g-pawns gives him real drawing
chances. 2S.g4! h6 26.h4! ttJe4=i=.
C) 9 ...�b7 1 0.eS I O .jie3 ! ? . 1 0...dxeS
1 1 .fxeS �cs 1 1 . . . ttJfd 7 ? 1 2 . .i:rxf7 ! .
1 2.�e3 was another main line for a
very long time, but is currently hardly
ever played anymore.
•
1 3.'l!Vg4!N For some strange reason, in­
stead of this active move, White has
previously played 1 3 . 'it>h I in this posi­
tion, after which Black has no prob­
lems, whereas after the aggressive
queen move, Black starts to have trouble
because of the weakness of his king.
1 3 ... 'it>hs 1 4.l:[f3 ! 'i¥c7 l S.'lllVhs g6
1 6.'lllVh 6 'iVxeS
1 7.�xdS exdS
1 7 . . . 'iWxdS 1 8 .�e3 'li'hs 1 9 .'li'xhS
gxhS 2 0 .�h6±. 1 8.�e3 'it>g8 1 9 . .!:[e l
lia7 20.ttJb6i;
9 ... �c7
Here Black has two good continuations,
although I slightly prefer 9 ... 'iW c 7 , be­
cause it suits my chess tastes more, and
91
Winning with the Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
because it was the choice of Boris Gel­
fand, in the game which proved to be
the best of the Kazan Candidates' cycle.
The alternative is 9 ... 'i¥b6 and now:
A) 1 0.�gS? ! The bishop on gS does
not do anything special, and so this
move is not the best for White.
A l ) 1 0 ...'i¥xd4? 1 1 .eS
1 1 ...dxeS !N 1 2.'i¥xa8 'i¥b6 ! 1 3.a4!
'i¥c7 1 4.�xf6 gxf6D 1 S .'i¥f3 The
queen must move away, since Black
threatens . . . �b7 and then . . . �cs , trap­
ping it. But White manages to evacuate
it in time. 1 S ... b4 1 6.tt'le2 hS ! A very
strong move, the idea of which is sim­
ple: the white knight is aiming for the
square hS , from where it will attack the
f6-pawn and not allow Black to castle.
But once the pawn reaches h4, White
will not be able to put the knight on hS .
1 7 . .t!.acl White wants to open the c-file,
because he has no other ideas, and if
92
Black manages to play ... itb7 and acti­
vate the knight with . . . tt'ld7-cS , then he
will stand better. Hence White must
hurry. 1 7 ... itb7 1 8.'i¥h3 h4! The com­
puter assesses the position as equal, but
in my opinion many players would pre­
fer Black, as he has clear play with the
threat of . . . .l:!.g8 and it is not clear how
White can defend the square g2;
A2) 1 0 ... 0 - 0 1 1 ..t!.adl In the event of
1 1 .e S ? dxeS 1 2 .tt'lfs exfS 1 3 .itxf6 �b7
1 4.tt'lds itxf6 1 S .tt'lxb6 itxf3 1 6. gxf3
.l::!. a 7 Black simply has an extra pawn and
a winning position. 1 1 ... tt'lbd7 and
now:
A2 1 ) 1 2.'i¥g3 tt'lhS ! 1 3.'i¥h4 �xgS
1 4.'iVxgS tt'lhf6 1 5 . .t!.fe l itb7 1 6.l:i.e3
tt'les 1 7 . .tl.g3 tt'lg6
1 8.h4! Not 1 8 .tt'lfS ? b4 1 9 . .t!.xd6 'i¥c7
2 0 .eS exfS 2 1 .h4 bxc3 2 2 .�xf6 'iVxeS
23 . .t!.xfS 'iVe l + 24.'ot>h2 cxb2 0 - 1
Shabalov-Nakamura, Miami 2 0 0 7 .
1 8 ... @hs 1 9.hS h6 20.'iYe3 tt'lxhS
2 1 ..tl.xg6 fxg6 22.tt'lxe6 'iVxe3 23.fxe3
J::i. fc8 24. .t!.xd6 tt'lf6 Black is better any­
way, as he has an extra exchange, al­
though White has a pawn and active
pieces for it;
A2 2) 1 2 . .t!.fe l �b7 1 3.°iVg3 After
1 3 .°iVh3 tt'lcS l 4 . .tl.e3 ( 1 4.eS ? dxeS
l S . .t!.xeS .t!.ad 8 +: ) 1 4 . . . b4 1 S . tt'la4
tt'lxa4 1 6.�xa4 °t{gaS 1 7 .�c6 °t{gxgS !N
( 1 7 . . . itxc6 l 8 .tt'lxc6 'iVxgS l 9 . tt'lxe7 +
Chapter 5
-
Wh8 i s known to b e unclear) l 8.�xb7
!1a7 1 9 .�c6 l:!.c7 Black is simply a little
better. The opposite bishops suit him. It
is strange that so far, no black players
have headed for this position. 1 3 ...4:Jh5
14.iVh4 �xg5 1 5.'i!'xg5 ti:Jhf6 1 6.'i!'e3
l:tab8 Black is better, because the white
attack is not dangerous, and Black has
easy play: all his pieces are developed
and stand well.
B) 1 0.�e3 ! White develops his
bishop with tempo, as Black must
spend another move with his queen,
whilst White has already developed all
his pieces and is ready for active opera­
tions. Plus the black queen will occupy
b 7 , where the black bishop would like
to go. 1 0 ... 'i!'b7 :
B l ) 1 1 .'i!'g3 0-0 1 2.�h6 I do not like
1 2 .f3 , and was very surprised to see it
in a game by Ivanchuk himself. Admit­
tedly it was a rapid game, but it shows
that Vasily Mikhailovich was not in his
best form: 1 2 . . . �d7 1 3 . .!:f.fd 1 4:lc6
1 4.4:Jxc6 �xc6 1 S .4:Je2 .l:!.fc8 1 6 . .l:!.d2
b4 1 7 .c4 as 1 8 .�c2 a4 1 9 .S:i.d3 4:Jd7
20 .4:Jd4 tt:Jes 2 1 .�fl �e8 22 . .l::r c l b3
2 3 .axb3 axb3 24.iVe l �d8 2 S .'i!'d l
and Black won in Ivanchuk-Le Quang
Liem, Beijing rapid 2 0 1 1 . 1 2 ... tt:Jes
Here White has two main continua­
tions, both of which give the game a
sharp character. White is slightly ahead
6 . � c 4 e6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi te C astles Kings i d e
in development, but if Black manages to
exchange a pair of minor pieces, then
he will solve his problems.
B l 1 ) 1 3 .l:tfe l Wh8 1 4.�g5 Or
1 4.�e3 ! ? ti:Jf6 1 S .a3 ti:Jbd7 ( 1 S . . . 4:Jxe4
leads to a large white advantage:
l 6 .4:Jxe4 �xe4 1 7 .�gs 'i!'b7 l 8 .�xe7
�xe7 1 9.ti:JfS ±) 1 6 . .i::l. ad l tt:Jcs 1 7 .eS
4:Jce4 1 8 . 4:Jxe4 4:Jxe4 1 9 .'i:Wf4 gS
2 0 .�g4 dxes 2 1 .tt:Jf3 fs 2 2 .Wk'hs 4:Jf6
2 3 .�h6 4:lg4 with move repetition.
14 ... 4:Jf6 1 5 . .l:radl After l S .'iYh4 Black
can try 1 S . . . 4:Jbd7 ! N (here I had a sim­
ple and strong idea: to make a develop­
ing move and strengthen the ti:Jf6 . Pre­
viously, Black has played less well here)
1 6.l:Iad l tt:Jes 1 7 .'i:Wh3 4:Jg6! 1 8 .a3
�d7 with an unclear position. It is very
important that the black knight already
stands on g 6 , and assists in the defence.
In such positions, the square f4 is very
important, and the battle revolves
around it, with Black wanting, if he can,
to exchange dark-squared bishops and
play on the dark squares. 1 5 ... 4:Jbd7
B 1 1 1 ) After 1 6 .�xe6? fxe6 1 7.4:Jxe6
Black was already slightly better with
1 7 . . JH7 ! ? 1 8 . tiJdS tt:Jes 1 9 . lLiec7
4:\xdS
2 0 .lLixa8
ltJf6
whereas
1 7 ... .l:rg8 ! + would have been even
stronger, Wyss-Gopal, Zurich 2 0 0 9 ;
is
B 1 1 2 ) Another
possibility
1 6 .4:Jd5? ! exd5 1 7 .4:Jf5 and now:
93
Winning wi th the Naj d orf S i c i l i an
B l l 2 1 ) 1 7 ... tt:Jes
1 s . ..th6 !
g6
1 9.tt:lxd6! ! l 9.�g 7 + ? @g8 led to a
draw in Werner-Nagy, Budapest 2 0 0 3 .
The text move i s much stronger.
1 9 .....txd6 20.�xf8 ..txf8 2 1 .�xeS We
have reached an unclear position,
where again I prefer Black, even though
his dark-squares are weak and White's
dark-squared bishop has no opponent.
B l 1 2 2 ) A new move here is
1 7 ... tt:lhSN , for example : l 8 .�h4
..txg5 1 9 .�xhS h6 20 . ..txdS �b8
2 1 .h4 g6 2 2 .�f3 tt:les 2 3 .�g3 ..tf6
24.�f4 h5 25 . ..txa8 �xa8 2 6 . l:l:xd6
jie6 and I prefer Black's position, as he
has two pieces for the rook. Admittedly,
White has two extra pawns, but the
main thing is that the black pieces are
more active;
B l l 3 ) 1 6 .l:l:e3 Now Black has a
choice:
B l 1 3 1 ) 1 6 ... �b6 1 7.f4 lUhS ? !
1 8.�h4
B 1 1 3 1 1 ) 1 8 ... �xgS ?? 1 9.fxgS g6
20.@h l ? Even after this White has the
advantage, but it is the start of a series of
mistakes, as a result of which White grad­
ually loses a winning position. 20.g4!
tt:lf4 2 1 .l:l:f3 ! ilb7 22.l:l:xf4 es 23 . .ld.f2
exd4 24 . .ld.d3+-. 20 ... �b7 2 1 ..ld.h3 tllcS
22.g4 b4 23.lUdS exdS 24.gxhS �c7 and
Black won in Iruzubieta Villaluenga­
Topalov, Elgoibar 1 992;
B 1 1 3 1 2) Best is 1 8 ... tllxf4! 1 9.�xf4
es 20.�g3 ..txgS 2 1 .�xgS exd4
22.tt:lds �cS ! After 2 2 . . . �d8 2 3 .�xd8
.ld.xd8 24.l:l:xd4t White has the advan­
tage in the endgame. His pieces are ac­
tive plus his rooks are very well placed.
He can play .l::!. c 3-c7 when the chance
arises. Black will have to play . . . @g8 be­
cause the f7-pawn is very weak, and
Black also has a weak pawn on d6.
White has the idea of a2-a4, giving
Black extra problems with the a- or
b-pawn. 23.l::r g3 d3 + 24.@fl �d4!
25.l:l:dxd3 �es 26.�xeS tt:lxeS 2 7.l:l:d4
We have reached roughly the same end­
game, but with the difference that the
black knight already stands on e 5 , plus
Black has an extra tempo, having played
. . . ..te6 , and will begin to develop his
rooks. Even so, White is slightly better
and Black has to fight for equality;
B l 1 3 2) In my opinion, 1 6 ... b4 is
strongest. It is always nice to drive the
94
Chapter 5
-
opponent's pieces out of the centre,
where they control many important
squares, and also defend the pawn on
e4. After Black's pawn move, White has
to find another way to defend his
e-pawn.
B 1 1 3 2 1 ) 1 7 .tba4 The idea of this is
simple: White keeps the e-file open for
his rook, which will stand well on e 1 ,
and if the black bishop moves to e 7 ,
White will play tbfs . 1 7 ...h6 1 7 . . . tbxe4
1 8 . l:txe4 �xgS
1 9 . l:tee l
�d8
20 .Wk°xd6t. 1 8.'Wh3 We have reached a
position with roughly equal chances;
B 1 1 3 2 2 ) 1 7.tbce2 tbxe4 1 8.l:txe4
�xgS Here the white rook has nothing
to do on the e-file. He needs to think up
something concrete, for which the
black pieces are fully ready. 1 9.l:txe6 Af­
ter 1 9 .l:tg4 !!2.f6 2 0 . 'ifxd6 . . .
. . . 2 0 . . . aS =F is a strong move, with the
idea of bringing the rook into play via
a6, while, most importantly of all, driv­
ing away the only active white piece.
1 9 ... tbcS? Better is 1 9 . . . tbf6 2 0 .l:txd6
llJe4 2 1 .Wk°f3 tbxd6 2 2 . �ds �g4
13 .!ilxb7 �xf3 24.�xf3 l:tae8=F and
Black just has an extra exchange.
20.�dS ! ± and White was better,
though the game was finally drawn in
unn-Ftacnik, England tt 1 99 9 / 0 0 .
B 1 2) I think White miscalculated
when he sacrificed the knight. 1 3.tbfS ?
_
6 . �c4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi t e C as t l es Kin g s i d e
exfS -+ 1 4.�dS tb c 6 l S .exfS �xfS
1 6 .'tWf3 �d7 1 7 .ld'.ae l ( 1 7 . .l::!.fe l �f6
1 8 .tbe4 �es is · similar, Tischbierek­
Hunerkopf,
Munich
1 99 1 /92)
1 7 . . . �f6 1 8 .tbe4 �es 1 9 .tbgs tbf6
2 0 .�xg7 Wxg7 2 1 JheS dxeS 2 2 .'tWg3
Wh8 2 3 .'ifh4 �fS 24.f4 tbxdS and 0 - 1
in Delchev-Nikolov, Varna 2 0 1 2 ;
B 1 3 ) After 1 3.l:tadl Black has a mass
of possibilities:
B 1 3 1 ) 1 3 ... tllc6
14.tbf3 !N A strategically strong move,
since if you have a space advantage,
then you should not exchange pieces.
Black has no squares to which to de­
velop his cramped pieces and exchanges would help him. The computer
says the position is equal, but White's
play is easier. After 1 4.tbdS ( 1 4.tbxc6
transposes) 1 4 . . . �d8 1 S .tbxc6 'ifxc6
1 6 . .!:f.fe l Wh8 1 7 .�f4 as 1 8 .a3 Black
still has to fight to equalize. He only has
one problem, namely that his pieces are
all on the back rank, and if he could re­
organise them, he would stand well:
1 4 . . . 'ifxc6 1 S .tbds �d8 . 1 4 ... WhS
1 5.�gS tbf6 ;
B 1 3 2 ) 1 3 ...�f6?! i s not best i n my
opinion, because Black still has pieces
that are not developed, whereas the
!fle7 is developed and stands ideally:
B 1 3 2 1 ) 1 4.�e3 and now:
B 1 3 2 1 1 ) 1 4... tbd7 ! ?
9S
Winning wi th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
1 S.tllxe6 fxe6 1 6.�xe6+ Wh8 1 7.�ds
't!Vb8 1 8.�xa8 �xc3 ! The correct move.
White will exchange the bishop on f6
anyway, so Black spoils the white struc­
ture and reaches a very interesting posi­
tion of dynamic equality. After
1 8 . . . 't!Vxa8 1 9 .�d4!t Black's strongest
piece must be removed, and then the
pawn on d6 remains weak, as do the
dark squares in Black's camp. 1 9.bxc3
't!Vxa8 20.�d4 I prefer White's position,
as I don't think he is risking anything ;
B 1 3 2 1 2) 1 4 ... � d 7 ? ! 1 S .f4! tll c 6
1 6.tllxc6 �xc6 1 7 .es dxeS 1 8.fxeS
�e7 1 9.'t!Vg4 Alternatively, the knight
can be brought into the attack on the
king, via 1 9 .tll e 2 ! ? and then f4 and hS .
1 9 ... WhS 20.J::!.fl (20.tll e 2 !�) 20 ... fs
2 1 .exf6 tllxf6 22.'t!Vxe6 �ae8 23.'t!Vh3
�d8 24.�d4 �b6 2 S .tll e 2 �d7
26.'t!Vf3 't!Vb8 2 7.'t!Vg3 �c7 28.tll f4 .tle4
29.�cS �d8 and Black has compensa­
tion for the pawn. The draw was agreed
in Golubev-Kempinski , Germany
Bundesliga 2 0 0 1 / 0 2 ;
B 1 3 2 1 3 ) With 1 4.�gS White ex­
changes off Black's only active piece
and after that, the weakness of the
d-pawn becomes clear. White has pres­
sure: 14 ... b4 1 S.tll a4 �xgS 1 6.'t!VxgS
tll f6 1 7.f3 Following 1 7 . e s ! h6 l 8 .'t!Vf4
dxeS 1 9 .'t!VxeS White's position is
slightly better, as he has active pieces,
and is better developed, whilst the black
96
queen is very badly placed, blocking the
development of the bishop on c8.
1 7 . . . �d7 1 8 .'t!Vas �xa4 1 9 .�xa4 �c8
20 . .!'.:!:f2 tll b d7 2 l .�xd7 tll xd7 2 2 .a3
bxa3 2 3 .'t!Vxa3 tll e S 24.b3 with an
absolutely equal position, Danin­
Donchenko, Nuremberg 2 0 1 2 .
B l 3 3 ) After 1 3 . . . @h8 ? ! 1 4.�gS !
White is simply better. The main thing
is to exchange the bishop on e 7 , and
the weaknesses of the black position
will immediately become visible. White
has all of his pieces well placed and is
ready for decisive action. 1 4 . . . �xgS
l S .'t!VxgS h6 l 6.'t!Vh4 tll c 6 1 7 .tll xc6
't!Vxc6 l 8 . �d4 as 1 9 .a3 .l:Ib8 20 . .l::!.fd l
�a6 2 l .f3 Wg8 2 2 .'t!Vf2 't!Vc7 2 3 .h3
l::!.b 6 with an unclear position, in which
the chances are about equal, Konguvel­
Jaracz, Dresden 2 0 1 2 ;
B l 3 4) 1 3 ... tt:'id7 1 4.tllxe6 1 4.tll d S
�d8 1 S . I:!:fe 1 . 14 ... fxe6 1 S .�xe6 +
Wh8 1 6 .�dS 't!Vb8 1 7 .�xa8 't!Vxa8 ;
B 1 3 S ) 1 3 ... �d7 After this strongest
move, White has two ways to proceed:
B 1 3 S 1 ) After 1 4.�fe 1 ! ? play assumes
a more positional character in which
chances are about equal, because nei­
ther side has any obvious weaknesses or
problems: 1 4 ... �f6 1 4 . . . tll c 6??
l S .tll d S !± �d8 1 6.tll fS exfS 1 7 .exfS
tll e S 1 8 . .l::!. x eS dxeS 1 9 .f6 g6 2 0 .tll e 7 +
1 -0 Kudrin-Moulin, New York 1 99 2 .
C hapter S
-
1 5 .i.gS ! After this exchange White's
position is slightly more pleasant, as his
pieces are better and he can potentially
exploit the third rank to bring his rooks
via e3 and d3 , to the kingside for the at­
tack. 1 5 ... i.xg5 1 6.'1Wxg5 tllc 6 1 7 .l::r e 3
�a7 1 8.tllc e2 tll a 5 1 9.'1Wh4 tllxb3
20 . .l:!:h3 h6 2 1 .axb3 11Wc5 22 . .l:!:g3 'itih7
23.Uc3 11Wg5 24.'1Wxg5 hxg5 25.b4 tll f6
26.f3 The resulting endgame is roughly
equal, although White has slight pres­
sure because of the pawn on d6. How­
ever, with accurate play, Black can easily
equalise, Kruppa-Gavrikov, Irkutsk
1 986;
B 1 3 5 2) More active and ambitious is
14.f4, with the idea of ramming the
awn down to f6 , and exposing the
Jack king, in order to make it easier for
pieces to attack: 1 4 ... tll c 6!
3e needs to complete his development
uickly and exchange some of the at­
cking pieces, since otherwise it will
be very hard for Black to defend.
B 1 3 5 2 1 ) l 5.tllxc6 i.xc6 1 6.f5 'itih8D
1 7.fxe6 1 7 .f6 ! ? i.xf6 1 8 . .l:!:xf6 .l:!:g8
9 . .l:!:f4 gxh6 2 0 .'1Wf3 .l:!:a7 2 1 ..l:rfl b4
_2.tll e 2 �bs 2 3 .l:tf2 aS ? 24.tll d4±
-aer-Biriukov, St Petersburg 1 9 9 8 .
1 7 ...gxh6D 1 8.exf7 tllf6 1 9.tll d5-+ ;
B l 3 5 22) 1 5.B tllxd4 1 6 ..l:!:xd4 i.f6
1 7 ..l:!:d3 Black is very tied up, with practi­
Gilly all his pieces on the back ranks. Here
_
6 . � c 4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : White C a s t l es K i n g s i d e
he has two continuations: either continue
with passive tactics, by means of . . . Wh8 ,
or to start harassing the enemy with
counteractions, beginning with 1 7 . . . b4.
As the variations below demonstrate, the
move 1 7 . . . b4 is stronger.
1 8 .i.g5 ? !
B l 3 5 2 2 1 ) 1 7 ... 'itihS
1 8 .fxe6 ! fxe6D
1 9 .eS ! dxeS 20 .�e3 ! . 18 ...b4 1 9.fxe6
fxe6 20.e5 dxe5 2 1 .tlle4 �b5 22.tllc 5
�e7 2 3 .tll xe6 .l:!:g8 24.�e3 i.xd3
25.cxd3 tbc7 26.tll g5 and White is an
exchange down, but his initiative is
sufficient for a draw, Golubev-Zubov,
Odessa 2 0 0 7 ;
B l 3 5 2 22) 1 7 ...b4! 1 8.fxe6 fxe6
1 9 .tll d 5 i.b5 20.e5 2 0.�e3 ! 'itih8
2 1 .tllxf6 .l:!:xf6 2 2 . .l:!.xf6 tllxf6 23 . .l:!:dl
tll x e4 2 4 . �h3 e S 2 5 .�dS �c6
26.�xe4 �xe4 27 . .l:!.xd6=. 20...'itihS!?
20 ... dxe S ? ? 2 1 .tll xf6 + +- Golubev-A.
Lambert, Germany tt 1 99 7 / 9 8 . 2 1 .exf6
97
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
gxh6 22.tll f4 �xd3 23.'iYxd3 .!hf6
24.�xe6+; or 20 ...�xd3 2 1 .tll xf6+
<;t>hS !! 22.'iYxd3 gxh6+: .
B 2 ) 1 1 .a3 0 - 0 l 1 . . .tll b d7 ! ? i s also
possible, and in some lines reaches the
same position as after castling, but the
text move has one small plus by com­
parison: after castling, Black can still de­
velop his pieces in various ways,
whereas the immediate l 1 . . .tll b d7 de­
prives Black of these additional options.
B2 l ) The move 1 2 . .ld:ae l has its
pluses. The idea is simple: White is
clearly prepared to attack, by advancing
his g- and f-pawns, and in that case, the
rook on fl is obviously well-placed to
support the match of the f-pawn and
help create threats on that file.
This is a very important moment for
Black, who must decide how to con­
tinue developing his pieces. He has two
ways of doing so: first with l 2 . . . tll bd7 ,
which leads to a very complicated
struggle, where Black has to play ex­
tremely accurately in order not to fall
under a mating attack; and secondly,
with the move I prefer, 1 2 . . . �d7 .
B2 1 l ) 1 2 ...tllb d7 1 3.'iYg3
Here Hou Yifan played 1 3 . . . <;t>h8 and
after 1 4.f4 tll c S 1 5 .eS tll fe4 1 6 .tllxe4
tll x e4 1 7 . 'iYh3 dxeS 1 8 .fxeS tll c S
l 9 .ita2 'iYc7 2 0 .'iYhS �b7 2 l ..ld:xf7
.l::!.xf7 2 2 . 'iYxf7 .l::!. f8 2 3 .'iYhS �e4 24.b4
98
tll d 7 2 5 .tllx e6 Black was winning in
Dauletova-Hou Yifan, Macau 2 0 0 7 .
I think Hou Yifan understood that
1 3 ... tllhS !N was the way to play, but
against a weaker opponent, she wanted
to play for a win and almost paid the
price. After the correct 1 3 . . . tll h S , White
should repeat the position, or himself
find some other way to continue:
1 4.'iYh3 tllhf6 1 S .f4 1 5 .'iYg3 = .
1 S tllxe4 1 6 .fs After 1 6 . tll xe4 'iYxe4
1 7 .tll xe6 tll f6 1 8 .tll g S �xh3 1 9 .tllxe4
tll x e4 2 0 . gxh3 �h4 2 l . .ld:e2 tll c S
2 2 .�dS .ld:ae8 2 3 .b3 White's position is
slightly more pleasant, on account of
the strong bishop on dS , but his
kingside is weak. 1 6 ... tllxc3 1 7.fxe6
tll e4 and now:
•••
The resulting position is very sharp:
White is a piece down but has a strong
attack, and now he has a choice of at­
tacking continuations. The first regains
the piece, but as we will see from the
variations, this does not offer White
more than perpetual check, whereas the
other option delays regaining the piece
and gives White a strong initiative,
which with best play on both sides
should bring him a minimal advantage.
B2 1 1 1 ) 1 8 .exd7 �xd7 1 9.'Whs
tll f6D 20.'iYh4 .ld:ae8 2 1 .�gs �cs
22.c3 ds 23.'iYg3 <;t>hs 24.'i¥h4 <;t>gs
2S.�xf6 �xf6
Chap ter 5
-
6 . .£c4 e6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi t e C a s t l es King s i d e
we shall see. 1 S .'i1Yg2 tbaS 1 6.f4 lbxb3
1 7.cxb3 as 1 S.b4 axb4 1 9.axb4 g6
20.fs es 2 1 .tbds .idSD
26..ihf6 .l:he l + 27.'iVxe l gxf6 2S ..ic2
2 8 . 'iWg 3 +
<it>h8
2 9 . 'iVd6
.l::!. e 8
3 0 . 'iVxf6+ <it'g8 3 1 .'iV g s + <it>f8
3 2 .'iWh6+ draws. 2S ... 'i1Yb6 29 ..i:xh7+
@:xh7 30.'iVh4+ @g7 3 1 .'i1Yg3+ with
equality;
B2 1 1 2) l S.tbfs tbdf6 1 9 .tbxg7 @hs
20 . .id4 J::tg s 2 1 .tbhs fxe6 22.tbxf6
.ixf6 2 3 . .ixf6 + tbxf6 24.Uxf6 es
2S.'iVf3 'i\Vxf3 26.Uxf3 .ib7 2 7.Uf2 and
White has a minimal advantage, but it is
very hard to realise.
B2 1 2) 1 2 ... .id7
With a very simple idea: the move
. . . tbc6 and the attempt to exchange the
strong white knight on d4. 1 3.g4! ?
1 3 .eS 'i!Yxf3 D 1 4.lbxf3 dxeS 1 5 .tbxeS
tbc6 l 6 . tbxd7 tbxd 7 = . l 3 . . . tb c 6 !
1 4.gS and now:
B2 1 2 l ) 1 4 ... tbeS It is better immedi­
ately to move the knight away, because
if we start with tbeS , then the white
f-pawn starts its advance with tempo, as
22.tbe6 .ixe6 2 3.fxe6 fxe6 24.Uxf8+
@xfS 2 s .Ufl + @gs 26.'iVf3 'i¥g7
2 7.'i¥h3 'iVd7 2S.'iYh6 'iVg7 29.'iVh3=;
B2 1 2 2 ) 14 ... tbes 1 s .'iVg2 lbhs
1 6.f4-+ tbc4 1 7 ..ixc4 bxc4 1 S.fS
1 8 .'iYe2 ! ? g6 1 9 .'iVxc4 Uac8 2 0 .'iYb3 .
1 S ... g6 1 9.tll c e2 ? ! es 2 0.f6 �dS
2 1 .ltJfS gxfS 22.tbc3 @hS 23.'iVh3 lbf4
24..ixf4 exf4 2S.Uxf4 UgS 26.Uh4
UxgS + 2 7.@fl �xf6 2 7 . . . <it'g8 ! -+
2 8 .Uxh7 .ixf6 2 9 .tbds .ig7. 2s.tbds
'iVxb2?? 28 . . . l::t g l +! 2 9 .<it>xg l Ug8+
3 0 . <it'h l .ixh4 3 l . 'iYxh4 U g 6 = .
29.U:xh7+ @gs 30.'iVh6 .ids 3 1 .eS
Ugl + 32.@xgl 'iVd4+ 3 3.@fl 1 -0
Polgar-Dominguez Perez, Khanty­
Mansiysk 2 0 1 1 .
B22) 1 2.Ufel lbbd7
B2 2 1 ) 1 3 . .igS and now:
99
Winning w i th the Najdorf S i c i l i an
B 2 2 1 1 ) 1 3 ... ti:JeS ! ? 1 4.�g3 ti:Jhs
1 4 . . . ti:Jg6 1 5 . .l::!. ad l ti:Jh5 1 6 .�g4 ilxg5 .
The bishops should have been exchanged earlier. Now Black has given
his opponent many tempi. White has
created an attack on the d6-pawn, and
has pressure against the black position,
on account of his active pieces.
1 7 .�xg5 ti:Jf6 1 8 .ti:Jf3 'ifc7 1 9 .'i¥g3
ti:Je5 2 0 . ti:Jxe5 dxe5 2 1 .'iWd3 �b7
2 2 . 'tWd6 �xd6 2 3 . l:rxd6 l::r fd8
24.l:rxd8+ l:rxd8 25 .f3 �f8 26.l:rdl
l:rc8 27 .ti:Je2 with an absolutely equal
endgame, which should end in a draw,
but since such positions are always eas­
ier to play as Black, I prefer his position.
Nisipeanu-Agrest, Mainz rapid 2 0 0 5 .
1 S.�h4 �xgS 1 6.�xgS ti:Jf6 I prefer
Black in such positions, as his play is
rather easier. For example, 1 7 . if g 3
°iVb6 1 8 .l:rad l �b7 1 9 .ti:Jf3 ti:Jxf3 +
2 0 .'ifxf3 l:rfd8 2 1 .'tWe3 'tWxe3 22 .l:rxe3
�f8 2 3 .l:red3 �e7 24.f3 l:rac8 2 5 .l:rd4
�c6 2 6.a4 bxa4 2 7 .ti:Jxa4 l:rb8 2 8 .ti:Jc3
d5 2 9 .exd5 with a dead drawn position.
Iturrizaga Bonelli-Dominguez Perez,
Santo Domingo zt 2 0 0 7 ;
1 4.�a2 �c7
B 2 2 1 2) 1 3 ... ti:Jcs
1 S.l:radl �b7 This also looks good.
Black places all his pieces flexibly and is
ready to bring his heavy artillery into
play. 1 6.b4 tt:Jcd7 1 7.�h3 tt:Jes 1 8.f4
ti:Jc4 1 9 .�hl ti:Jb2 2 0 . l:r b l tlJa4
2 1 .ti:Jxa4 bxa4 22.�d3 l:rac8 23.c4 h6
24.�xf6 �xf6 A double-edged posi­
tion in which both sides have their
trumps. White has seized the centre and
has the better pawn structure, whilst
Black has two very strong bishops
which give him sufficient compensa­
tion for his pawn weaknesses,
Movsziszian-Gelfand, Minsk 1 9 8 6 ;
B22 1 3) 1 3 ...h6 ! ? A logical move.
Black wants to know at once what the
1 00
bishop's intentions are, as well as ensur­
ing he does not constantly have to
worry about the blow on h6. 1 4.�d2
After 1 4.�h4 'tWb6 1 5 .l:Iad l �b7 Black
has an excellent position. 1 4... tlJcS
1 4 . . . tlJe5 ! ? 1 5 .'ifg3 �h8 1 6 .l:rad l 'tWc7
is unclear. 1 S.�a2 b4? 1 5 . . . �h8 leads
to a position where the chances are
about equal.
1 6.axb4 �xb4??
1 7.ti:Jc6+- Coleman-Tisdall, Gausdal
1 99 5 .
B222) 1 3.�g3
B222 1 ) 1 3 ... tt:Jcs 1 4.�h6 ti:Je8
White feels it is the right moment to
jump in with the knight. Here he could
have played either ti:Jd5 or ti:Jf5 . The
more correct move was ti:Jd5 , but in the
game, White went wrong and obtained
a lost position, although he was lucky
and went on to win a beautiful game:
B2 2 2 1 1 ) 1 S.ti:JfS ? ilf6 ! Or 1 5 . . . exf5
1 6 .�d5 'lWa7 1 7 .�xa8 'lWxa8 1 8 . exf5
�f6 and Black is better. 1 6.l:rad l
ti:Jxb3? ( 1 6 . . . �e5 !+)
B 2 2 2 1 1 1 ) Black has gone wrong and
given his opponent the chance to seize
the initiative, but White in his turn is
seduced by the attractive move 1 7 .eS ? ,
which looks logical, as it frees the
e4-square for his knight. Unfortunately,
it fails to a strong queen sacrifice, after
which the advantage swings over to
Black: 1 7 . . . dxe5 1 8 . tlJe4 'tWxe4
Chapter S - 6 . �c4 e6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi te C as t l es K i n g s i d e
19 . .l:!.xe4 exfS 2 0 . .l:!.xeS ]lxeS 2 1 .�xeS
tt:las 2 2 . �d3 tll c4 2 3 .�d4 �e6 24.b3
tllx a3 25 . .l:!.g3 f6 2 6.h4 tllx c2 2 7 .�cS
.t!:c8 2 8 .�e7 �f7 2 9 .hS tll d4 3 0 .�xg7
tll x g 7 3 1 .h6 tll e 6 3 2 .hxg7 J.::i. fd8
3 3 .�xf6 f4 3 4 . .l:!.g4 hS ?? (any other
move wins, but after the text move the
computer shows mate in 1 5 . A terrible
loss after an excellently-played game)
3 5 .'lWh6 l -O Gobet-Ftacnik, Biel 1 9 84;
B222 1 1 2) Better is 1 7.tllxd6 ! tllxd6
1 8 . .l:!.xd6 tlld4
1 9.tll dS ! ! °iVxdS 20 . .l:!.xdS ! 2 0 .exdS
tll fS ! :f . 20 ...exdS 2 1 .c3 .
B2 2 2 1 2) 1 5 .tll d S ! N
tll xb 3
1 6.tllxe7 + °iVxe7 1 7 .cxb3 e5 1 8.tllfS
�xfS 1 9 .exfS and White has pressure.
B2222) 1 3 ... tll e S !?N If there is a
choice of equal merit, I always try to
play the move which has not been
played, since there are simply more
chances that the opponent will not
know the move, whilst you have some
analysis and know the position better.
14.f4 tllc4 1 5 .�xc4 bxc4 1 6.eS tlle4
1 7 .tll xe4 'iVxe4 1 8.exd6 �xd6
19 . .l:!.adl .l:!.d8 with a playable position,
where Black is certainly not worse. He
has two strong bishops, which need to
move out of the centre, and then Black
can play for the initiative.
B23) 1 2.g4?! An active move. White
wants to seize space immediately and
exploit the fact that the black queen is a
long way from the kingside, and half of
Black's army are not in their places .
1 2 ... tllc 6! 1 3.gs tlld 7 14.°iVhs tllcS ! A
simple and strong move. Exchanges usu­
ally help the defending side and ease the
defence. With the knight move, Black
creates another threat, by indirectly at­
tacking the pawn on e4, and at the same
time gets ready to eliminate the
light-squared bishop, which has caused
him so much trouble. 1 4 . . . g6 1 5 .�h6
tll d eS 1 6 .tll x c6 �xc6 1 7 .f3 .l:!.e8
1 8 . .l:!.ad l ilb7 1 9 .]ld4 �f8 2 0.'°iVh4
'°iVc7 2 1 .'°iVg3 .l:!.ac8 22 . .!:rf2 tll c4 2 3 .tll e 2
eS 24.�c3 dS 2 5 .exdS .tcS and Black is
close to winning. Mamikonian-Rohit,
Yerevan Wch-jr 2 0 0 7 . 1 5 .f4 tllxd4
1 6.�xd4 tllxb3 1 7.cxb3
1 7 ... fS and Black is a little better, as the
white attack has run out of steam.
Back to the main line after 9 . . . 'lWc7 .
101
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
White needs to play very accurately to
achieve anything. At first glance, it looks
as though 1 0 .ne 1 is a good move, but if
one looks at the position more deeply,
then it becomes clear that 1 0 . 'ifg 3
forces Black to play very precisely, in or­
der to equalise.
1 0.'iYg31
By contrast, 1 o.ne1 is very slow and is
not dangerous for Black: 1 0 ... 0-0
A) 1 1 .'iVg3
A 1 ) Black has two continuations. The
first is 1 1 . .. �d7 , but this move has its
drawbacks : it allows White to correct
his inaccuracy with 1 0 . .l:.e 1 , whereas
the move 'iith 8 underlines the minuses
of this move, and Black's problems are
behind him. 1 1 ... �d7 1 2.�h6 tbe8
Here White played 1 7 .tll g 3 ? ! , missing a
concrete win involving the sacrifice of
the e-pawn, which stops his �c2 at­
tacking h 7 . But the text move is also not
bad, and promises White a large advan­
tage in Matikozian-Gallegos, Irvine
2 0 1 0. With 1 7 . eS ! he could already
have gained a decisive advantage.
1 4-.tbxc6 'iVxc6
A l l ) 1 3.a4- b4 1 4.tbce2 'iith 8 1 5 .�gs
�xgS 1 6.'YixgS tbf6 1 7 .tbg3 tll c 6
1 8 .tbxc6 �xc6 1 9 .nad l l:rad8 2 0.nd3
h6 2 1 .°iVf4 'iYe7 22 .°iVh4 nd7 2 3 .tllh S
tbxhS 24.'ifxhS 'Yid8 2 5 .h3 'iVb6 2 6.aS
'iVb 7 2 7. 'ifh4 Kasparov-Gelfand, Paris
rapid 1 99 1 . After interesting positional
play, we reach a roughly equal position.
Black's subsequent defeat was not the re­
sult of the opening;
A l l) 1 3.tbce2! tllc 6 1 3 . . . aS ?! 1 4.c3
( 1 4 . a4 ! ? 1 4 . . . bxa4 1 5 .�xa4 �f6
1 6 .�d2 ;:!;) 1 4 . . . 'iit h 8 1 5 .�gS tbf6
1 6.'Yih4 ( 1 6.tll f4! ?) 1 6 . . . tba6?
1 5.tbf4-!? 1 5 .tbd4!N The knight is
clearly more active on d4 and all the
white pieces are very well placed. With
his next move, he brings the a-rook to
d 1 and will pressurise his opponent on
the central squares and lines, with the
weakness of the d6-pawn having its say.
1 5 ... 'iith S 1 6.�gs �xg5 1 7.'iVxgS tllf6
1 8.eS dxe5 1 9.'iVxeS nac8 with an ap­
proximately equal position, Minasian­
Rodriguez Cespedes, Lucerne Wch-tt
1 99 3 .
A2) 1 1 ...'iith S 1 2 .�gS b4- 1 2 . . . h6 ! ?
1 3 .�d2 ( 1 3 .'iVh3 ? ! b4 1 4.tbce2 'iit g 8
1 02
Chapter 5 - 6 . �c4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi te C as tl es K i n g s i d e
1 5 .�e3 tll xe4 1 6 .c3 tll c 6 1 7 .tllx c6
'ifxc6 l 8 .cxb4 gives a non-standard
position, where White has an outside
passed pawn, and the more active
pieces. In return, Black has a strong
pawn centre, which balances the
chances) 1 3 . . . �d7 With the idea of ex­
changing the knight on d4, after which
Black will be OK.
After 1 2 ... b4 White has:
A2 1 ) 1 3.tllb l ?! �b7 1 4.tll d 2 tll c 6
1 5 . tll x c6 �xc6 1 6 .a3 aS 1 7 .axb4 axb4
1 8 .l:!'.ad l tll h S 1 9 .°iYh4 jixg5 2 0 .'i'xgS
tll f6 2 l .�h4. In principle, such posi­
tions are regarded as equal, but I prefer
Black, because he has exchanged two
pairs of minor pieces and has easily
equalised, and now he can fight for the
advantage, thanks to his superior pawn
structure, Dgebuadze-V Gurevich, Le
Touquet 2 0 0 2 ;
A22) 1 3.tlla4! �d7!N A s we have
said several times, the bishop stands ex­
cellently on d 7 , attacking the white
knight at a4, defending the important
e6-square, and helping the develop­
ment of the knight at b8. 14.c3 h6
1 5 .i..d2 'it'b7 ! 1 6.eS dxe5 1 7.'it'xeS
tllc 6! with an absolutely equal position,
where I would prefer Black.
B) 1 1 .a3?! is a slow and not very
strong move, which gives Black time to
develop his pieces, after which he will
stand well. l 1 ... tllc 6 1 2.tllxc6 'iVxc6
1 3.'iYg3 tllhs 1 4.°i¥h3 tllf6 1 s.�gs
1 5 .'ti'g3 = . 1 5 ...i.b7?! 1 5 . . . h6 ! .
1 6.l:le3 !-+ l:lfe8 1 7.l:lael 'it>h8 1 8.�h4
tllg 8 1 9.l:lg3 'it'cs 20.llee3 h6 2 I .i.xe7
tll xe7 2 2 . �f4 l:lf8 2 3 .l:lh3 tll g 6
24.l:lxh6 + gxh6 2 5 .�xh6 + 'tt> g 8
26.i.xe6 'Ylfes 2 7.'ilfxg6+ 'iYg7 28.'iYhS
fxe6 29.l:lg3 and White won in Short­
Ehlvest, Moscow rapid 1 994;
C) 1 1 .a4 b4! After this strong move,
Black has no problem, as he exchanges
his b-pawn for the white e-pawn, and
Black is at least not worse. l l . . .bxa4?!
l 2 .llxa4
�d 7 ? (after l 2 . . . 'iYb 7 !
1 3 .'Ylfg3 �d7 1 4 . .l:Ic4 White is slightly
better)
1 3 . .l:Ic4 (after 1 3 .eS ! dxeS 1 4 . .l:Ic4 'i'aS
l 5 . tll xe 6 �xe6 l 6 .'iYxa8 �xc4
1 7 .�xc4 �M l 8 .'ilfb7 ;t White is sim­
ply better, with equal material, two
bishops and a threat of check on f7)
1 03
Winning w i t h t h e Najdorf S i c i l i a n
1 3 . . . �b7 1 4 . .igs ( 1 4. e S ! �xf3
1 5 .tt:lxf3 dxeS 1 6 .tt:lxeSi) 1 4 . . . .l:.!.d8
1 5 .es �xf3 l 6 .tt:lxf3 dxeS 1 7 .tt:lxeS h6
1 8 .�e3 �bS 1 9 . .l:.!.d4 �e8 2 0 .�a4
.l:.!.xd4 2 l ...txe8 tt:lxe8 2 2 .�xd4 �f6
2 3 . tt:le4 ..txeS 24 . ..txeS tt:lc6 2 S . ..tc3
and White has a minimal advantage
thanks to the strong bishop on c 3 , and
chances to create an outside passed
pawn, Nisipeanu-Banikas, Novi Sad
Ech-tt 2 0 0 9 . 1 2 .tt:la2
1 2 .....tb7 1 3.tt:lxb4 tt:lbd7 14.c3 tt:les
1S.'it'h3 he4 1 6.aS! The pawn on a6
needs to be fixed. 16 ...WhS 1 7...tgs dS
1 s.�g3 tt:lhs 1 9.'it'h4 tt:lf6 20.�g3 1/2-1/2
Nisipeanu-Karjakin, Warsaw Ech 2005.
1 0... 0-0
how White should develop the initia­
tive. But as an analysis of the games will
show, as a result of the sacrifice, Black
has great problems, because his king is
unsafe in the centre of the board under
the blows of the white pieces.
1 1 . .. exfSD 1 2.�xg7 l::tf8
A l ) 1 3 ...tgs One's eyes glaze over at
the sight of so many interesting contin­
uations, but I think the most logical and
probably strongest is to develop another
piece with tempo in this way, after
which the rook on a 1 can also come
into play.
Here Black has three continuations.
After each, we will see that by returning
the piece, he either obtains a double­
edged position or equalises. I will not
give preference to any one move, but I
can say with confidence that Black has
adequate play in all lines.
A l l ) 1 3 ... �dS
1 4.tt:ldS
tt:lxdS
1 4 . . . tt:lhS ? 1 5 .�c3 !± ..tb7 1 6.tt:lxe7
tt:lxe7 1 7 .�h3 tt:lg7 1 8 .exfS f6 1 9 . ..th6
l::t f7 2 0 .�e6 tt:lg8 2 1 . .l:.!.ae l �c7
22 . ..txf7 + Wxf7 23 . ..txg 7 Wxg7
24 . .l:.!.e3 with an ongoing initiative in
Solak-Karj akin, Dresden Olympiad
2 0 0 8 . 1 5.�xdS ..tb7 1 6.�h6
The alternative is 1 O ... tt:lc6 and now:
A) 1 1 .tt:lfS An excellent knight sacri­
fice, which is hard to find, because after
Black takes the knight, it is not obvious
1 04
A l 1 1 ) 1 6 ... �d7 1 7.�xh7 f4!N
Previously 1 7 ... 0-0-0 was played. After
1 8 . ..txf8 .l:.!.xf8 , now 1 9 .c3 ? ! didn't
worry Black too much after 1 9 . . . f4
C h apter 5
-
2 0 . f3 tb e s 2 1 . .l:i.fd l �d8 2 2 . �fs
�b6+ 2 3 .<;i/h l 'iYxfS 24.exfS �xd5 ,
Coleman-Eames, England tt 2 0 0 5 / 0 6 .
But with 1 9 .a4!N b 4 2 0 .exfS White
gains the upper hand. 1 8.jlxf8 jlxf8
1 9.a4 b4 20.c3 bxc3 2 1 .bxc3 White has
the advantage. He has two pawns and a
rook against two pieces, but his bishop
on d5 is magnificent, whilst the black
king is in the centre and is very vulnera­
ble. Also, the b-file is open, and the
white rooks can use this to start an at­
tack, and the f4-pawn is weak.
A 1 1 2) 1 6 ... <;i/d7 !N is an excellent
novelty. Black's only problem is his
king, so he removes it from the danger
zone, opening the back rank for his
pieces to come to the aid of the rook f8 ,
and begin an attack on the white king,
to exploit his material advantage. A
sample variation is 1 7 .'iYxh7 .l::!. h 8
1 8 .'iYxfS + <;i/c7 1 9 .�g 7 .l:i.h4 2 0 .c4
�d7 2 1 .�xf7 tbd8 2 2 .'iYg8 tbc6
2 3 .�f7 with a dynamic, balanced posi­
tion. Of course both sides have other
choices, but there is no point in looking
at all possibilities, rather one just needs
to know the assessment of the position
and play whichever side you prefer.
A l 2) 1 3 ...b4 1 4.�xf6 bxc3 1 5 ..ixc3
1 5 ...�d7 ! ?N A new move ( 1 5 . . .f4
1 6.'fHxh7 tbeS +:t was seen in Gallegos­
Adelberg, Las Vegas 2008) , after which
6 . � c 4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : White C astles Kingsi d e
White has a large choice. But at a very
deep level, the computer says the posi­
tion is level. In principle this should be
so, since White has sacrificed a piece,
but has two pawns for it and can win a
third, and in addition, the black king is
in the centre. I offer this sample varia­
tion of what might happen: 1 6.exfS
�xfSD 1 7 . .l:Iadl 0-0-0 1 8 . .l:i.fel hS +:t ;
A 1 3 ) 1 3 ... tbxe4 1 4.tbd5 and now:
A 1 3 1 ) 1 4 ... �a7 ! ? 1 5.tbxe7
A 1 3 1 1 ) If 1 5 ...f6 1 6 . .ids tbxe 7
1 7.jleJ 'iYb8 1 8.�h6 tbxd5 1 9.Vi'xf8+
<;i/d7 20.'iYf7+ <;i/c6 2 1 ..l:l:fdl tbc7
22.c4 b4 23.�hS jle6 24..if4 White
has an excellent attack; the black king is
stuck in the centre, and the d6-pawn is
weak. White wants to play f2-f3 if the
chance arises, and then to break
through with c4-c5 . The black pieces
are not ready for this, and the opposite
bishops strengthen White's attack;
1 05
Winn i n g wi th the Najdorf S i c i l i a n
A 1 3 1 2 ) I n case o f the recapture
1 5 ... t2Jxe7 1 6 .�e3 tbc5 1 7 .l:tfe l 'ifb7
1 8 .�h6 tbe6 1 9 .�xe6 �xe6 2 0 .l:txe6
fxe6 2 1 .'ifxf8 + Wd7 2 2 .'iff7 l:tg8
2 3 . g 3 i White is simply better, as his
king is defended, his pieces are active,
whilst play occurs on both flanks,
which means White's bishop is strong,
and the black king is in the centre under
attack.
A 1 3 2) 1 4 ... 'i:YdS ! ?
1 5 .�xe 7
1 5 .tbxe 7 ! ? tbxe7
1 6 .�h6 l:t g 8
1 7 .�xf7 + W d 7 1 8 .�xg8 'i:Yxg 8
1 9 .'ifxg8 tbxg8 2 0 .�f4 leads to an in­
teresting position with much play. The
opposite bishops help White and the
black pawns are weak, but he has two
knights against a rook. The position is
unclear, because the knights lack central
outposts, which is the most important
thing in such positions, and rook and
pawn is not weaker than two knights,
even in an ending. 1 5 ... t2Jxe7 1 6.f3
tbxd5 1 7.�xdS 'i:Yb6+ 1 8.Whl tllf2+
1 9.l:txf2 'ifxf2 20.�xa8
20 ... �e6 !N After this strong novelty,
Black has no problems and can play
calmly. 2 0 . . . 'ifxc2 ?? 2 1 .l:te l ++- was
seen in a game Coleman-Bushill, Lon­
don 2 0 04, where after 2 1 . . . �e6
2 2 .�dS �f2 . instead of 2 3 .'i:Yc3 ?? We7
24.'i:Yc 7 + with perpetual check, White
could have won with 2 3 .l:txe6++-.
1 06
2 1 .�b 7 We7 ! 22.l:td 1 'ifxc2 23.'ifd4
l:td8 A double-edged position, in
which chances are equal; the black king
is in the centre and his pawn structure
is weak, but White has a weak back rank
and his bishop is not good.
A2) In case of 1 3 .tll d S ! ? tbxd5
1 4.exdS tbe5 1 5 .�h6 Wd8 1 6.a4 'li'b8
Black has an extra piece, whilst really
dangerous ideas for White are not obvi­
ous, although of course he has compen­
sation. However, I do not think Black
will experience any serious problems;
A3) 1 3 .exfS �xf5 ! 1 4.�gs b4!
1 5.�xf6 bxc3 1 6.l:tael 0-0-0! White
has compensation for the piece, but I
think that by accurate play, Black can
neutralise the white initiative, and keep
his extra piece. For example: 1 7 .�xe7
tbxe 7 1 8 .l:te3 cxb2 1 9 .Wk'f6 �e6
2 0 .l:tc3 tbc6 2 1 .�a4 �d7 2 2 .'iff3 d5
2 3 .'i:YxdS �e8 24.Wk'fs + Wb7 2 5 .l:tb l
.l::i. d4 2 6 .l:tb3 + Wa8 2 7 . l:ta3 lbb8
2 8 .�xe8 ld.xe8 and Black won in
Mukhutdinov-Shneider, St Petersburg
1 99 3 .
B) 1 1 .lLlxc6 'iYxc6 1 2 .l:tel and now:
B 1 ) 1 2 ... 0-0 1 3 .�h6 Now Black has
to choose between two knight moves:
Bl 1 ) 1 3 ... tbes 1 4.tllds �ds 1 s.t2Jf4
�f6
1 6.tbd3 !N The black bishop on f6
stands very badly, as this is the knight's
Cha p t er 5 - 6 . �c4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi te C a s t l es K i ng s i d e
square, which instead stands o n e8. The
queen on c6 is also liable to be attacked
by the enemy pieces. 1 6 .c3 �es
1 7 .�gS f6 1 8 .tllx e6 �xg3 1 9.tll d 8+
1lWc4 20.�xc4+ bxc4 2 1 .�e3 �h4
22 .g3 �gs 2 3 .f4 �h6 - Black simply
has an extra piece and a winning posi­
tion, Nalbandian-Minasian, Decin
1 99 6 . 1 6 ...a5 1 7.a4 b4 1 8.e5;;!;; ;
B 1 2) 1 3 ... tllhs 1 4.Wilg4 �h8 ! ? A very
interesting idea; despite the fact that
White keeps an extra pawn, Black has
two bishops and practical compensa­
tion
1 4 . . . 'filcS ?
l S .eS !
Wh8 ? ?
( 1 S . . . �b7 ;;!;; ) 1 6.�d2 g 6 1 7 .tll e 4 1lWc7
1 8 .exd6 �xd6 1 9 . tll x d6 'iYxd6
2 0 .�b4 VJi/d8 2 1 . .l:!.ad l +- Bosch­
Andreasen, Arnhem Ech-jr 1 9 8 9 .
1 5.Wilxhs gxh6 1 6.Wilxh6 .l:!.g8 1 7 . .l:!.adl
'iYcs 1 8.Wile3 �f6 1 9.a3 �es 20.g3;;!;;
Black of course has compensation, but
it is insufficient, and in addition, White
can exchange queens at some moment
and advance f4, after which the strong
bishop on eS will be driven away and
White can start attacking Black's only
weakness, the pawn on d6; White
should move the knight from c3 and
put the pawn on that square, so as to re­
strict the strong bishop completely.) ;
B2) An excellent move, which I like,
involves the unusual plan of sacrificing
a pawn and castling queenside ( ! ) , so as
to begin an attack on the white king,
using the g-file, which has been opened
by the loss of the g 7-pawn: 1 2 ... �b7
1 3.Wilxg7 1 3 .a3 0-0 1 4.�h6 tll e 8
lS . .l:!.ad l Wh8 1 6 .�gS �xgS 1 7 .1lWxgS
tll f6 1 8 . .l:!.d3 l:rad8 1 9 . .l:!.g3 l:r g 8
20.'iVh4 'tiVcS !N 2 1 .l:tgS 'iVb6 2 2 . .l:te3
At first glance, it seems as though
White has a very strong attack, but in
reality, he has nothing, since when the
opponent has no obvious weaknesses
one lacks anything to fasten onto.
Firstly, his pawns cannot help in this,
and secondly, his minor pieces are very
far away from the scene of the action.
2 2 . . . h6 2 3 . ld.f3 tll h 7 24 . .l:thS l:!d7 and
it is time for White to retreat. He cannot
do anything and Black's position is very
solid. 1 3 ... .ll g s 1 4.Wilh6 0-0-0! If
1 4 . . . .l:!.g6 1 S .'filh3 . 1 5 .Wilh3 ! �b8 !
1 6.f3
It is very difficult to give a concrete as­
sessment of this position. This is the
only place where White can fight for an
advantage, but I think Vasily
Mikhailovich gave the most accurate as­
sessment: he has played the position
with both colours and won both times.
I have come to the same conclusion,
namely that the better player will win.
The computer gives White a small ad­
vantage, but if one follows its first line
for a few moves, this advantage dwin­
dles to zero. So play this position, if you
are confident of your strength.
B2 1 ) 1 6 ... .l:!.g6 and now:
B2 1 1 ) 1 7.�e3 .l:tdg8 1 s .ne2 tll d 7
1 9 .tll d S exdS 20.�xdS Wilc7 2 l .�xf7
�f6 2 2 .ld.d l �xb2 2 3 .c4 �a3 24.cxbS
axbS 2 S .�xg8 l:rxg8 2 6 .'ii'x h7 - White
has a winning position, and his mate­
rial advantage is more than sufficient to
wrap up the game, Ivanchuk­
Polugaevsky, Monaco blind 1 99 3 ;
107
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
B2 1 2) 1 7.ilf4 l:rdg8 1 8.l:re2 �c8!
1 8 ... b4 1 9 .ti:la4 eS 2 0 .�e3 dS 2 1 .exdS
ti:lxdS 22 .�xdS 'iYxdS 2 3 .l:rf2 and now
Black won with 2 3 . . . �h4! 24.'iYxh4
l:rxg 2 + 2 S . l:rxg2 l:rxg 2 + 2 6 . @fl
'iYxf3 + 0- 1 Degraeve-Guidarelli, Aix­
les-Bains ch-FRA 2 0 0 3 . 1 9.eS dxeS
20.�xeS+ �d6 2 1 .�xd6+ 'iYxd6 Black
has excellent compensation and a
strong attack. The bishop on b3 and
knight on c3 are just spectators;
B 2 1 3 ) 1 7.a3 l:rdg8 1 8 . �e2 hS
1 9 .@hl 'iYc7 2 0 .ti:Jdl h4 2 1 .ti:Je3 ti:Jhs
2 2 . ti:lg4 'i!Vd8 2 3 .�d2 �gs 24.g3 fs
2 S . ti:le3 fxe4 and Black broke through
in Kir. Georgiev-Ivanchuk, Tilburg
rapid 1 99 3 .
B22) 1 6 ...b4 1 7.ti:la4 l:rg6! Notwith­
standing the fact that the computer
played differently, this move is stronger
and more logical! Black's play is simple:
he should double rooks and begin an
attack on the king, since if he does not
do that, White will soon complete his
development and have an extra pawn.
1 7 . . . l:!.c8 ? ! 1 8 .�e3 'iYbs 1 9 .c4 bxc3
2 0 .ti:lxc3 'iYes 2 1 .l::r ad l hS 2 2 .f4 'i!Vas
2 3 .ii.d4 l::r g 4 24.�e3 ti:ld7 2 S .l::r d 2 es
and Black took over in HIARCS 6-REBEL
8 , Debrecen 1 9 9 8 . 1 8 .�e3 .l:rdg8
1 9 .l:re2 dS 20.�f4+
20 ... @a7! An unlikely move, but the
right one. In general, in such positions,
1 08
both sides try to shield their king and
put it on a safe square, but here,
strangely enough, the king feels safest
on an exposed square, where it is
subject to numerous checks. 2 1 .eS!
2 1 . exdS ti:lxdS 2 2 .�xdS 'iY'xdS
2 3 .l::r d 2! (23 .�e 3 + @b8 24.�d2 'iY'xf3
2 S .°iVxf3 �xf3 2 6 .g 3 = ) 2 3 . . . 'iY'bs
24.�e3+ @b8 2 S .b3 �gs 2 6 .l::r e l
�xe 3 + 2 7 .l::rxe3 'iY'gS 2 8 .°iYg 3 + 'iY'xg3
2 9 .hxg3 l::r x g3 = . 2 1 . ..ti:ld7 22.ii.e3+
@bS 2 3.@hl �gs and Black has excel­
lent compensation for the pawn.
1 1 .�h6 ti:Je8 1 2.l::ra d1 �d7
1 3.f4
The more aggressive and dangerous
move. 1 3.ti:Jf3 is the positional move.
White tries to build pressure on the
d6-pawn, for which he does not need
the knight on d4. He wants to play
�f4, bring a rook to the d-file and play
e4-eS if the chance comes. 1 3 ...b4! ?
The normal move, after which Black
has everything protected. I do not see
any real dangerous white continua­
tions. After 1 3 . . . ti:lc6 1 4.�f4! White is
slightly better. He has some pressure
against Black's position, the better de­
velopment, and his pieces are more ac­
tive. However, Black has no weaknesses
and if he can activate his pieces, he will
have a decent position. For example,
Cha p t e r S
-
14 . . . 'tWb7 l S . .!d.fe l b4 1 6 .tl:le2 es
1 7 .�gS �e6 1 8 .tl:lh4 tl:laS 1 9 .�dS
�xdS 20 . .!d.xdS �xgS 2 1 .VWxgS tl:lc4
2 2 .tl:lg3 and White's position looks
very threatening, but he is unable to
pose his opponent any direct threats.
The position is roughly equal ,
Kasparov-Gelfand, Moscow Olympiad
1 9 94. 1 4.tl:le2 as 1 S .tl:lf4 'it>hSD
1 6.�gs tl:lc6 ! ? 1 6 ... tl:lf6 1 7 .'tWh4 �bs
1 8 . tl:ld4 �e8 1 9 . tl:ldxe6 (it is hard even
to call this a sacrifice, because after this
exchanging combination, White ends
up with extra material. He has an abso­
lutely winning position) 1 9 . . .fxe6
2 0 .tl:lxe6 iYa7 2 1 .eS dxeS 2 2 .tl:lxf8
�xf8 2 3 .]lxf6 gxf6 24 . .!d.d8 tl:ld7
2 S .�g4 1 -0 Kasparov-Gelfand, Linares
1 99 3 .
Now White has a choice:
A) 1 7.tl:ldS !? exdS 1 8 .exdS �xgS
1 9 .dxc6 �xc6 2 0.tl:lxgS h6 2 1 .tl:lf3 .!d.c8
22 .�f4 tl:lf6 23 . .!d.xd6 tl:le4 24 . .!d.xh6+
gxh6 2 S .�xh6+ 'it>g8 26.'ii' g 6+=;
B) 1 7.]lxe 7 tl:lxe 7 l 8 .'i:Vh4 tl:lf6
1 9 . .!d.fe l a4 2 0 .�c4 eS 2 1 .tLldS tl:lexdS
2 2 .�xdS .Id.as 2 3 .tl:lgS 'it>g8 24 . .!d.d2 h6
and White had to give material with
2 S .�xf7 + , for which he did not get
enough compensation, Stupavski-Palac,
Zadar 2 0 0 7 ;
C ) 1 7 ..!d.fel ! a4 1 8.�c4 hgS 1 9.tl:lxgS
.Id.as with chances for both sides.
6 . � c 4 e 6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi te C a s t l es K i n g s i d e
1 3 ..tl:lcG
.
This is one of the basic positions of
this variation and this is where the
main debate on the line is taking place.
White has several continuations, and
many interesting games have been
played at the top level in each of them.
Garry Kasparov
The analysis is given below, and it
seems to me that the different continu­
ations are equally good, but in all
cases, Black at first needs to make some
accurate moves, so as not to obtain a
bad position.
1 4.tl:lxcG
A) 1 4.fS tl:lxd4 1 S ..!d.xd4 and now:
1 09
Winning w i th the Naj d orf S i c i l i a n
A 1 ) 1 S Wh8 1 6.f6 !N A recent top­
level game saw l 6 . .ie3 tt:lf6 1 7 .'tWh3 dS
1 8 .eS 'tWxeS 1 9.l:th4 .l:!.fc8 20.Wh l .l:!.xc3 .
An excellent exchange sacrifice, after
which it becomes clear that it is Black
who is fighting for the advantage. As
noted earlier, the whole game was played
excellently by Gelfand, and words are superfluous - the moves speak for them­
selves. 2 1 .bxc3 'tWxc3 22 . .l:!.d4 as 2 3 .l::!'.d 3
'tWc6 24.c3 a4 2S .�c2 es 26 ...tgs b4
with very good play for the exchange,
Mamedyarov-Gelfand, Kazan 2 0 1 1 .
1 6 .....txf6 1 7.l:txf6 'tWcs 1 8 ...txg7+
tt:lxg7 1 9.'tWfl ..tc6
•••
20.�dS ! l:tac8 2 1 .�xc6 l:txc6 22.a3 !
White has the advantage. He prevents
Black playing . . . bS-b4, has seized the
half-open f-file and will exert pressure
along this file. White only has one
problem: the pin on the a7-g 1 diagonal.
Ifhe can escape from this, he will have a
nice advantage.
A2) 1 s ...�f6 ! ? 1 6.l:td3 �es
1 10
A2 1 ) 1 7.'tWg4?! b4 1 8.f6 In case of
1 8 .tt:le2 exfS 1 9 .exfS .ibS 2 0 .f6 �xf6
2 1 .l:txf6 �xd3 2 2 .cxd3 Wh80 2 3 .g3
'tWe7 24.�f2 gxh6 Black is slightly
better; although his king is weak, he has
an extra exchange.
1 8 ... g6 !=F Black has the advantage. He
has a strong bishop, and will have a
pawn for the exchange, whilst all of
White's dark squares are weak, and the
bishop b3 can always come under at­
tack from the move . . . a6-aS . For exam­
ple, 1 9 . tbe 2 as 2 o .�xf8 'itixf8 2 1 . 'tWh4
a4 2 2 .'tWxh7 'tWa7 + 2 3 .Wh l tt:lxf6
24.'tWh6+ We7 2 S .�c4 'tWcS 2 6 .b3 and
Black won in Morozevich-Kasparov,
Astana 2 00 1 .
A2 2) A new idea is 1 7.'tWfl !?N b4
1 7 . . . gxh6? 1 8 .fxe6 �xe6 1 9 .�xe6;!;.
1 8.fxe6 bxc3 1 9.exd7 tllf6 ! 20.�gS
cxb2 2 1 .�xf6 �xf6 22.c3 'tWxd7
23.'tWxb2=;
B) 1 4.�gS is an interesting move, but
it does not give any advantage if Black
reacts correctly, as Gelfand did in the
following game : 1 4 ... �xgS l S .fxgS
tt:lxd4 1 6.l:txd4 'tWcs 1 7.'tWe3 b4
1 8.tiJdl �bS 1 9.l:!'.e l aS 20.c3 CiJc7
2 1 .h4 2 1 .eS ! ? dxeS 22 .'tWxeS tt:la6.
2 1 ...l:tfbS 22.'tWfl �es 23.CiJe3 bxc3
24.l:tc4 'tWa7 2S.bxc3 a4 26.�c2 eS
and later the game ended in a draw in
Morozevich-Gelfand, Istanbul Olym­
piad 2 0 0 0 .
Cha p t e r 5 - 6 . ..t c 4 e6 7 . 0 - 0 : Whi t e Cas tles K i n g s i d e
Back to the main line. The bishop re­
captures on c6 :
1 4...�xc6 1 5.f5 @h8D
bad, although White has a weak pawn
on e4 and his bishop on b3 is not
especially strong : 2 1 . .. .i::i.c 8 22.a3 ! aS? !
2 2 . . . .l:!:b7 ! . 23 . .l:!:fdl 2 3 .a4 ! ;\; . 23 ... t:Lies
24. .l:!:d8 .l:!:aa8 2S . .l:!:8d4 l:l:ab8 26.h3 b4
2 7.axb4 .l:!:xb4 In the resulting end­
game, White has an advantage, which
he realised in accurate fashion,
Ivanchuk-Gelfand, Moscow blitz 2 0 0 8 .
1 6.f6
1 6.�e3 b4 1 7 .t:Lla4 t:Lif6 ! ( 1 7 . . . l:tb8 ??
l 8 .fxe6;\; fxe6 1 9 . .l:!:xf8+ �xf8 2 0 . .l:!:fl
'i:Ye7 D 2 1 .eS �xa4 2 2 .il..g s �a7+
2 3 .�e3 �e7 H.�xa4 and White won
in A. Sokolov-Gelfand, Odessa ch-URS
1 8 .fxe6
t:Lixe4
1 9.�h3
1 989.
(Damaso-Arnason, Novi Sad Olympiad
1 990) 1 9 ... fxe6 20.t:Llb6 .l:!:ae8=F.
16 ...gxh6 1 7.fxe7 'fixe7 1 8.'i!Yf2
tlJg7 1 9.'iVd4
1 9 .WVb6 ? ! .l:!:fc8 2 0 .a3 (20.Wk°d4 trans­
poses to l 9.�d4) 20 . . . aS 2 1 .@h l hS
22 . .l:!:d3 �a7 ! =F Michiels-Bu Xiangzhi,
Antwerp 2 0 0 8 .
1 9 ....l:!:aca
In case of 1 9 ... �a7 20.�xa7 .l:!:xa7
2 1 ..l:!:xd6, even with equal pawns,
White is slightly better: Black has dou­
bled h-pawns, and his knight on g7 is
20.a3
20 . .l:!:d3 ! ?N hS 2 l .a3 .l:!:cd8 22 . .l:!:f6 eS
23 .�f2 t:Lle6oo.
20...'iVg51 21 . .l:!:f2
2 1 .�xd6? tlJfS ! 22 .�e S + f6 2 3 .�xe6
tlJe3 H . �h 3 fS 2 5 .it.. e 6 .l:!:ce 8 =F
Rublevsky-Bu Xiangzhi, Ningbo rapid
20 1 0.
21 ...as 22 . .l:!:d3 .l:!:cd8 23.'iY'b6
'iVcS 24.'iY'xcS
24.�xaS fs t .
2 4...dxcS 2 5 . .l:!:xf7 a 4 26.�a2 b4
27.l:f.d6 bxc3 28..l:f.xfS+ .l:!:xf8
29.l:lxc6 cxb2 30.l:f.b6=
Conclusion
In this line, White has a mass of interesting sacrifices and attacking possi­
bilities, but in return, Black gets the better piece play and pawn structure.
Black has to be very careful in the early moves, so as not to fall under a
mating attack. He should not be afraid of the white sacrifices, but needs
to know and remember some complicated variations.
111
Chapter 6
6.�c4 e6: Wh ite Alternatives on Move 7
1 .e4 c5 2.tll f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tll xd4 tllf6 5 .tt.Jc3 a6 6.�c4 e6 7.�e3
In this section, we will examine three alternative moves : 7 .ile 3 , 7 .�g s , and 7 . a 3 .
The idea o f 7 .�gs is to develop the queenside a s soon a s possible, and t o castle
queenside and begin an attack on the kingside, where the black king is likely to cas­
tle.
7 .a3 is the only move which allows White to retain the light-squared bishop,
which will be safe on a2 . But for this, White pays a high price - he loses three
tempi, just to develop one piece, and although the bishop is extremely important,
three tempi is three tempi.
7.ile3
Not a dangerous move for Black, and he
has many ways to obtain a good posi­
tion. We will examine several of these,
which I think will be enough for what
is not a very important line. Other sev­
enth-move options for White are:
A) 7.�g5 �e7
A l ) 8 ..ib3 'iYa 5 ( 8 . . tlJc6 ! ?) and
now:
A l 1 ) 9.'ii' d2 h6 1 0 ...ixf6 In case of
1 O . �h4 tt:Jxe4 1 1 . tlJxe4 'iYxd 2 +
1 2.<it>xd2 � 4 1 3 .tlJxd6+ rJite7 Black
.
112
.
is slightly better; or 1 O .�e3 tlJg4
1 1 .0-0-0 tt:Jxe3 1 2 .'iYxe3 �d7 and after
Black eliminates the white dark-squared
bishop, he cannot have any problems,
and can even play to seize the initiative.
1 O ... �xf6 1 1 .0-0-0 0-0 Because White
has no dark-squared bishop, Black can­
not have any problems.
A 1 2) 9.�d2 Not a great move, but
the only way to avoid exchanging the
bishop for the black knight. The bishop
takes the d2-square from the white
queen, but does force the black queen
to move away to c 7 .
Chapter
6
-
A 1 2 1 ) 9 ...'illVb 4! ?N is a very strange­
looking move, but at the same time
strong. Black just attacks the knight on
d4 and it is not obvious how White
should defend it. The computer sug­
gests going back with �gs , but then, if
nothing else, Black can play 'illV a S again:
1 0 ..itgs 1 0 . .ite3 tZ:ixe4 l l .�g4 d S !
1 2 .a3 'iYas 1 3 . 0-0 h S 1 4.'ii f3 tZ:ixc3
1 5 . .itd2 - here, White has compensa­
tion for the pawn. 1 0 ... ti:Jbd7 As said,
after 1 0 . . . �aS ! ? it is White's turn to
find something else. 1 1 .0-0 and now
the black queen is misplaced;
A 1 22) 9 ... 'il\Vc7 1 0 .0-0 0-0 l I .'i¥f3
bS l 2 .a3 .itb7 yields a reasonable posi­
tion where Black has no problems.
A2) 8.f4?! V//i c 7 9 . .itb3 h6 1 0.�h4
1 O .�xf6 .itxf6 just gives Black the ad­
vantage, so White must retreat the
bishop to h4! 1 o ... tt:Jxe4 1 1 .j/_xe? tZ:ixc3
1 2. 'illV g4
'il\Vxe7
1 3 . 'Wixg7
'iVfs
1 4.'iVxfS+ @xf8 1 5.bxc3 ti:Jd7 In this
ending too, Black is slightly better, as
White has a broken structure and, most
of all, Black has exchanged the queens
and a pair of minor pieces;
A3) 8.0-0 'iVc7 9.i.b3 0-0 1 0.'iVf3
Or 1 O.f4 h6 l I .lth4 tZ:ixe4 1 2 .Axe7
tZ:ixc3 1 3 . .itxd6 °i¥xd6 l 4.bxc3 tZ:ic6=F.
10 ...bS 1 1 .a3 tZ:lbd7 1 2.'Wig3 ltb7 Here
too, Black has an excellent position,
thanks to his excellently developed
pieces;
. ..&
-r
e6:
White Alternati ves on Move 7
.\4) In case of 8.'it'd2 h6! 9.�e3 tZ:lg4
1 0.0-0 c7 1 1 ..itb3 0-0 1 2 ..I:!:adl ti:Jxe3
1 3. xe3 ti:Jc6 Black is slightly better, on
accoum of his two bishops and the weak
dark squares in the enemy camp.
B) 7.a3 !d... e 7 8.i.a2 0-0 9.0-0 b5 and
now:
B l ) 1 0.'it'f3 .itb7 1 1 .'Wig3 ti:Jc6
1 2.ti:Jxc6 hc6 1 3 ..fili6 tZ:ie8 14..I:!:adl b4
In my opinion, 1 4 . . . lth4! 1 5 .°i¥g4 �f6
gives Black an edge, as it is not obvious
where White's play is coming from. His
pieces do not cooperate. 1 5.axb4 .I:!:b8
1 6.i.c4 .I:!:xb4 1 7.b3 ..th4 1 8.'iVg4 �f6
1 9.�d2 a5 20.ti:Je2 .I:!:b7 2 1 .tZ:lg3 a4
22.ti:Jhs a3 23.'ii'e2 �b2 24.j/_cl with a
great advantage, Hamdouchi-Vachier­
Lagrave, Pau ch-FRA 2 0 1 2 ;
B2) 1 0 .�e3 is too slow, so it is not
even necessary to look at the numerous
concrete variations; White cannot do
anything to pose Black problems. I will
give one example: 1 O . . . .itb7 l l .f3
tZ:lbd7 1 2 .'illV e l .I:!:e8 1 3 .l:'.t d l Vlli c 7
1 4.'tWg3 �f8 1 5 .ltgs .I:!:ac8 1 6 .�hl
°ifb 8 1 7 . .I:!:d2 �h8 1 8 . .I:!:fd l h6
1 9 ."fWh3 tZ:ih7 2 0 .�f4 tZ:ies 2 1 .tZ:ide2
�a8 2 2 .b4 .I:!:ed8 2 3 .�b3 j)_e7 24.'illV g 3
tZ:if6 2 5 .'ii'h 3 tZ:lc4 1/2-1/2 A. Fedorov­
Jaracz, Czechia tt 2 0 1 1 I 1 2 ;
B3) 1 0.f4 �b7 1 1 .fS e5 1 2.ti:Jde2 and
now:
B3 l ) 1 2 ... tllxe4 1 3 .ti:Jxe4 �xe4
14.ti:Jg3 d5 ! 1 4 . . . �b7 1 5 .tZ:lhS-+.
.I
•
113
1 5 .f6!?N In the spirit of the position.
White is already a pawn down and can­
not afford to retreat; to justify the pawn
sacrifice, he has to continue in the same
style. 1 5 . tlJxe4 dxe4 1 6 .'il'dS tlJd7
1 7 .'il'xe4 ciJf6!N (this position had only
been reached once before, and then Black
committed a serious mistake. If White
manages to develop his dark-squared
bishop and rook, he will have the advan­
tage, thanks to the bishop pair and the
weak hght squares in the black camp.
With 1 7 . . . ciJf6, Black offers a pawn sacri­
fice and attacks the white queen, and
thanks to his more active pieces, he ob­
tains the better chances. 1 7 . . . 'iYc 7 ?
1 8 . .L.f/+±) 1 8 .'il'e2 ( 1 8.'il'xe5 ?! .l:Ie8 !
1 9 .�h l .l:tc8 ! f) l 8 . . . 'il'd4+ 1 9.�h l
.l:Ifd8 and at the very least, Black is not
worse, as he has the only open file and
White has an exposed king and a weak
diagonal g l -a7. 1 5 ...�6 1 6.tlJxe4 dxe4
1 7.�e3 ciJd7 1 8.'ilYds 'i1Yc7 1 9.c3 White
will soon take on e4, and will remain a
pawn down, but he has compensation
sufficient for equahty;
B32) 1 2 ... ciJbd7! 1 3.ciJg3 .l:Ic8! 14.'il'e2
To defend the e4-pawn. Or 1 4.itgS?!
pawn centre and active pieces. l 5 .bxc3
tlJxe4 1 6. tlJxe4 .ixe4 1 7 . .ixe7 'iWxe7
1 8 .c4 .l:Ic8 1 9 .'il'e2 tlJf6 2 0 . �ac l h5
2 1 .cxbS axbS 2 2 .'il'xbS 'ii'a 7+ 2 3 .�hl
h4 24.'il'b3 tlJg4 and Black won in
Ermenkov-Portisch, Skara Ech-tt 1 9 8 0 .
1 4... tlJb6 Black has solved his only
problem in the position, namely by ob­
taining control over the square d5 ,
whilst White is still not completely de­
veloped and it is not clear how he can
do so, as Black already threatens to ad­
vance . . . d6-d5 or put his knight on c4;
7... b5 8.�b3 �b7
Now after a move like 9.f3 ? ! , Black can­
not have any problems, because the
main idea of putting the bishop on b3
is to advance the pawn to fS and create a
problem on e6; 9 . . . tLi bd7 ! .
9.f4
Now Black can win a pawn in two ways,
or try to complete his development. Be­
fore analysing the position, my intu­
ition was that even if the computer
shows how Black can hold the position,
it is extremely dangerous for him.
9 ciJbd7
...
A) 9 ...tLixe4 1 0.tlJxe4 1 0 .fS ? 'il'h4+
1 1 . �fl tLixc3 1 2 .bxc3 'il'e4 1 3 .�d2 e5
1 4 . .l:Ie 1 ite7 -+ Eberth-Herczeg, Hun­
gary tt-3 1 99 1 . 1 O ... �xe4 and now:
14 ... .l:Ixc3 ! =F . A typical Sicilian ex­
change sacrifice, after which White
ends up with a broken pawn structure
and his previous play loses much of its
point. Meanwhile, Black has a strong
1 14
C h ap ter
6
-
A l ) 1 1 .fS exfS ! In case of 1 L.eS?
1 2 .�xf7 + ! 'it>xf7 1 3 .tll e 6 'ff as
1 4.�d2 'iVb6 1 5 .tll g S+ 'it>g8 1 6.fue4
d5 White has a large advantage, because
the black king is unable to castle and is
blocking the rook on h8 , whilst the
white pieces all stand excellently. White
just needs to castle and he will have a
winning position, Kobese-Vasquez
Schroeder, Istanbul Olympiad 2 0 1 2 .
1 2 .tll xfS �xfS 1 3.0-0 1 3 .'iVdS ? fails to
the strong reply 1 3 . . . 'iVe7 , after which
Black is winning. 1 3 ... 'iVe7 1 4.'iVf3 �e4
1 4 . . . �a7 ? 1 5 .�b6 !+- . 1 S.�xf7+ 'it>d8
1 6.'l!lVg4! 'ii'b 7 1 7.l:!.ael dS 1 8.jLe6 !±;
A2) 1 1 .0-0 and now:
A2 1 ) 1 1 ...tll d 7? 1 2.fS ! es 1 3.jLxf7+
After 1 3 .'iVhS ? W¥e7 1 4.�gS tll f6
1 5 .�xf6 gxf6 1 6 . �ae l dS 1 7 .tll e 2
0-0-0 Black has an extra exchange and a
winning position, Ikonomopoulou
Paulet, Sibenik 2 0 0 7 . 1 3 ...'it>xf7 1 4.tlle 6
W¥c8 1 S.tll gS + 'it>e7 1 6.tllxe4±;
A22) A new idea is 1 1 . ..hS? ! , taking
the square h5 from the white queen.
1 2 .a4! b4 1 2 . . . ds 1 3 .fS �cs 1 4.fxe6
fxe6 1 5 .'it>h l !± . 1 3.fS eS
_
_._
_
e6:
White Alternati ves on Move 7
3) 9 b4 1 O.tlla4 he4 1 1 .fS and now:
B l ) 1 1 . .. eS 1 2.tll f3
....
B l 1 ) 1 2 ... tll b d7?
1 3 . tll g S
dS
1 4.tll xe4 dxe4 1 5 .g4 h6 1 6.'iVe2 'ii'c 7
1 7 . 0-0-0± Kobese-Areschenko, Gibral­
tar 2 0 0 5 ;
B 1 2) 1 2 ... �xfS 1 3 .tll xeS ! �e6
1 3 . . . dxeS ? 1 4.�xf7 + . 1 4.�xe6 fxe6
1 5 .'iWf3 tll b d7 1 6.tll x d7 tll x d7 1 7 . 0-0
and White is winning, Lie-Cheparinov,
Gothenburg Ech-tt 2 0 0 5 ;
B 1 3 ) 1 2 . . . �xf3 ?!N 1 3 .'iVxf3 tll b d7
1 4. g4± .
B2) 1 1 . .. exfS!N A good move. Black
should eliminate the strong pawn,
which is threatening to damage his po­
sition, and always sets up the motif
tll e 6 . 1 2 .0-0 g6 1 3 .tll b 6 'll¥x b6
1 4.tllxfS °tWd8 1 S.tll g 3 �c6 1 6.�xf6
'ti'xf6 1 7.�d4 'ti'f4 1 8.'iVe2+ �e7
1 9.�xh8 �bS =F .
1 0.0-o �ca
Here again, White has the favourable
liquidation trick l 4.�xf7 + 'it>xf7
1 S.tll e 6 'ii'h4 1 6.tll g s+ 'it>e8 1 7.g3 'l/Vg4
1 8.'ii'xg4 hxg4 1 9 .tllxe4:t;
A23) 1 1 . ..'ll¥d 7 1 2.fS eSD 1 3.'tWg4! dS
Not 1 3 . . . �b7 1 4.tll e 6 fxe6 1 5 .fxe6 'i!Wc6
1 6.�f7 'iVe4 1 7 .'ii'h 3+- . 1 4.tlle 2±.
A) 1 o ...b4 1 1 .tlla4
Once again, the question arises whether
to take the poisoned pawn or not. But if
one looks at the position purely intu­
itively, then it becomes clear that with
his undeveloped pieces and uncastled
king, Black should not be able to get
away with taking the pawn, opening
lines against his own king:
A 1 ) 1 1 ...�xe4? 1 2.fs e5
115
Winning w i th the Naj d orf S i c i l i a n
1 3 .tbe6! fxe6 1 4.fxe6 tbb8 1 5.tbb6!
A l 1) 15 ...�c6! ? 16 . .ll:xf6! In the style
of the old masters. White is now a whole
rook down, but his attack is more than
sufficient compensation. 1 6 ...'1Wxf6D
1 7.�dS ! .lla 7 1 8.�xc6+ tbxc6 1 9.tbdS
°iYh4 20.�xa7 tbxa7 2 1 .c3 ! tbc6
2 1 . . .bxc3 2 2 .'1Wf3 +- . 22.'iVfl �e7
23.@hl !!± The idea of this move is sim­
ple: White wants to take on b4, but at
present, his king prevents this, because
Black can check on d4 and the knight d5
hangs. White wants to force . . . �f8 and
only then take on a6, when castling is no
longer possible;
A l 2 ) 1 5 ... �e7? 1 6 .�a4+ �c6
l 6 . . . @f8 1 7 .'lWg4+-. 1 7.tbxa8 �xa4
1 8.�b6 'lWc8 1 9 . .llxf6 �xc2 20 . .ll c l
�xf6 2 1 Jhc2 '1Wb7 22.'1Wxd6 �e7
2 3 .tbc7+
@f8
24 . .ll fl +
1 -0
Velimirovic-Suba, Pinerolo 1 9 8 7 ;
A2) The simplest is usually the stron­
gest, and by all rules of thumb, Black
should develop his pieces, after which
he needs only to castle kingside:
1 1 ...�e7 ! 1 2 .fs es 1 3 .tbe6 fxe6
1 4.fxe6 tbf8! 1 5 .tbb6 �c6 1 6.tbxa8
1 6 .tbd5 ? !
tbg6 ! +
Seretakis-Kr.
Georgiev, Athens 1 9 9 3 . 1 6 ... 'i¥xa8
1 7 . .llxf6 1 7 .a3 ! bxa3 1 8 .r.1xa3 tbg6=F.
1 7 ... gxf6
1 8.°iYg4
1 8 .�d5 ! ?+: .
1 8 ...hs-+ Arancibia Guzman-Vasquez
Schroeder, Santiago 1 9 9 3 .
B) 1 0 ...�e7
116
But now it is time to sacrifice the
bishop. White will have three pawns for
the piece, which is sufficient compen­
sation. The black king will be unable to
castle and will have to stay in the centre.
But the sacrifice has one drawback: after
sacrificing the strong king's bishop,
White remains, in footballing terms,
minus his 'centre forward' . 1 1 .�xe6 !
fxe6 1 2.tbxe6 'i¥c8 ! 1 3.tbxg7+ @f7
1 4.tbfs �f8 and now:
B l ) 1 5 .e5 ? r.1g8 1 6 . tLl g 3 'i¥c6
1 7 .'lWe2 r.1e8 and Black takes over:
1 8 . .l:f.ad l dxe5 1 9 .fxe5 l:i.xe5 2 0 .'iVf2.
l:i.xe3 2 l .l:i.xd7 + WVxd7 2 2 .'lWxe3 'lWc6
2 3 .tbge4 r.1g6 24.'lWh3 @g8 2 5 .°iVf5
�e7 0 - 1 Kobese-Gelfand, Khanty­
Mansiysk 2 0 0 5 ;
B 2 ) 1 5.�d4! .llg 8 1 6.tbe3 r.1g6 1 7.eS
'1We8 1 8.exf6 l 8.f5 r.1xg2+ l 9 . tbxg2
tbxe5 20 ..l:!.f2. °iVc6 2 1 .a4 b4 2 2 . tbe2
tbeg4=F. 18 ...WVxe3+ 1 9.�xe3 .llxg2+
with a draw by perpetual check.
1 1 .�e2
1 1 .fS? ! e5 1 2.tbf3 Once White has
played f4-f5 , the knight sacrifice is in
principle the right idea, though it does
not work in this particular position:
l 2 .tbe6? fxe6-+ 1 3 .fxe6 tbc5 1 4.tbd5
�xd5 1 5 .�xd5 .ie7 1 6.g4 0-0 1 7 .g5
ttJxd5 1 8 .�xd5 �c7 1 9 . .l:!.f5 '1Wb7
2 0.l:rafl l:i.xf5 2 1 .l:rxf5 WVxd5 2 2 .exd5
.l:!.f8 2 3 . nxf8 + @xf8 24.�xc5 dxc5
Cha p t e r 6
-
2 S .h4 'it>e8 0- 1 Velimirovic-Portisch,
Szirak izt 1 9 8 7 . 1 2 ... �e7 1 3.tbd2 0-0=F.
11 ...b4 1 2.t2Ja4
Even if correct play allows him to de­
fend, it is better for Black to avoid the
knight sacrifice on e6 altogether:
1 2 ...�as
1 2 ... tbxe4 After 1 3 .fS eS
6 . � c 4 e 6 : Whi t e A l t e rn a t i ves on Move 7
After 1 2 . . .'i!YaS , White needs to open
lines against the enemy king in the centre.
1 3.c31?
1 3 .a3 bxa3 1 4 . .l:!.xa3 WihS 1 S .�xhS
tbxhS 1 6.fS eS 1 7 .tbe6 fxe6 1 8 .fxe6
tbdf6 l 9 .tbb6 .ld.c7 20.tbdS tbxdS
2 1 .exdS tbf6 2 2 .c4 �e7 2 3 .�a4+ 'it>f8
24.l:rb3 'it>g8 2 S . .2.a7 White has excel­
lent compensation for the sacrificed
piece. Velimirovic-Gutman, Metz 1 9 8 8 .
bxc3
.l:txc1
1 3 ...jixe4
14. .l:tac1
1 5.t2Jxc3 jib7 1 6.t2Ja4
1 7..l:txc1 dS 1 8.fS eS
. . . we reach a very interesting position
with chances for both sides, where this
time the knight sacrifice is very strong.
But by declining it, Black brings about a
sharp position: 1 4.tbe6 �e7 1 S .tbb6
tbxb6 l 6 .�xb6 �d7 1 7 .tbxf8 .l:!.xf8
1 8 .a3 'li'c6 l 9 .jie3 bxa3 20 . .l:!.xa3 'it>e7
2 1 ..l:!.as Wilc7 22 . .ld.fal h6 2 3 .'li'g4 .l:!.g8
24.'li'h4+ tbf6 2S .'li'b4 'li'c6 and Black
won in Feletar-Palac, Pula 1 99 9 .
1 9.tbeG �d6 20.t2Jxg7+ @e7oo
I like Black, who has a strong and ad­
vanced centre, whilst all the white
pieces are scattered around the board!
Conclusion
The three fairly rare continuations seen in this section have some definite
sense for White, and so it is important to know how to meet them.
After 7 .a3, Black should complete his development as quickly as possible
and begin his play against the e4-pawn, as White has problems defending it.
The bishop move to e3 is not so dangerous. Black can play in standard
fashion, making useful developing moves, and must just play carefully. As
we already know, the main idea of the move is to retain the possibility of
castling queenside, but as we have seen, by accurate moves, Black can ei­
ther prevent this, or else obtain very good counterplay, where his chances
are at the least not worse.
In case of .7.�gS Black can simply react with 7 ... �e7 followed by
. . . h7-h6, when the exchange on f6 does not bring White anything special.
117
Part I l l
White plays 6.�e3
The move of the bishop to e3 is one of the strongest and most principled continua­
tions in this position. This move has often been played by world champion Vishy
Anand and also the top GMs Leko and Karjakin. Yet Black has a number of good re­
plies to this quite strong move.
Firstly, let us consider what replies Black has. In my opinion, there are three
equally good moves. First let us look at 6 . . . e6. After this, White has two continua­
tions - to play 7 .a4, and go into positions from the Scheveningen Variation, or the
stronger line 7 .f3 , after which we reach a very sharp position with opposite-side
castling. This line is known as the English Attack.
The second option for Black is 6 . . . ti:Jg4. After this, White can play 7 .�gs or
7 .�c 1 . After 7 .�gs , Black plays 7 . . . h6 and a double-edged position arises. If White
does not want to go in for this, he must play 7 .�c 1 , but then Black returns the
knight to f6 , and if White wants to reach the English Attack, he has to play 8.f3 .
However, this has the drawback that, if White played 6 .�e3 with the intention of
answering 6 . . . eS with ti:Jf3 , starting a positional battle, now he finds that after 8.f3
eS he has to enter the sharp positions arrived at after the knight retreats to b3 .
In the following two chapters, we will look at 6 .�e3 e S , after which White has two
main continuations: 7 . tbf3 and 7 . ttJ b3 .
1 19
Chapter 7
6.�e3 eS: Knight goes to f3
1.e4 c5 2.tll f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tll xd4 tllf 6 5.tll c3 a6 6 .�e3 e5 7.tllf3
The move 7 .tbf3 , which we shall look at in this chapter, is the more solid and posi­
tional line, but White is only playing for a small plus, which in the majority of
cases does not suffice for victory. The move 7 . lb b3 , treated in the next chapter,
leads to sharper positions.
1 .e4 c5 2.t2Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.t2Jxd4 t2Jf6 5.t2Jc3 a6 6.1J..e 3 e5
the square dS . Black has two plans:
firstly, to play . . . W/c7 and not allow the
opponent to develop his bishop to c4,
or to play simply . . . 1le7 and castle
quickly - in both cases with equal
chances, in my opinion.
7...i!..e 7
7.t2Jf3
After this move, play assumes a posi­
tional character and both sides fight for
120
We will start by looking at the conse­
quences of the move 7 ... WIc7:
A) 8.1lg5? ! is not the most frighten­
ing move for Black, and moving a de­
veloped piece a second time is a breach
of opening principles. 8 ... 0ibd7 9 .a4 h6
1 o.1lh4 gs 1 1 .Jlg3 tbcs 1 2 .t2Jd2 1le6oo
1 3 .Jle2 0-0-0 1 4.0-0 dS 1 5.exdS
tbxdS 1 6.tbxdS 1lxdS 1 7 .b4 0ie6 1 8.c4
Chap ter 7
1 8 ...�xg2! 1 9.@xg2 �xb4 20.l:Ia2 hS
2 1 .h3 Here Black could obtain the
advantage with 2 l . . .tl'if4+ ! 2 2 .�xf4
gxf4 2 3 .�f3 �hg8 + 24.@h2 ilxd2
2 5 . .ld.xd2 e4! :'F 2 6 .ilxe4? .!:rxd2, but he
went wrong and the position equalised:
2 1 ...�as 22 ..txhs tl'if4+ 2 3 ..txf4 exf4
24.�f3 ..txd2? 24 . . . l::!.xd2 2 5 .l::!.xd2= .
2S ..txf7 (Kobalia-V Onischuk, Moscow
2009) Instead of this move, 2 5 . .ld.b 1
wins at once ;
B) 8.a4 is the correct move. It starts to
seize space on the queenside and if pos­
sible, White may be able to play a4-a5
and take control of the square b6.
B 1) 8. . .�e7 is the strongest move
here, since as we all know, if it is possi­
ble to develop a kingside piece and cas­
tle quickly, that is usually preferable to
developing the queenside:
B 1 1 ) 9 .as White takes space and does
not allow Black to play . . . b7-b5 and de­
velop his bishop to b 7 .
B l l l ) 9 ... tl'ibd7?!
•
•
•
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Kn i ght g o es t o f3
Black does not want to be cramped and
tries to get rid of the strong pawn at a5 as
soon as possible, by advancing his own
b-pawn. But this advance has one minus:
after the exchange on b6, Black has a seri­
ous weakness on a6. 1 0.tl'id2! 1 0 .ile2
0-0 1 1 .0-0 tl'ic5 1 2.tl'id2 ile6 1 3 .ilf3
.ld.ac8 1 4.�e2 h6oo. 1 0 ... bs 1 1 .axb6
tl'ixb6 1 2.�xb6 As said, the a6-pawn is
weak, but this is not the worst thing:
White exploits the undefended rook on
a8 and the uncastled black king and his
advantage is indisputable. 1 2 .ild3 ! ?
..te6! ? 1 3 .0-0 0-0 1 4 . ..txa6 tl'ig4 1 5 .�e2
tl'ixe3 l 6.�xe3 d5 1 7 .exd5 tl'ixd5
l 8.tl'ixd5 ..txd5 1 9 . ..td3;;!;. 1 2 ...�xb6
1 3.�bs+ @f8 14.�fl !?;t;
B 1 1 2) It was better to castle and ac­
cept that White has achieved a space ad­
vantage on the queenside, and to start
counterplay in the centre : 9 ... 0-0
1 0.�e2 :
B 1 1 2 1 ) 1 O tl'ic6 1 1 .�b6 �d7 Black
threatens . . . ild8 and the exchange of
the strong bishop on b6 , and after this
to gradually neutralise White's pressure
on the queenside. 1 2.tl'id2 1 2 . 0-0 ild8
1 3 .tl'id2 ..txb6 1 4.axb6 tl'id4 1 5 .tl'id5
tl'ixd5 1 6 . exd5 �d8 1 7 .tl'ic4 ilf5
l 8 . ..td3 l::!.c 8oo Black has trouble devel­
oping but has exchanged a pair of mi­
nor pieces and his remaining pieces are
fine. The position offers mutual
chances. If 1 2 .'f!Vd2 ..td8 1 3 . 0-0-0
..txb6 l 4.axb6 l:Id8 1 5 .ilc4 and now
after either l 5 . . . �e7 or l 5 . . . h6
1 6.I;lhg 1 the players have castled on op­
posite sides and both are ready for deci­
sive action. Chances are equal. 1 2 ... dS
1 3.tl'ixdS tl'ixdS 14.exdS °YWxdS 1 5.0-0
�e6 l 5 . . . ..tf5 l 6 . tl'ic4 °YWe6 (if
1 6 . . . �xd l 1 7 .l::!.fxd l �xc2 1 8 . .ld'.d7
White keeps an edge) 1 7 .tl'ie3 . An im­
portant moment for Black. White con•••
121
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
tinues to develop his advantage on the
queenside. There is only one open line,
but White's dark-squared bishop pre­
vents the black rooks occupying it and
Black needs to exchange off this bishop
at all costs: 1 7 . . . ..id8 ! 1 8 .�cS ..ie7
1 9 . .itc4 'it'g6 2 0 .�xe7 Ci:Jxe7 2 1 .Ci:JxfS
'it'xfS 2 2 .'fie2 Ci:Jc6 2 3 .�d3 ! (23 .�dS
Ci:Jd4 24.'fie4 'iYxe4 2 5 .�xe4 nab8=)
23 ... 'iYf6 24.c3 ;!;.
1 6.c3 1 6.Ci:Jc4 'iYbS ! 1 7 .b3 e4oo is un­
clear. 1 6 ... �dS It is a shame that the in­
teresting exchange sacrifice 1 6 . . . nad8 ?!
does not work, because of a concrete
response : 1 7 .�xd8 nxd8 1 8 .Ci:Jc4!
(stronger than 1 8 .Ci:Jf3 ? ! 't!Ve4 1 9 .'iYe l
'iYg6 2 0 .Ci:Jd2 e4 when Black has com­
pensation) 1 8 ... 't!Ve4 1 9 .f3;!;. 1 7.Ci:Jc4
1 7 .�c4 ! ? 'iYd7 1 8 . ..ixe6 'iYxe6
1 9 .'iYb3 �xb6 20.axb6 is unclear;
White has a strong pawn on b6 and
with plenty of pieces on the board, this
will cause Black a lot of trouble. If
White manages to exchange queens, he
will have the advantage, but Black will
avoid this and will always have concrete
play on the kingside. 1 7 ... 'it'bs !
1 7 . . . �xb6 1 8 .Ci:Jxb6 't!Vxd l 1 9 .nfxd l
nad8 2 0 .b4 nxd l + 2 1 . .itxd l ! ;!; .
1 8.b3 ! ? 1 8 .Ci:Jd6 ! ? Wk'xb2 1 9.Wk'd3 It
looks as though White has trapped the
black queen, but the latter has a beauti­
ful sacrifice after which play will be un1 22
clear: 1 9 . . . �xb 6 ! 2 0 . nfb 1 'iYxa l
2 i .nxa l Ci:JxaSoo. 1 8 ... e4 1 9.'iYc2
1 9 ... nbs ! 20.'it'xe4 20.nfe l fs 2 1 .h3
@h8 2 2 .�fl ltxb6 2 3 .Ci:Jxb6 'it'cs
24.�c4 ..txc4 2 5 .Ci:Jxc4 nbe8 2 6.'it'e2
Ci:JeS 2 7 .Ci:JxeS 'it'xeS 2 8 .Wk'c4 f4
2 9."ti°d4 'iYfs 3 0.na4 e3 and Black has
the advantage, on account of the strong
passed pawn on e 3 , which has advanced
a long way, Petrik-Csiba, Banska
Stiavnica 2 0 1 2 . 20 ...ltxb6 2 1 .lllxb6
'it'xb3 22.�xa6 Ci:Jxa5 2 2 . . . 'iYxc 3 = .
23.�d3 g6 24.'ii'e 3 nhd8! with equal­
ity. White should not play 2 5 .nxaS ?
here in view of 2 5 . . . 't!Vxc3 '.F;
B 1 1 2 2 ) 1 0 ...�e6 1 1 .0 - 0 lll b d7
1 2.Ci:Jgs 'ii'c6 1 2 ... ..tc4 1 3 .na4 ltxe2
1 4.'iYxe2;!;.
1 3.'ii'b l ! A splendid prophylactic move,
the idea of which will become clear in a
few moves. 1 3 ...dS 1 4.exdS Ci:Jxd5
1 5.Ci:JxdS �xd5 1 6.c4 �xg5 1 7.cxdS
C hapter 7
�h6 1 8 .�xgS �xgS 1 9.Wic l ! i The
point of White's idea, after which he
has the advantage. He offers the ex­
change of queens, after which his
d-pawn will be stronger and the weak
black pawns on b7 and a6 will tell,
Yakovenko-Bu Xiangzhi, Ergun tt 2 0 0 6 .
B 1 2) 9.i.e2 0 - 0 1 0 .0-0 1 0.aS trans­
poses into 9.aS . 1 0 ... b6!? If White does
not play a4-aS , Black is ready himself to
play . . . b7 -b6 and develop his bishop to
b 7 , not allowing White to seize space.
B 1 2 1 ) 1 1 .�d3 tLic6 Or 1 1 . . .tll b d?
l 2 .�c4 'iWd8 ! ?oo. White has not ob­
tained anything real, as Black has man­
aged to complete his development and
can soon expect to equalize, D.
Petrosian-Idani, Jermuk 2 0 1 1 . 1 2 .ttJdS
1 2 .�c4 ! ? . 1 2 ... ttJxdS 1 3.exdS Now
Black must play actively, as passive play
will lead to catastrophe:
B l 2 1 l ) 1 3 ... ttJb8 1 4.aS bS
1 s.ttJd2 !N The idea of this move is sim­
ple: White needs to play c2-c4, but first
it would be good to prepare this. After
the immediate c2-c4, Black exchanges
queens and eases his life, see 1 5 .c4
bxc4 l 6.�xc4 Wixc4 1 7 .�xc4 tbd7
1 8 .tLiel l::[b 8 1 9 .b3 e4 2 0 .�a7 na8
2 l .�d4 �f6 , whereas the move tll d 2
prevents the queen exchange and keeps
a more tense position. 1 S ... ttJd7 1 6.c4i
Safarli-Kadric, Rogaska Slatina tt 2 0 1 1 ;
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Kn ight g o e s t o f3
B l 2 1 2) 1 3 ... ttJb4! ? is better than the
passive retreat and gives Black good
drawing chances: 1 4.�b3 as 1 5 .c3
�a6 l 6.�xa6 tLixa6 1 7 .�xb6 l::[ fb8
l 8 .�xc7 l::[xb3 � Safarli-Sjugirov, Mos­
cow 2 0 1 1 .
B 1 22) 1 1 .tiJd2
There is no need to routinely develop
the bishop to b7 , even though this was
the plan behind . . . b7-b6, as now Black
can play 1 1 . ..�e6 ! , which in this con­
crete position is very strong and does
not give the white knight a post on c4:
1 2.f4 exf4 1 3 .�xf4 ttJbd7 1 4.ttJf3
tiJeS =;
B 1 3 ) 1 1 . .itgS White changes his
plans, and begins the battle for the
square dS , for which he does not need
his dark-squared bishop, but there is
also another idea involved with this
move: the transfer of the knight from f3
via h4 to fs . 1 1 ...ttJbd7 1 2.ttJh4 g6
1 3.tllf3 .itb7 1 4.tlld2 nfe8 1 S.�c4
1 23
Winning with the Najdorf S i c i l i an
1 S ... tllxe4!?N Exchanges are very neces­
sary for Black, because White has more
space and it is easier for him to ma­
noeuvre. 1 6 ...tx.£7+ 1 6.tll dxe4 '1Wxc4
1 7 .�xe 7 �xe4 l 8 .'1Wxd6 �xg 2 = ;
l 6 .tll cxe4 d S 1 7 .9..x e7 .tl'.xe7 l 8 . ..td3
dxe4 1 9 .9..xe4 tll c S t. Black has seized
the initiative, and has the more active
pieces and better structure. White has to
suffer to make a draw. 1 6 ... 'it>xf7
1 7.tlldxe4 �xgS 1 8.tllxgS + 1 8 .tll d S
'1Wc6 1 9.tll x gS + Wg8 ! (after 1 9 . . . Wg7 ? !
2 0.'1Wg4! ;!; Black's king is weakened and
the white pieces are attacking it. And as
we know, queen and knight are two of
the most effective attackers - here we
have a trio of queen and two knights!)
2 0 .c4! An excellent pawn sacrifice, to
open the c-file and retain the initiative.
2 0 . . . '1Wxc4 2 1 .tll e 3 '1Wh4 2 2 . '1Wxd6
.tl'.ad8 2 3 .tll h 3 23 . . . �c8 ! ?oo . 1 8 ... 'it>g7
1 9.�g4 1 9 .tll d S '1Wc4oo. 19 ...tllfS oo
Black has not allowed White to start an
attack on his king and is thinking of
counterplay himself;
B2) The move 8 ...b6?! was once pop­
ular. Black stops a4-a5 . But unfortu­
nately, it fails to a specific sequence, after
which Black's position is not so sweet:
B2 l ) 9 . ..te2 ! ? tll b d7 1 0.0-0 il.e7
1 1 .tllh4 g6 1 2 .�h6 .th? 13 ...td3 �f8
1 4.°iYd2 ..txh6 1 S.°iYxh6 0-0-0 1 6 . .tl'.a3
Wb8 1 7.b4 dS 1 8.tllxdS
1 24
1 8 ... tllx dS 1 8 . . . �xdS ! 1 9 .exdS e4
2 0 .9.. e 2 tll x dS 2 1 .�xa6 tll e S ! :f .
1 9.exdS �d6 20.c4 '1Wxb4 2 1 ..tl'.a2
'1Wb3 22 . .tl'.d2 'i¥xa4, Andriasyan­
Zherebukh, St Petersburg 2 0 0 9 . White
is a pawn down, but his initiative is
more than sufficient. At this moment, it
seemed to me that my advantage was
considerable, and I spent a long time
looking for a concrete way of making it
decisive, fell into time-trouble and
barely made a draw. After the game, it
turned out that the advantage was never
so great in the first place.
B22) 9.tlldS ! This is how the move
. . . b7-b6 should be answered. The text is
very strong, and immediately reveals
the drawback of Black's last move; mak­
ing so many pawn moves with no
pieces developed is not possible, and
Black's position hangs by a thread .
9 ... tllxdS 1 O.'lWxdS
B 2 2 l ) 1 0 ... �b 7 ? ! 1 1 .'1Wb 3 �xe4
1 2.�c4!
c
A strong developing move, creating >ar­
ious threats. Black has many problems,
and White many threats: �b6 , �
tl:Jg5 .
B2 2 1 1 ) 1 2 ... h6
1 3 .�xb6
'ifb7
1 4.0-0-0 tl:Jc6 1 4 . . . ..te7 1 5 .� + �8
1 6.�e6±. 1 5 ..l::!:hel ..tg6 1 6.�d5 �e7 It
is always nice to finish the game with a
beautiful sacrifice, which also happens
to be the quickest win: 1 7 . .l::!:xe5 ! +-;
B 2 2 1 2) 1 2 ... tl:Jc6 1 3 .�xb6 °iVd7
1 4.0-0-0 l:tb8 1 5.%lhel �xf3 1 6.gxf3
g6 He has to try to develop the bishop
to h6 , given the lack of alternatives. But
even after the bishop comes into the
game, Black is struggling. 1 6 . . . tl:Ja5
1 7 . .txf7 + 'iY xf7 1 8 . "iV xf7 + @xf7
1 9 . ..txa5 ±. 1 7.�xa6 �h6+ 1 8.@bl
0-0 1 9.'tl!Yb5 d5 1 9 . . . l:Ixb6 2 0 .�xb6
l:!.b8 2 l .�c5 tl:Jd4 2 2 Jhd4 exd4
23 . .tb5 ;;!;; . 20.a5 d4 2 1 .'i¥a4t White
has an extra pawn, two strong bishops
and passed pawns, of which one can
only dream;
B 2 2 1 3 ) 1 2 ... �e7? 1 3 .�xf?+ @f8
1 4.�d5 �xd5 1 5.'tl!Yxd5 'i¥c6 1 6 .'tl!Ye6
and despite the equal material, Black
can quietly resign, as his king is unable
to castle and all of his pawns are weak;
B22 1 4) 1 2 ... 'i¥b7 1 3.0-0-0! 1 3 .tl:Jg5
d5 1 4.tl:Jxe4 dxc4 1 5 .°iVxc4t. 1 3 ...b5
A simple exchanging tactic, after which
we go into an ending where White is
tr
7
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Kni ght g o es to f3
1 4.�xf? + "iVxf7
1 6 .tl:Jg5 + @g6
1 7. e4±
B222) 1 0 ...tl:Jc6 As we have seen,
1 O . . . �b7 leads to a bad position. This
move is also no panacea, but it avoids a
catastrophe, and Black can still fight for
a draw. 1 1 .tl:Jg5 and now:
B222 1 ) 1 1 .....tb?? 1 2.bb6! A simple
tactic.
1 2 ... tl:Jb4
If
1 2 . . . tl:Jd4??
1 3 .�xd4!+-; 1 2 ... "iVxb6?? 1 3 .�xf7+
@d8 1 4.a5 !+- ; 1 2 . . . 'i¥e7 1 3 .�c4 tl:Jd8
1 4.°iYd2± (also strong is 1 4.hd8 hd5
1 5 . .txe7 ..txc4 1 6 . ..txf8 @xf8) ;
1 2 . . . �d7 1 3 ...tc4 tl:Jd8 ( 1 3 . . . tl:Jb4
1 4.Wixf7 +
Wixf7
1 5 . tl:Jxf7 +-)
1 4.°iYd3±. If 1 3 ...txc7 �xd5D 14.0-0-0
14 ...�b3 ! with the idea of getting a po­
sition a pawn down with opposite-col­
oured bishops, and some drawing
chances: 1 5 .cxb3 .l::!: c 8 1 6 . ..tc4 .l::!:x c7
1 7 . @ b l ±.
1 25
Winning with the Naj d orf S i c i li an
B2 2 2 2) 1 1 ... tllb 4?? It is a shame that
this move does not work, because it
would solve all Black's problems.
1 2 .'ii x a8 tll x c2 + 1 3 . @d2 tll x a l
1 4.jLxa6 'ii c 2+ 1 5 .@e l ile7 l 6 .�b5 +
@f8 1 7 .�c6 g 6 l 8 .'ii x c8 + @ g 7
1 9 . tll e 6 + ! fxe 6 2 0 .'ii x e6 'ii x c6
2 l .'iixe7 + @g8 2 2 .@e2 ! +- .
B 2 2 2 3 ) The only move which keeps
chances for Black to fight is 1 1 ... .l:!:bS .
The idea i s simple: to remove the rook
from a square where it is always hang­
ing, and to defend the b6-pawn.
1 4.fxeS If one says a, one must say b.
Of course, retreating the knight would
give White nothing here, whereas sacri­
ficing it gives him a strong initiative:
1 4 ...hxgS 1 5 .exd6 'iid 7 1 5 . . . 'ii b 7
1 6 .'ii e 5 + tll e 6 1 7 .�c4;!;. 1 6.'iYes+
tlJe6 1 7 ...tc4-+ ;
B2223 3) 1 2.�c4 tlld8 1 3.'iYd3 §;_e7
1 3 . . . h6?! 1 4.tll f3 ± ; 1 3 . . . a 5 ? 1 4.'ii c 3±.
14,§;_xa6 1 4.'iic 3 'iid 7 ! ; 1 4.tll f3 0-0
1 5 . 0-0 tll e 6 1 6.tll d 2 tll f4 and White is
slightly better, on account of his better
pawn structure and piece coordination,
Czarnota-T.L. Petrosian, Kusadasi Ech
2 0 0 6 . 1 4 ... �xa6 1 5 .'iYxa6 'iYxc2
1 5 . . . ilxg5 1 6 .'iib 5+ @f8 1 7 .ilxg5
tll e 6 l 8 .�e3 'iix c2 1 9 . 0-0±.
B2 2 2 3 1 ) 1 2.tll xf?? tll b 4 1 3 .'ii c 4
'ii x c4 l 4 . �xc4 d5 ! = De Jongh­
Nyzhnyk, Hilversum 2 0 1 O ;
B 2 2 2 3 2 ) 1 2. 0 - 0- 0 ! ?N With this
move, White is ready to sacrifice a
piece, for which he gets two pawns.
The black king remains in the centre
of the board and will be an object of
attack for the white pieces. 1 2 ... tll d S
1 3 .f4 h6
1 7 .@e2 !N The idea of this king move is
very simple: Black cannot avoid the ex­
change of queens, after which White's
king will be nearer the centre and will
1 26
Chapter 7
actively help his pieces develop an
initiative on the queenside. 1 7 . 0 - 0 ? ! .
1 7 ... 0 - 0 1 8.'fixc6 llJxc6 1 9.l::!.hcl llJb4
1 9 ... �xgS ? 20.l::!.xc6 ..txe3 2 1 .\tixe3+-;
1 9 ... l::rfc8 20.llJf3 i. 20.llJfl;!;
-
6 . � e 3 e S : Kni ght g o es to f3
A l ) 1 0 ... bS?! 1 1 .�b3
Back to the position after 8 .a4.
C) 8 ...'iYc6?! 9 .lla3 ! ? llJbd7 1 0 . ..tbs
'W'c7 l l ...txd7+ �xd7 1 2 .�gS llc8
1 3 .�xf6 gxf6 1 4. 0-0± White has the
better pawn structure, whereas Black
has weak squares on fS and dS , a bad
bishop on f8 , and his king is in the cen­
tre, Andriasyan-Dvoirys, Magnitogorsk
201 1 .
A l l ) 1 1 ...llJc6? !
1 2 .llfd l 'iYc7
1 3 . ..©..g si;
A 1 2 ) 1 1 ...b4? !
1 2.llJa4
�xb3
1 3.axb3 llJbd7
The e4 pawn hangs and needs to be de­
fended, but there is no obvious and
convenient way to do this. llJd2 does
not work because it allows the freeing
break dS . Here White's plans must
change somewhat - he wants to play
c4, so as to put paid to . . . d6-d5 once
and for all, and he has the interesting
idea of transferring his knight from f3
via d2-fl , to e 3 .
A 1 2 1 ) 1 4.l::!. fd 1 !? llJxe4
8 ..tc4 0·0
.
8 ...�e6?! In general, this exchange is
favourable for Black, because it covers
the dS -square, but in this instance,
there is a concrete problem: 9 .�xe6
fxe6 1 o .llJgs �d7 l l .�f3 i .
9.o-o �es 1 o.�b3
A) 1 0.�e2
A subtle move. If Black does not appre­
ciate the difference and continues in the
same fashion, he will run into prob­
lems, because White will quickly bring
a rook to the d-file and disrupt the co­
ordination of the black pieces. Mean­
while, he can always play the bishop
move later.
1 5 .llJxeS ! ! dxeS 1 6 . .©.b6i;
Al 2 2 ) 1 4.�gS ! 'iYc7 l 5 .c4i ; or
1 5 .lLld2 ! ?i.
A 1 3 ) 1 1 . .. llJbd7?? 1 2 . .©.xe6 fxe6
1 3 .lLigs+- ;
A l 4) 1 1 . .. �xb 3 ? ! l 2 .axb3 i Ex­
changing bishops on b3 is clearly in
1 27
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
White's favour, opening the a-file for
his rook, leaving the a6-pawn weak,
and depriving Black of counterplay,
Polgar-Anand, Wijk aan Zee 1 99 8 ;
A l 5 ) 1 1 ...h6!
A l 5 l ) 1 2.l::[ fd l tl:lbd7 1 3.a3 and
now:
A l 5 1 1 ) 1 3 ...°iYeS?! White has a good
choice here. He can play tl:lh4-fS , and
with Black having played . . . h7-h6, it is
practically impossible to remove the
knight from that square. But there is an­
other idea, which is usually hard to im­
plement, but is possible here: to transfer
the knight via d3 to b4, where it will
stand wonderfully, attacking the a6pawn and controlling d5 : 1 4.tl:le 1! ?;!;
l::[ c S 1 S .f3 tt:Jcs 1 6.�a2 �xa2 1 7 .l::[xa2
tl:le6 1 8.tl:ld3 as 1 9 .tt:Jcl tl:ld4 20 ..txd4
exd4 2 1 .tl:lxbS dS 22.eS d3 23.°iYxd3
.tcs + 24.@hl 'iVxeS 2 S .tl:lb3 .te3
26.l::[ e l l:rfeS 2 7.tl:l3d4
3 I .°iYxe8 tll g 3 + 3 2 .hxg3 'i¥xg3 - + ;
2 9 . 'i¥xc2 ? tll g 3 + ! 3 0 .hxg3 'tWhS # ;
2 9 .'tWxeS ? l:rxe5 3 0 . g4 ( 3 0 .tll x c2
tll g 3 + 3 I .hxg3 l::[h s#) 3 0 . . . �xd4
3 1 .l::tx eS l::t c l + 3 2 .@g2 l::[ g I + 3 3 .@h3
tll f4+ 3 4 . @h4 �f2 # ; 2 9 . .l::!. a a l
llxb2- + ; and 2 9 .f4 'i¥xf5 3 0 .tll xfS
tll xf4 3 1 .tll bd4 l:1c l -+ . 28 .... °iYgS !
The knight sacrifice does not work here.
White just needs to play '.tig2 and the
black attack will be over, whilst White
will remain with an extra pawn
( 2 8 . . . tll x g 3 + ?
2 9 .hxg3
'tWhS +
( 2 9 . . . 'i¥xg 3 3 0 . l::[ xe3 +- ) 3 0 .@g2
�xd4 3 I .l:1h I +- ) . In view of this,
Black plays 28 . . . 'tWgS , the only move to
stop White playing @g2 .
A I S I I I I ) 29.tlld 6?
29 ... tllxg3+ ! 3 0.hxg3 �xd4! 3 1 .l::[x eS+
3 I .tll xe8 'tWxg3 - + . 3 1 . .. l::[xeS 32.tllxeS
'iic l + 3 3.@h2 °iYgl + 34.@h3 °iYhl +
3 S.@g4
A l 5 1 l I ) 2 7 ... tl:lhS ! ? 28.g3 ! 2 8 .tl:lfS ?
tl:lf4 2 9 . 'i¥xe3 'i¥xf5 -+ ; 2 8 . °iYfS ?
l::[x c2 ! -+ . White has an extra pawn and
understandably wants to exchange
queens, so as to eliminate Black's initia­
tive. However, he cannot offer the
queen exchange, for two reasons: the
weakness of his back rank and the threat
of mate down the h-file after the knight
sacrifice on g 3 . The variations are:
2 9 .tll d 6 ? �xd4! 3 0 .'i¥xf7 + @h7
1 28
Chapter 7
Black is a rook down and now he puts a
bishop en prise, but in the process, he
threatens mate, against which White
has no defence: 35 ...g6!-+ ;
A l S l 1 1 2) 29.ld'.aa l ? � f2 2 9 . . . .l:!.eS
3 0 .ttJe2 .t!.ce8oo. 30 . .l:!:xeS+ ld'.xe8 and
Black has more than sufficient compen­
sation for the sacrificed pawn, as all the
white pieces are on the queenside and
all the black on the kingside. White's
problem is that his king is also on the
kingside and the white knights cannot
join in the defence;
Al S 1 1 1 3 ) 29.�f5 ! �xd4 3 0 . .i::rx e8+
.i::r xe8 3 1 .�xgS .l:Ie l + 3 2 .Wg2 ti.el+
3 3 .Wfl J::l: f2+ 34.We l hxg5 3 5 .ttJxd4
.i::r xh2 3 6.b4!±. Finally White has man­
aged to exchange queens, albeit at the
cost of a pawn, but he has started to
push his passed pawn, and it is quite
hard for Black to stop it.
A l S 1 1 2) 2 7 ... �xd4
Or
also
2 7 . . . °iVgS ! ;!; . 28.ld'.xe5 ld'.xe5 29.ld'.al
�xb2 3 0.ld'.b l ?! :lees 3 1 .g3?! 3 1 .h3;!;.
3 1 .. ..l:!.e3 32.°iVd2 ld'.e2 3 3 .�dl ld'.8e3?
3 3 . . . a4 ! ?;!; .
34.Wg l ?
3 4. c 3 ! +- .
3 4 ... �e5 3 5 .f4 �b2 3 6 .c3 ttJe4
3 7.�xd5 1/'i-1/2 Short-Kasparov, Horgen
1 995.
Nigel Short
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Kn i g h t g o e s to f3
This is probably a good time to pause
and say a few words about the great ri­
valry between two great players, who in
the 1 990s delighted chess fans with
beautiful games and great positional
play. I am convinced that any player
who wishes to play the Najdorf should
analyse the games between Short and
Kasparov, who between them played
practically every variation of the open­
ing. In their Najdorf games, Short was
always White, because he always met
1 .e4 with the move 1 . . . e 5 , and
Kasparov never got the Najdorf as
White against him.
If you look at the statistics of their
Najdorf games against each other, you
will probably be surprised to see a plus
score for Kasparov, even though he was
always Black. Their games have not lost
their relevance even to this day.
A l 5 1 2) 1 3 ...ld'.c8 ! 14.ltJh4
White is comfortable and getting ready
to take the initiative. Therefore, the fol­
lowing exchange sacrifice is strong, but
also essential:
1 4 ... ld'.xc 3 ! l 5 .bxc3 ttJxe4 1 6.�xe6
fxe6 1 7.�g4 ttJdc5 ! N 1 7 . . . �xh4
1 8 .°iYxe4 d5 1 9 .°iVg6 'iYf6 was fine for
Black in Markgraf-Kroeze, Germany tt
2004/ 0 5 . 1 8.t2Jg6 ld'.f5 oo ;
A 1 5 2) Exploiting the fact that Black
cannot prevent the knight transfer to h4
1 29
Winning w i t h t h e Najdorf S i c i l i a n
by tactical means, White has n o reason
to refrain from this: 1 2.tLlh4!;;!;;
A 1 5 2 1 ) 1 2 ... tLixe4 1 3.tLixe4 i.xb3
1 3 . . . �xh4? 1 4.�xe6 fxe6 1 5 .°i¥g4
°i¥e7 1 6 .tLlxd6 ± . 1 4.axb3 �xh4
1 5.�fdl d5 1 5 . . . �e? ? 1 6 .tLlxd6 �xd6
1 7 .°i¥f3 e4 1 8 .°i¥xe4 i.xh2+ 1 9 .\t>xh2
"iYc7 + 2 0 .\t>g l ± ; also good for White
is 2 0 .�f4! ? °i¥c6 2 l .°i¥e 7 °i¥c8
2 2 .�xh6 ! "i¥xc2 2 3 .�ac l ± . 1 6 .�c5
1ie7 1 7.i.xe7 "i¥xe7 1 8.�xd5;;!;; ;
A l 5 2 2 ) 1 2 ... tiJbd7
1 3 .�ad l
1 3 .tLlf5 ! ?;;!;; . 1 3 ...b4 1 4.tLla4
1 5.exf5 �ac8 1 6.tLld5 tLixd5 1 7.�xd5
tLla5 1 8.c3 My opponent has failed to
cope with all the subtleties of the posi­
tion and has allowed me to carry out
all of my plans. Here White has the ad­
vantage. 1 8 ... tLlc4 1 9 .i.c l �fd8
20.°iYg4 \t>f8 2 1 .�fd l 'f!Vc6 22.°iYe2
i.f6 2 3 .�e3 i.e7 24.g3 �f6 2 5.h4
�d7 26.a3 White is in no hurry, and
strengthens his position to the maxi­
mum , while Black treads water.
26 ... �ddS 2 7.i.a2 tll b 6 2 8 .�xb6
"iYxb6 29.°iYh5 �c7
14 ... tLlxe4!N The best of the possibili­
ties in Black's arsenal. At the end of the
variation, White has a small advantage,
of course, but other moves are not en­
tirely satisfactory. We will examine all
three possibilities. 1 4 . . . �xb3 1 S .axb3
tLixe4 l 6 . tLlf5 tLief6 1 7 . ttJxd6;;!;; ;
1 4 . . . °i¥a5 ? 1 5 .tLlg6! �fe8 1 6.tLlxe7+
Timofeev-Bu
l:txe 7
1 7 . 1:Ixd6±
Xiangzhi, Taiyuan 2 0 0 6 . 1 5.i.xe6 fxe6
1 6.tLlg6 �f6 1 7 .tLixe7 + "i¥xe7 1 8.f3
ttJg5 1 9.°i¥c4 tLif7 20.�xb4;;!;; ;
A 1 5 2 3 ) 1 2 ... tLic6 Before the follow­
ing game, I analysed similar positions,
and drew some definite conclusions
about how I wanted to play. I wished to
delay the move �b3 and only play it if
absolutely necessary, and instead
quickly found the plan of �d 1 and
lLih4-f5 . 1 3 .�ad l "iYc7 1 4.tLlf5 �xf5
3 0.g4! 1 -0 Andriasyan-Arslanov, St Pe­
tersburg 2 0 1 1 .
1 30
Back to the position after White's tenth
move.
A2) l O ... tLlc6 ! ?
A 2 l ) 1 1 .�fdl !? I n general, i t i s not
so important which rook comes to d 1 ,
but each choice has its small nuances.
c
The idea of ld.fd 1 is to leave the other
rook on a l for now, because if Black ex­
changes bishops on b3 , the rook will be
very useful on the a-file after the recap­
ture axb3 . In the case of ld.ad 1 , the point
is that many Najdorf players are likely to
look for complications, and will play
the positionally dubious move . . . f7-f5 ,
in which case the rook on fl will be
needed there, to defend the fl-pawn.
A2 1 1 ) 1 1 ..JkS 1 2.�b 3 ! ? 1 2 .tll d S
�xdS 1 3 .�xdS tll x dS ( 1 3 . . . 'tW d7
1 4.c3;!; Andriasyan-Nepomniachtchi,
Ohrid tt 2 0 0 9 ; 1 3 . . . tll b 4? 1 4.�b3 !;i;)
1 4.ld.xdS "ffic 7 1 5 .c3 tll b 8 1 6.�gS ! f6
1 7 .�e 3 ;!;
Polgar-Nepomniachtchi ,
Netanya rapid 2 0 0 9 . 1 2 ... h6 1 3 .tllh4 b5
1 3 . . . �h7 1 4.tll fs tll a s 1 5 .�ds ld.xc3
(this is less than a standard exchange
sacrifice and more of a good exchang­
ing combination) 1 6 .bxc3 tll x dS
1 7 .ld.xdS �xdS 1 8 .exdS .tgs and Black
has equalised, Timofeev-Naer, Sochi
2006.
1 4.tllf5 !N During the game, I did not
like this move at all, and fortunately for
me, my opponent chose another line,
after which I equalised easily. But after
1 4.tll fS White obtains the advantage,
maybe not a large advantage, but such
positions are extremely unpleasant for
Black, because he has no counterplay.
1 4. tll g 6 .txb3 1 5 .tll x e 7 + 'iiYxe 7
rer 7
- 6 . � e 3 e S : Kn i ght g o es to f3
l 6.axb3 tll b4 - Black is on the way to
equalising, and has no special prob­
lems, Volokitin-Andriasyan, Moscow
2 0 1 0. 1 4 ... �xf5 1 5.exf5 tll a5 1 6.tlld 5
lbc4 1 7.c3;l; ;
A2 1 2) 1 1 . ..'if c 7
1 2 .�b3
tll a 5
1 3.lbd5 1 3 .�gS ! ? ld.ac8 1 4.ld.ac l lbxb3
1 5 .cxb3 'ifb8oo. 1 3 ...tllxd5 1 4.�xd5
l::tac8 1 5 .c3 tllc4
At first sight, it looks as though White
has a clear advantage, as he has ex­
changed one pair of knights and seized
the square dS , but it is not so simple.
The knight on f3 is not very good - it
cannot take part in the fight for dS and
Black always has good counterplay con­
nected with the advance . . . f7-f5 .
Here, various moves have been played,
but nobody has thought of the best con­
tinuation, which is shown by the com­
puter, although even then, the advantage
is very small, and it is hard to win such
positions against a strong player:
A2 1 2 1 ) 1 6 .�xe6 ! ?N fxe6 1 7 ..itg5 ! ?
After these two accurate moves, White
has pressure. Earlier games saw:
A2 1 22) 1 6.ld.ac l bS 1 7 .b3 tll x e3
1 8 . �xe3 'i\Ycs 1 9 .'1We2 'i\Ya3 = T.
Kosintseva-Hou Yifan, Ergun tt 2 0 0 6 ;
A2 1 2 3 ) 1 6.a4 �h8 1 7 .l::!.ac l �xdS
1 8 .ld.xdS fS 1 9 .exfS 'iiVc 6 2 0 . ld.cd l
ld.xfS = Nepomniachtchi-Zherebukh,
Moscow 2 0 1 2 ;
131
Winn i n g w i th the Naj d orf S i c i l i an
A2 1 24) 1 6.�gs jixds 1 7.lhds
1 7 ... f6!N After 1 7 . . . �xgS 1 8 .tLlxgS
�e7 1 9 .tLlf3 bS 2 0 .l::r ad l White has a
minimal advantage, but in general, such
positions should end in a draw,
Shaposhnikov-Aveskulov, Saratov 2 0 0 6.
1 S.jie3 fS 1 9.exfS l::rxfS =
A22) 1 1 .l::r a dl l::r c 8 1 1 . . .bS ? ! 1 2 .�b3
l:i.c8 1 3 .�gS;\; Vachier-Lagrave-Cossin,
Chalons rapid 2 0 0 8 .
1 2.�b3 The idea o f 1 2 .tll d S ! ? i s that
this move will have to be played any­
way, so White tries to do it without
wasting a tempo on �b3 . However,
Black has a good reply, which is hard to
find over the board but if Black has ana­
lysed the position at home, he will have
no problem: 1 2 . . . �xdS 1 3 .jixdS �as
1 4.c4 tll x dS 1 5 .cxdS tll b 4! 1 6 .a3
tll c 2 ! = . 12 ...�c7 1 3.l:td3 bS 1 4.l:tfd l
tt:Jasoo Black has equalised easily, EQUI­
NOX-SHREDDER, Pamplona 2 0 0 9 .
132
A3) 1 0 ...�c?! Black forces the white
bishop to b3 , since as we know already,
the exchange on e6 is unfavourable for
White:
A3 1 ) 1 1 .�xe6 fxe6 1 2.tllgS
Here, after 1 2 . . . �d7 ? 1 3 .�c4 dS
1 4.exdS exdS 1 S .�b3 h6 1 6.tll f3 �e6
1 7 .l::r ad l l::r d 8 1 8 .l::r fe l White is clearly
better, Bakre-Nikolov, Kavala 20 1 0 . But
Black can equalise with 1 2 ... �cS !
1 3.tt:Ja4 �d8 ! = .
A 3 2) 1 1 .�b3 and now:
A3 2 1 ) 1 1 . .. l:tcS 1 2.l::r fd l tt:Jbd7
1 3.jigs bS 14.tt:Je l ! This may look like
a standard knight transfer, but it is actu­
ally not used that often. However, if the
move can beat so strong a player as
Morozevich, then it probably deserves a
closer look. 1 4. l::r ac 1 �c4 1 S .�xc4
�xc4 1 6.�xc4 l::r xc4 1 7 .tll d 2 l::r c 7
1 8 .tll f l h6 1 9 .�xf6 tllxf6 2 0 .tll e 3 l:rc6
2 1 .tll cdS tll x dS 22 ..l:i.xdS �gs gave
Black an edge in the endgame in
Zolotukhin-Giri, Olginka tt 2 0 1 1 .
1 4...�b7 If 1 4 . . . tll b 6 1 S .�xf6 �xf6
1 6 .tll dS . 1 S.�xf6 tt:Jxf6 1 6 .tt:Jds tt:JxdS
1 7 ,jixdS �xdS 1 8.l:txdS l:tc4 1 8 . . . fS
1 9 . .l:Iad l fxe4 2 0 .�xe4 .l:Ic4 2 1 .�e2
.ld.ac8 2 2 .a3 ! ;\; Akopian-Morozevich,
Bursa Wch-tt 2 0 1 0. 1 9.l:tadl 1 9 .a3 fS .
1 9 ... l:tac8 20.a3 ! ;\; A very strong idea.
White wants to play c2-c3 and transfer
the knight via c2 to e 3 . c2-c3 cannot be
Chapter 7
played at once, because Black has
. . . b5-b4, but now to some extent Black
has to continue with . . . a6-a 5 , so as to
keep the possibility of . . . b5 -b4. The
subtle nuance is that then, after
. . . b5 -b4, White captures axb4 and con­
trols the open a-file. 20 ...aS 2 1 .g3 b4
22.b3 .!:l4c5 23.axb4 axb4 24.�xcS
�xc5 25.�al ;!;;
A3 2 2) 1 1 ...bS 1 2.�fdl Here it is clear
that . . . f7-f5 is no threat to White, and
play will take place on the queenside, so
his queen's rook should stay on a l .
-
6 . � e 3 e S : Kn i ght g oes t o f3
and has another on d6. White's only
problem is how to transfer his knight
from f3 to dS , Andriasyan-Naroditsky,
Groningen 2 0 1 0 ;
A3 2 2 1 3 ) 1 3.i.gS !N This move un­
derlines Black's mistake on the last
move, and now he loses the fight for
dS : 1 3 . . . l::t a c8 1 4.a4 b4 1 5 .�xf6;!;.
A 3 2 2 2 ) 12 ... tt::l b d7! The knight
should develop to here, but in order to
play this move, Black has to calculate a
long variation with a pawn sacrifice,
and players would probably be afraid of
this without prior home preparation.
A3 22 2 1 ) 1 3 . .itxe6 fxe6 1 4.tt::l g 5
.. .
A3 2 2 1 ) 1 2 ... tt::l c 6?! This is not correct
here, because the fight is over the
d5-square, and on c6 the knight does
not contribute.
A3 2 2 1 1 ) 1 3.a4!? ..ixb3 1 3 . . . bxa4??
1 4.�xe6 fxe6 1 5 .tt::l g 5 tt::l d 8 1 6 . l:rxa4±;
Black's position is creaking, with weak­
nesses on a6, e6 and d6. After 1 3 . . . b4
1 4. tt::l d 5 �xd5 1 5 . ..ixd5 tt::l x d5
1 6.l::t xd5 ;!; White has managed to ex­
change the two defenders of d5 , and
Black has further weakened his light
squares. White has the advantage.
14.cxb3 bxa4 1 5.bxa4;!;; or 1 5.�xa4t;
A3 2 2 1 2) 1 3.tt::l d s �xd5 1 4.�xd5
tt::lx d5 1 5 .l::txd5 tt::lb4 1 6.l::t d 2 '1Wc4
1 7 .c3 tt::l c 6 1 8 .'1Wxc4 bxc4 1 9 .b4 cxb3 .
Both during the game and here now, I
regard this ending as a little better for
White. Black has a weak pawn on a6
1 4 . . . l:rfc8 ! 1 5 .tt::lx e6 '1Wc4 1 6 .�xc4
�xc4 1 7 .f3 ?! h6 ! f ;
A 3 2 2 2 2) 1 3.�gs l::t ac8 1 4.a3 tt::l b 6
1 5 .�xf6 �xf6 1 6.l:rac 1 Lintchevski­
Aliavdin, Minsk 2 0 1 2 .
=
Now let's see what happens after White
exchanges on e6 right away.
B) 1 O.i.xe6 fxe6 1 1 .tt::la4
1 33
Winning with the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
1 I . .. l2Jg4! 1 1 . ..lbfdl ! ? 1 2 .°iVd3 (with
1 2 .c4 l2Jc6 1 3 .�b3 lbaS 1 4.°iVd3 .!d.c8
1 S . .!d.ac 1 White retains minimal pres­
sure, but Black has a very solid posi­
tion) 1 2 . . . bS 1 3 .l2Jc3 ( 1 3 .°iVb3 ?! bxa4
1 4.°iVbl .!d.xf3 ! 1 S . gxf3 i.g S = )
1 3 . . . l2Jf6 = ; 1 i . . .l2Jbd 7 ? 1 2 .lbgs ± .
1 2.°iVd3 l2Jxe3 1 2 . . . b S ? ! 1 3 . lbb6 .Id.al
1 4.llJdS .Id.bl l S .lbxe l + 'lWxe l
1 6 . i.g S :t ; 1 2 . . . l2Jc6 1 3 .'iVb3 .!d.f6
1 4.i.b6 'lWe8 1 S .h3 l2Jh6 1 6 . .!d.ad l :t .
1 3.'iVxe3 b 5 1 4.l2Jb6 .!d.al 1 5 .llJdS .Id.bl
The knight on dS is hanging, and White
has three possible continuations. The
first is to exchange the knight for the
black one, after which the position
equalises out. White also has two indi­
rect ways to defend the knight, starting
with 1 6.'iVd3 . But this has one draw­
back, namely the fact that on d3 , the
queen will always come under attack
from the black knight. The second idea
is to put the queen on d2, where it will
have the possibility of coming to aS if
the chance arises.
B l ) 1 6.lbxel+ 'iYxel 1 1 . .!d.fd l lbdl
1 8 . l'.:td2
l:Ic8
1 9 . .Id.ad 1
.l::!. c 6 =
Aldokhin-Kurukin, Moscow 2 0 1 2 ;
B 2 ) 1 6 .'iVd3
ti:\ d l !
1 6 . . . 'iVd7 ? !
l l .lbxel+ 'iYxel 1 8 . .!d.fd l .!d.b6 . Now
after 1 9 . .!d.ac l lbdl 2 0 .b4 l2Jf6 2 1 .c4
bxc4 22 .'iYxc4 h6 2 3 .a3 Whl 24.h3
.!d.a8 2 S .l2Jd2 aS 2 6.bS a4 petered out
1 34
into a draw in Adams-Leitao, Istanbul
Olympiad 2 0 1 2 , but in my opinion
White can still fight for an advantage
with 1 9 .b4!N lbdl 2 0 .c4:t. 1 7.tbxe7+
'iYxel 1 8 . .!d.fdl .!d.b6= Khairullin­
Mozharov, Moscow 2 0 0 8 ;
B 3 ) 1 6.'i¥d2 and now:
B3 1 ) 1 6 ... i.h4! ? 1 7.tbxh4! 'i¥xh4
1 8.ti:\e3! .!d.d7 1 8 . . . .!d.d8 ! ? . 1 9 .'i¥d3 ! d5
20.exdS exd5 2 1 .a4 d4 22.tbfs °'lWf6
23.tbg3 'i¥c6 24 . .!d.fe l J:ld5 25.axbS
�xb5 26.'iiia 3 White is slightly better,
as he has well-placed pieces and the
knight on e4 is very strong, whilst Black
has two weaknesses on eS and a6 ;
B3 2 ) 1 6 ... tbc6?!
1 1 . .!d.ad l
.!d.dl
1 8. 'iYc3 :;!; Ivanchuk-Topalov, Morelia/
Linares 2 0 0 1 ;
tbc5
B3 3 ) 1 6 . . .tb d 7
1 7.J:lad 1
l l . . . �h4! ?. 1 8.tbxe7+ .!d.xe7
1 9 .tbxe5 !N This is better than the move
in the game, because the exchange of
the pawns on e4 and eS favours White,
since he opens lines for his rooks, and
Black has trouble defending the pawns
on d6 and e6. 1 9 . .!d.fe l tbbl 2 0 . .!d.e3
'iVb6 2 1 .b4 �c6 2 2 .a3 .!d.f4 2 3 .'iVe2
.Id.cl 24.c3 'iVc4 2 S .'iYe l .!d.cf7 2 6 .lbgs
l::r c 7 was seen in Melkumyan-Xiu
Deshun, Golden Sands 2 0 1 2 . 1 9 ... tbxe4
20.'iiie 3 'i¥a8 2 1 ..!d.fe l d5 22.fJ:;!;;
B34) 1 6 ...°'lWd7 1 7.tbxe7+ 1 7 .l2Je3
'iYc6 1 8.�d3 l2Jd7 t . 1 7 ...'iWxe7 1 8 . .!d.fdl
C'
l:tb6 l 9 .a4 l 9 .'i!Yg5 'i!Yxg5 2 0.fug5
l:tc8 2 l .l:td2 h6=. 1 9 ...bxa4 20.Uxa.4
l:txb2 2 1 .l:tb4 l:txb4 22.'i!Yxb4 tbc6=.
1 0 . tbc6
. .
Not 1 0 . . . h6? l 1 .ltJh4!.
1 1 ..ig5
1 1 .�e2 tbaS 1 2.l:tfdl tbxb3 and now:
1 3 .axb3 looks right, since the pawn
captures towards the centre, and opens
the a-file for the rook on a l , as well as
retaining the possibility of playing
c2-c4. However, l 3 .cxb3 also has some
ideas: it opens the c-file, prepares
b4-b5 , and sets up a space advantage
and later a passed pawn.
A) After 1 3.cxb3 Black has many op­
tions and all his continuations lead to a
good position. The recapture with the
c-pawn on b3 does not pose Black any
problems.
er
7
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Kn i ght g o es to f3
A l ) 1 3 ...tbd7 1 4.tbd2 'li'c7 1 5 .l:tac l
:fc8 l 6 .tbd5 'i!Yd8 1 7 .l:txc8 l:txc8
1 8 . _xe l + 'il'xe7 1 9 .tbc4 �xc4
2 0 . bxc4 tbc5 2 l .b3 l:lc6;l; Carlsen­
Ivanchuk, Morelia/Linares 2 0 0 8 ;
A2) 1 3 'il'b8 1 4.�g5 b 5 1 5 .l:td3 h6
l 6 . .Lf6 �xf6 1 7 .l:tad l .2.e7 l 8 . tbd5
�xd5 l 9.l:txd5 'li'c7 2 0 . tbe l l:tac8
2 l .g3 f5 with counterplay, Leko-Shirov,
Morella/Linares 2 0 0 8 ;
A3) 1 3 ...'it'eS! 1 4.tbe l lbg4! 1 5 .tbc2
f5 ! oo Carlsen-Karjakin, Cap d'Agde
rapid 2 0 0 6 .
B ) 1 3 .axb3 'fii c 7 1 4.kgs l:tac8!
1 4 ... tbh5 ? ! 1 5 .tbxe5 �xg5 1 6 .'fiixh5
kf6 1 7 .tbf3 �xc3 l 8 .bxc3 'fiix c3
1 9 .tbd4 l:tfe8 2 0 .'li'a5 l:f.ac8 and White
has some advantage, but winning such
a position in practice is close to impos­
sible, Kamsky-Gelfand, Kazan 2 0 1 1 .
1 5.kxf6 .txf6 1 6 .l:tacl 'fi/c6 1 7.tbds
.td8 1 8.c4 fS = 1 9.exfS ? ? .txfS ?
1 9 . . . .txd5-+. 20.h3 'it'e8 2 1 .l:tc3 �g6
22.tbh2 kh4 2 3.tbf3 �d8 24.'it>h2
'it>h8 and the game was soon drawn in
Kamsky-Gelfand, Kazan rapid 2 0 1 1 .
•••
1 1 ...tbd71
l l . . .tba5 1 2 .�xf6 �xf6 1 3 .tbd5;l; D.
Petrosian-Ter Sahakyan,
Yerevan
ch-ARM 2 0 1 1 .
1 2 ..txe7 'il'xe7 1 3.ttJd5 'il'd8
135
Winning with the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
1 3 . . . ilxdS ? ! 1 4.'iWxdS ! tl'if6 1 5 .1Jii/d 3
.l::!. a d8 1 6 . .i:rfe l tl'ias 1 7 .]Lds 1Jii/ c 7
l 8 .c3 t Almasi-Bu Xiangzhi, Beijing
blitz 2 0 0 8 .
14.'ii' e 21?
If 1 4.c3 tl'ia5 . Black wants to exchange
the strong light-squared bishop on b3
and advance ... f7-f5 , after which he will
have no problems. This is clear from the
variations below, and from the games of
the top GMs:
A) 1 5 .l:[e l ! ?
.i:rcs
1 6 .h3
b5 !
1 6 . . . tl'ib6 ? ! 1 7 .tl'ixb6 1Jii/x b6 1 8 .�xe6
fxe6 1 9 . .i:re2t Anand-Leko, Wijk aan
Zee 2 0 0 6 . 1 7.tl'ih2 tl'ic4 1 8.ilxc4 bxc4
1 9 .b4 cxb3 20.axb3 �xd5 2 1 .'iYxd5
.i:rxc3 1/2-1/2 Svidler-Leko, Morelia/
Linares 2 0 0 6 ;
B ) 1 5 .ilc2 .i:rcs l 5 . . . tl'ic4! ? l 6.b3
tl'ia3 1 7 .tl'ie3 tl'ixc2 1 8 .'iYxc2 .i:rc8
1 9 . 1:1fd l l:[c6 2 0 . .i:rac l bS = 1/2-1/2
Carlsen-Anand, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 0 7 .
1 6 .h3 tl'ib6=
1 4 ... tl'ia5 ! ? and now:
A) 1 5 .l:[fdl ! ? .i:rcs 1 6.tl'ie3 tl'ixb3
1 7.axb3 'iYe7 1 8.tl'id2 1 8 .1Jii/ d 3 .i:rc6
l 9 .b4 .l:ifc8 2 0 .c3 g6 2 1 .l:[aS °iVd8
2 2 .1Jiii c 2 @g7 23 . .l:id2 h6 24.l:[al 1/2-1/2
T.L Petrosian-Areschenko, Rijeka Ech
2 0 1 0 . 1 8 ... l:[c6 1 9.tl'idc4 g6 20.°iVd2
t2Jf6 2 1 .tLlxd6 'iY c 7 2 2 . °iVb4 l:[dS
2 3.tl'idc4 l:[d4 24.c3 .i:rxe4 25 .'iYa5
]Lxc4 26.'iYxc7 .i:rxc 7 2 7.bxc4
Akopian-Sjugirov, Rijeka Ech 2 0 1 0 .
White has the advantage: the black rook
is misplaced on e4 and it is extremely
hard for Black to bring it back into play.
White also controls the open file;
B) 1 5 .. Jks 1 6.tLle3 1 6 . .i:rd2 bS
1 7 . .i:rfd 1 tl'icS 1 8 .h3 tl'iaxb3 19 .axb3 fS
20.exfS �xfS 2 l .tl'ie3 tl'ie4 2 2 . .i:rds
'l!Wf6 2 3 .tl'ixfS 'iYxfS 24.c3 J:i.f6 2 5 .1Jii/e 3
h6 2 6.b4 and White has some advan­
tage, as he has blockaded Black's weak
pawns effectively and prepared to start
taking them. Leko-Van Wely, Nice rapid
2 0 0 8 . 1 6 ... tLlxb 3 1 7.axb3 'iYe7
1 7 ... .i:rc6 1 8 .l:[d2 1Jii/e 7 1 9 . .l:tfd l t T.L.
Petrosian-Sjugirov, Moscow 2 0 0 9 .
1 8.tLld5 'iYd8 1 9.tl'ic3 l:[c6t.
1 5.l:[ad1
1 4...tt:Jc51
I prefer this move, although 1 4 ... tl'iaS
also has its pluses. The knight remains
on d7 and may if appropriate move to
f6, exchanging off the strong knight on
dS , or else continue on to hS and f4.
Moreover, there are always chances to
start counterplay with the move ... f7-f5 :
136
The alternative is 1 5.l:[fdl , but the
other rook is better. The king's rook be­
longs on the e- or f-file, whereas the
rook on a 1 is not doing anything.
1 5 ... @hs 1 6.h3 f5 !N Black has made all
the essential preparatory moves for this
advance. He does not want to go over to
deep defence, but prefers to attack, even
at some strategic risk. 1 6 . . . bS l 7 . l:[d2
.i:ra7 1 8 . .i:rad l l:[d7 1 9.c3 tl'ias 2 0 .1Jii/e 3
tl'iaxb3 2 l .axb3 tl'ixb3 2 2 . l:[d3 tl'icS
2 3 . .i:r3d2 f6 was seen in Petrik-Zhou
Jianchao, Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad
2 0 1 0 . Now White should have played
24. 'if e3 , after which Black faces a
Chapter 7
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Knight g o es t o f3
tough defence. 1 7 .tt:lc3 fxe4 1 8.tllxe4
tt:lxe4oo
1 5 ... 'itih81
A) 1 5 ...b5 ! ? 1 6.tt:le3 and now:
A l ) 1 6 ... .t:.cS ! ?
1 7.�d5
'ti'f6
1 7 . . . �xd5 1 8 .tt:lxd5 tt:le7 = . 1 8.�xe6
'ti'xe6 1 9.tt:ld5 f5= ;
A2) 1 6 . . . tt:lxb 3 ? ! 1 7.axb 3 'iYc7
1 8 . .l::. d 3 tt:lb4 1 9 . .l::. d2 'ti'e7 20 ..1::. fdl
.l::.ad8 2 1 .l:!.al 2 1 .tt:lf5 �xf5 2 2 .exf5
J:!.fe8 2 3 .c3 tt:lc6 24.'iVe4 tt:la5 2 5 .'iVd5
'iVf6 2 6.J:!.e2 J:!.c8 2 7 .tt:ld2 'iVxf5 In this
position, White has a large advantage,
but Black managed later to outplay his
opponent, Folgar-Anand, Wijk aan Zee
2 0 0 8 . 2 1 ...'ti'b7 22.c3 tt:lc6 23.tt:ld5 ;!; ;
A 3 ) 1 6 ...tt:lxe4!?N i s strong because it
quickly exchanges off his weak
d6-pawn for the pawn on e4, and
equalises the chances, whilst other
black continuations are not bad, but al­
ways leave White with some slight and
unpleasant pressure. 1 7.'tid3 �xb3
1 8.axb3 tt:lg5 ! = ;
B) I n case o f the immediate
1 5 ... J:!.cS ! ? 1 6 .h3 b5 1 7 . .l::. d 2 t/je7
1 8 .t/jxe 7 + iVxe7 1 9 .�xe6 fxe6
20.J:!.fd l J:!.c6 2 1 .tt:le l .l::i.b 8 2 2 .tt:ld3
tt:lxd3 23 . .l::. x d3 b4 24 . .l::i. l d2 a5
2 5 .'ii d l J:!.bb6 White has minimal
pressure, but since the defender has
only one weakness, it will be impossi­
ble to win without his assistance, T.L.
Tlgran L. Petrosian
Petrosian-Andriasyan, Yerevan ch-ARM
20 1 0.
1 6.h3 f5 1 7.t/jc3
1 7...tt:l xb3!
A) 1 7 ...fxe4? This was not why Black
played 1 6 . . .f5 . After this weak move,
White manages to exchange a pair of
minor pieces, and all the drawbacks of
the move 1 6 .. .f5 , which we know
about, become obvious: 1 8.tt:lxe4 tt:lxe4
1 8 . . . tt:lxb3 1 9 .axb3 d5 2 0 .tt:lc3 'iYd6
2 1 .J:!.fe l 'iVc5 2 2 . tt:lxe5 tt:lxe5 2 3 .'iYxe5
'iWxf2 + 2 4 . Wh2 J:!.ae8 2 5 . .l::i. e 2;!;
Almasi-Brkic, Sibenik tt 2 0 0 8 . 1 9.�xe6
tt:lc5 20.�d5 ;!; ;
B) 1 7 . . . 'iV d 7 1 8 .�xe6 1 8 . J:!.d2
�xb3 l 9 . axb3 tt:le6 2 0 .tt:ld5 l:!.ae8
137
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
2 l .exf5 .l:!.xf5 2 2 .c3 and now 2 2 . . .e4 is
an excellent tactical nuance, which
Black exploits to achieve an advantage,
Vachier-Lagrave-Bu Xiangzhi , Cap
d 'Agde rapid 2 0 0 8 . 1 8 ... tt::l xe6
1 8 . . . 'iYxe6 1 9 .exf5 .l:!.xf5 20 . .l:!.d5 ;\; .
1 9.ti:JdS .l:!.ae8 20.c3;\;;
C) 17 ...'iWe7 1 8.gxe6 1 8 . .l:!.fe l .l:!.ae8
1 9 .�xe6 't!Vxe6 20.exf5 .l:!.xf5 2 1 .ti:le4
tt::lxe4 2 2 .'iYxe4 .l:!.ef8 2 3 .°iWd5 �c8
24.�xd6 .l:!.xf3 2 5 .gxf3 ti:ld4 26 . .l:!.xd4
exd4 2 7 .'iYxd4 'i¥xc2 , Predojevic-Brkic,
Moscow 2 0 0 8. White has an extra
pawn, but his king is weak and his
pawns very weak. Play is for two results,
and he will either win or draw. The
chances are about 5 0- 5 0 . 1 8 ... 'iWxe6
1 9.exfS .l:!.xf5 20 . .l:!.dS ;\; , for example
20 ...ti:le7 2 1 . .l:!.d2 dS 2 2.b4± ;
D) 1 7 ... .l:!.cS?! I was shocked when
my opponent played this, as I knew he
had stronger moves, and frankly speak­
ing, I had nothing prepared against
these moves. So I was pleased when this
appeared on the board, as I knew how
to respond to it: 1 8.gxe6 ! tt::l xe6
1 9 .exfS .l:!.xfS Necessary was 1 9 . . .
ti:led4 2 0 .°iWe4 and White is slightly
better 20.l/Wd3 l:I.f6 This leaves Black a
pawn down and his position is close to
lost. Also after 2 0 . . . ti:lcd4 2 l .ti:lxd4
ti:lxd4 2 2 .ti:le4 dS 2 3 .tt::l g 3 .l:!.g5 24.c3
tt::l e 6 2 5 .'tWxd5 �xd5 26 . .l:!.xd5 tt::lf4
2 7 . .l:!.d7 White is winning, Balogh­
Kempinski, Warsaw 2 0 0 8 . 2 1 .'it'xd6
l/Wxd6 22.l:.xd6 ti:led4 23.tt::lxeS ti:Jf3+
24.gxf3 tt::lxe5 25 . .l:!.xf6 gxf6 26.l:[dl
tt::l xf3 + 2 7. @fl Andriasyan-Sjugirov,
Belgorod 2 0 1 0 . White has an extra
pawn, the active king and the better­
placed pieces. These factors should be
sufficient to win.
1 8.axb3
138
1 8. h61
..
After this strong move, this position has
not been seen again. It is not obvious
how White can fight for an advantage. He
should seek an advantage in other lines.
1 9.exf5
White has several alternatives, but they
all lead to equal positions:
A) 1 9 . .l:!.d2 l/We 7 2 0 . .l:!.fd l .l:!.ad8
2 1 .ti:Jd5 'it'f7 oo ;
B ) 1 9.'iYd3 fxe4 2 0 .tt::lxe4
2 0 . . . d5 t;
C) 1 9 . .l:!.fe l 'tWe 7 2 0 . exf5 ..txf5
2 1 .ti:le4 (2 1 .ti:Jd5 'iYf7 2 2 .ti:le3 ..te4
1/2-1/2 D. Petrosian-Andriasyan, Yerevan
ch-ARM 2 0 1 1 ) 2 1 . . . .l:!.ad8 2 2 .c4 ..tg6
2 3 .ti:lg3 a5+:t.
19 ...gxfS 20.tbe4 d5 21 .ti:Jc3
2 l .tt::l g 3 �d6+:t .
21 ...d 4 22.ti:Jxe5
Chapter 7
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Knight g o es to f 3
22 ... 'tWf61 23.tbxc6 dxc3 24.tbd4
l:!.ae8 25.'tWf3 cxb2 26.'il'xf5
't/Vxf5 27.tbxf5 l:!.xf5 28.l:!.b1 l:!.e2
29.l:!.xb2 l:!.d5=
This position is equal.
Conclusion
This chapter was devoted to the move 7 . tbf3 , with which White hopes to
obtain a small but stable positional advantage. By comparison with
7 .tll b 3, this is a positional line and appeals to positionally-inclined play­
ers, who dislike long forcing variations and wish to deprive their oppo­
nents of any play.
The black players tend to be more aggressive and not to like such posi­
tions, which explains why White achieves such a high percentage of
wins with such a quiet and unassuming system. But if Black has strong
nerves, and does not succumb to the provocation, but just quietly awaits
the right moment to become active, then he will be fine. This becomes
clear when we look at the variations and the games of the top players.
The lesson is clear: one must bide one's time as Black, and the game will
be fine!
1 39
Chapter 8
6.ite3 e5: Knight goes to b3
1 .e4 c5 2.tll f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tll xd4 tllf6 5.tll c3 a6 6.�e3 e5 7.tll b 3
In this chapter, we will look at the knight retreat to the left flank, which will intro­
duce play with opposite castling and promises a sharp struggle. This is a move for
those who like sharp and uncompromising play. We have chosen to concentrate on
the line with 1 O aS , with which Black weakens his structure but obtains good
attacking chances in return.
. . .
1 .e4 cs 2.tl:if3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.tl:ixd4 tl:if6 S.tl:ic3 a6 6.�e3 es
7.tl:ib3 �e7 8.f3
Here White has two main continua­
tions, which often transpose. By start­
ing with 'iYd2 , White retains the option
of pushing the pawn to f4, departing
from the heavily-analysed lines and
heading for fresher territory: 8.'iYd2
0-0 9.0-0-0 9.f3 �e6 1 0 . 0-0-0 as
transposes to 8 .f3 .
Here Black has an excellent way of
meeting White's idea of 'iYd2 and
f2-f4:
1 40
9 . aS ! ? Now we reach positions similar
to the main variations we will examine
with 1 O . . . a S . But now Black can pose
his opponent fresh problems, which are
.
.
c
not so easy to solve. White must decide
what to do about the advance of the
a-pawn - should he let it come further,
when Black will obtain a strong attack
on the white king, or should he block
it? In the latter case though, the differ­
ence is that White has not shielded his
bishop on e3 with the move f2-f3 .
A) 1 0.a4:
A l ) 1 0 ...�e6 1 1 .f4 'i¥c8 1 2 .'itibl
tllc 6 1 3.fS
1 3 ... tt:Jxe4! 1 4.tbxe4 �xf5 1 5 .i.d3
tt:Jb4 1 6.i::l: hfl .ig6 1 7 . ..tgs �xg5
1 8.'iYxgS d5 1 9.tbc3 �xd3 20.cxd3 d4
and Black has a large advantage,
Ashwin-Li Chao, Dubai 2 0 0 8 ;
A2) 1 0 ... tbg4!?N Of course, Black
should exploit the fact that White has
not played f2-f3 . It seems to me that af­
ter 1 O . a4, the dark squares have been
weakened in White's camp, and it
makes all the more sense to eliminate
his dark-squared bishop, which is the
main defender of those squares.
1 1 .tlJdS tbxe3 1 2.fxe3 tbc6+% .
B ) 1 0 ...tbs I t may look as though
White has stopped the a-pawn, but this
is a myth, since Black can continue the
pawn's advance by tactical means, again
based on the fact that White has not
played f2-f3 and not defended his
e4-pawn: 1 0 ...a4 1 1 .tbxa4N Since tak­
ing on a4 with the bishop brings White
nothing, we should analyse other
rer
8 - 6 . � e 3 e5 : Knight g o es to b 3
although the knight capture is
no panacea either. Black needs to know
exactly how to react to this move, how­
ever ( 1 1 .�xa4 tbxe4 1 2 .tbxe4 .l:f.xa4
1 3 . tbxd6 l:rxa2 1 4. 'itib l .l:f.a8 ! t) .
1 1 ...tt:Jxe4 1 2.'i¥e2 i.d7oo;
C) 1 0.'itib l The king move is princi­
pled and leads to double-edged play.
Here Black pushes the a-pawn all the
way, while White starts pushing his
g-pawn, to fight for the d5 -square.
1 O ... a4 1 1 .tbcl a3 1 2.b3 and now Black
has two continuations. I like both very
much, as both lead to interesting play
with counterplay and sacrifices. Black
has good compensation in all lines:
C 1 ) 1 2 ... �e6 1 3.h3 1 3 .f3 transposes
to 1 0 . . . a5 . 1 3 ... .l:f.a5 1 4.g4 d5 1 5 .g5
moves,
1 5 ... d4 It seems to me that 99% of play­
ers would play 1 5 . . . d4 here without
thinking, but great was my surprise
when on my monitor I saw the move
l 5 . . . tbxe4! ?N, which I thought led to a
slightly better ending for White. But
taking the knight ( 1 6.tbxe4) is met by
the quiet move 1 6 . . . 'lWc7 ! , after which
Black turns out to have a very strong
initiative. 1 6.gxf6 i.xf6 1 7.'iYel tbd7?
He should have played 1 7 . . . 'lWc 7 , with
complications. 1 8.tlJdS l:!:xd5 1 9.exdS
i.xd5 20.l:tgl �c7 2 1 ...tgs l:tc8 22.c4
dxc3 2 3.l:txdS and White is winning,
Ivanchuk-Shirov, Motril tt 2 0 0 8 ;
141
Winning with t h e Naj dorf S i c i l i an
C2) Since White has so weakened his
dark squares, Black should eliminate his
dark-squared bishop if the chance
comes, hence the move 1 2 ... t2Jg4!?
1 3.tlJdS t2Jxe3 1 4.'iVxe3 t2Jc6 1 5.�c4
�e6 1 6 .t2Jd3 Wh8 1 7.'i¥b6 °ifd7
1 8.t2Jxe7 'ifxe7 1 9 .i.ds �xdS 20.exdS
t2Jd4 2 1 .l:Ihel °if d7 22.tlJb4
2 2 ... J:Iac8 2 2 . . . °ifc8 ! +: . 2 3 .l:Id2 h6
24.c4 °ifc7 25.°ifxc7 l:Ixc7 26.tlJc2 and
an equal endgame has been reached,
Liu Guanchu-Naer, Beijing tt 2 0 1 2 .
8 . �e6 9.'iYd2 0-0 1 0.0-0-0 as
1 1 .�bS
..
White has a wide choice of continua­
tions and in all of them there are games
by top players, who have tried to fight
for the advantage, in many different
ways. But no precise path to an advan­
tage has been found, although Black has
his problems, of course.
A) 1 1 .°ife l °ifc8 and now:
1 42
A 1 ) 1 2 .a3? ! A very interesting move,
but not best. When my opponent
played it, I remembered the right idea
for meeting it, but not the correct move
order, and so failed to reach the posi­
tion I was aiming for. 1 2 ... a4 1 3 .tlJd2
and now:
A l l ) 1 3 ... dS ? !
1 4. exdS
tlJxdS
1 S. tlJxdS �xdS 1 6 . tlJe4 �xe4 1 7 .fxe4
tlJd7 1 8 . Wb 1 t2Jf6 1 9 .�gs 'i¥c6
2 0 .�d3 .l:.fd8 and White has the advan­
tage, with very easy play. His light­
squared bishop is very strong, and
Black's problem is that he has no
counterplay and must just stand and
await
what
White
will
do,
Zherebukh-Andriasyan, Aix-les-Bains
Ech 2 0 1 1 ;
A l 2) 1 3 ...bS?!N A very extravagant
move, involving a double pawn sacri­
fice, and a very strong attack. It seems to
me that if White is not prepared for it,
then he risks getting mated very
quickly, but with correct play, he gets
the advantage: 1 4.�xbS °ifc7 1 4 . . . °ifb7
1 5 . tlJc4;!; . 1 5 .'iVe2 1 5 .g4 l:IcSg?.
1 5 ... l:Ic8 1 6 .°iYd3 t2Jbd7 1 7.i.xa4 J:Ixa4
1 8.'1::lxa4 dS 1 9.exdS '1::lxd5 20.tlJc3
'1::lxc3 2 1 .°ifxc3 'i¥xc3 22.bxc3 l:Ixc3
23.l:Ihe l ;!; ;
A 1 3 ) 1 3 ... t2Jbd7 This move looks
very good. And when you know
Black's idea, involving the sacrifice of
the bS -pawn, then you want to play
this move automatically. But now
White manages to bring out his last
piece.
A 1 3 1 ) 1 4.f4 Only one game has been
played with this move, and not on a
very high level, but Black found a very
strong rejoinder. For this reason, I tried
to analyse other moves for White, but
these also fail to bring him any advan­
tage. 1 4... exf4 1 5.�xf4
Chapter 8 - 6 . � e 3 e S : Kn i ght g o es to b 3
•
•
,.
1 5 ... 0ih5 ! 1 6.i.e3 1 6.g3 jif6 - .
1 6 ...i.f6 ! - ;
A 1 3 2 ) 1 4.i.b5N 1 4 . . . 'iYc7 1 5 .g4
.l:rfc8 1 6.gS ltJhS t ;
A 1 3 3 ) 14.<;i;ib l
1 4 b5 ! A novelty. 1 4 . . . .l:rd8 ! ? 1 5 .i.bs
dS 1 6 . exdS tbxdS 1 7 .tbxdS �xdS
1 8 .'ii e 2 't!Vc7 1 9 .tbe4 �e6 was seen in
the
Leko-Svidler,
game
Morelia/Linares 2 0 0 7 . Although this
position is considered unclear, I very
much like White, so it is not surprising
that instead of the move 1 4 . . . .l:rd8 I
had the idea for this pawn sacrifice, af­
ter which a lively position is reached.
1 5.i.xb5 .l:rbs - ;
A2) 1 2 .�b5?! 0ia6 1 3.0ia4 0ib4 The
move 1 3 . . . dS ! ? is very interesting and
worth attention, but because the text is
more to my taste, I have analysed it
more. Even so, I can say with certainty
that after 1 3 . . . dS , Black has very rich
play.
White faces a difficult choice. Mate in
one is threatened, and the a2-pawn
hangs with check. After some thought,
I realised that the a2-pawn is not to be
defended, so White has a choice of how
best to let it go:
A2 1 ) 1 4.'ifd2N 0ixa2 + Less clear is
1 4... dS ! ? 1 5 .�cS �xcS 1 6.ttJbxcS d4; or
1 6 . . . tbxa2 + 1 7 . <;i;ib 1 0ib4. 1 5.<;i;ib 1
jixb3 1 6.cxb3 0ib4 1 7.0ib6 �e6
1 8.i.c4 d5 and Black's attack comes first;
A22) 1 4.'iYfl 0ixa2+ 1 5.<;i;ib l 0ib4
1 6.tllb 6 'ifc7 1 7.0ixa8 .l:rxa8 1 8.jib6
�c8
.•.
1 9 . . . 'iYc4 ! ?
A22 1 ) 1 9.i.a4
d5
2 0 .tbc l D dS !?? . 20.�c5 i.xc5 White
faces a dilemma - with what to take the
bishop? He has an extra exchange, but
his pieces are in bad positions and his
king is under a terrible attack.
2 1 .0ixc5?! 2 1 .'iYxcS 'iib 8 ! 2 2 .tDxaS
'iiYf8 ! =F . An excellent trick: first Black re­
frained from the exchange of queens,
then when the knight comes to aS , he
1 43
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
offers the exchange. All of White's
pieces will hang on the a-file. 2 1 ...d4
22.t2Jxe6 'iYxe6 23.�b3 'iVe7! 2 3 . . . 'iVc6
24.'iVd2oo . 24.�a4 It may look as
though White is defending, but this is
not so. From here on, it is Black to play
and win. 24...bS! 25.�xbS 'iVe6 26.b3
a4! 2 7.�xa4 l:Ixa4! 28.bxa4 'iVa2+
29.@cl t2Jd7! I thought it was just per­
petual check, but when I saw this move
suggested by the computer, I could not
believe my eyes. 3 0.Wd20 t2Jxc2
3 1 .'iVe2D d3! 32.�f2 3 2 . Wxd3 ? tbcs +
3 3 .Wc3 tbxa4+-+ .
32 ...fS ! ! 3 3.exfS t2Jf6-+ I was aston­
ished. I doubt any human could find
such a line.
A222) White should play 1 9.�xaSN.
I am convinced all other moves lead to
very bad outcomes, whereas the text
leads to an equal endgame ( 1 9 . tDxaS ?
�a2+ 2 0 .Wa l � c4+ ) : 1 9 ... �xb 3
20.�xb4 �a2+ 2 1 .Wcl
2 1 ...t2Jxe4! 22.fxe4 �gs + 2 3 .�d2
2 3 . l:Id2 �c4 24.�b l �xd2 25 .'iYxd2
�xb S =F . 23 ... �b3 24.�xgS D l:Ial +
2 5 .Wd2 'iVxc2 + 26.We3 'iYcs +
2 7.Wf3 0 �xd l + 2 8.l:Ixd l �xf2 +
29.Wxf2 l:Ixd l = .
A3) 1 2 .a4 t2Jc6 1 2 . . . t2Ja6 1 3 .Wb l
t2Jb4 1 4. g4 transposes. 1 3.g4 1 3 .�b l
transposes: 1 3 . . . tD b4 1 4. g4, etc.
1 3 ... t2Jb4
There is always a question over whether
White should play g4-g5 or not. If he
does not, then Black plays . . . d6-d5 , af­
ter which he has a strong attacking po­
sition, but if White plays g4-g 5 , then
the knight goes via e8 to c7 , where it
stands excellently.
A3 1 ) 1 4.gS ? !
t2Je8
Instead,
1 4 . . . tDhs ! ? 1 s .�b 1 fs 1 6. gxf6 t2Jxf6
1 7 .�gs h6 is unclear. Now:
A3 1 1 ) 1 5.f4 fS ! 1 6.h4 fxe4 1 7.fxeS
dxes� 1 8.Wb l
1 44
Chapter 8 - 6 . � e 3 e S : Kni ght g oes to b 3
Here 1 8 . . . lll d 6 1 9 .lll c S .ig4 2 0 .lll d S
lll x dS 2 1 .l::tx dS lll fS 22 . .l::!. g 1 lllx e3
2 3 .VWxe3 .l::!.f3 24.VWxe4 .ixcS 2 5 .�c4
Wh8 2 6 . .l::!.x g4 I:te3 2 7 .VWg2 is known
from the game Inarkiev-Brkic, Budva
Ech 2 0 0 9 : 1 9 .lll c S �g4 2 0 .lll d S lllx dS
2 1 ..l::!.xdS lllfS 2 2 .l:Ig l lll x e3 2 3 .'i¥xe3
I:tf3 24.VWxe4 .ixcS 2 S . .ic4 Wh8
2 6 .I:txg4 I:te3 2 7 .'i¥g2. If one believes
the computer, this position is equal, but
assessing the position without the com­
puter, I would prefer White.
An improvement for Black is 1 8 ... bS!N
19 ..ixbS lllc 7 +. Black has such a
strong attack that I doubt White will
last five more moves.
A3 1 2) If 1 5 .Wbl bS! 1 6.�xbS tl'ic7
A3 1 2 1 ) 1 7 . .id3
.!d:b8-+
1 7 ... 'i¥b7 ! ?-+ . 1 8.h4 lll xc2 19 ..ixc2
.ixb3 20 . .ixb3 .!d:xb3 2 1 ..t:i:h2 'i¥b7=F;
A3 1 2 2) 1 7.lll c 1 N If one follows
Steinitz's principles, then this is the way
to defend, with the pieces behind.
1 7 ... lll xbS 1 7 . . . dS ! ?=i'=. 1 8.axbS
1 8 ...dS ! Or also l 8 . . . 'tWb7 with attack.
1 9 ..!d:xdS a4!=F; or 1 9.exdS .ifs 20.lll d 3
20 . .!d:d2 a4-+ . 20 ... lll x d3 2 1 .cxd3
�b4=F.
A32) 1 4.Wbl and now the time has
come for concrete action. Black cannot
afford to delay any longer, since White
has evacuated his king, blocked the
black counterplay on the queenside and
threatens g4-g5 , seizing the dS -square.
If he succeeds in this, Black's position
will be close to lost. But here Black has
an excellent pawn sacrifice, enlivening
his minor pieces and giving him more
than sufficient compensation.
A3 2 1 ) 1 4 ... .!d:d8 ? !
1 S . .ib6 .!d:f8
1 6 ..ixaS I regard this position as much
better for White, but the computer
claims it is ( 0 . 00) . Even such a fan of
the computer as I strongly advise you
NOT to play this variation as Black.
1 6 ... .!d:xaS ? ! N 1 6 . . . lll x c2 1 7 . Wxc2
.ixb3 + 1 8 .Wxb3 l:IxaS 1 9 . .ibS ;!; ;
1 6 . . . .ixb 3 ? ! 1 7 .�xb4 .ixa4 1 8 .lll xa4
I:txa4 1 9 .�bS;!; Inarkiev-Ter Sahakyan,
Plovdiv Ech 2 0 1 2 . 1 7.lll xaS �a2+
1 8.Wcl dS and now:
A3 2 1 l ) 1 9 ..id3?
1 9 ... lll xe4 1 9 . . . 'i¥c7 ! ?oo . 20.lll xdS D
What can one suggest, when all the
pieces are hanging? But for the com­
puter, it is all quite simple, and it points
out the only way to save things, which
1 45
Winning w i t h t h e Najdorf S i c i l i an
we have to trust implicitly, in order to
avoid being mated in the next few
moves. 20 ... ttJxdS 2 1 .'iVxe4D �gs +
22.Itd2 �xd2+ 2 3.<it>xd2 g6 24.l:lal
2 4.t2Jc4 t2Jf6 = . 24 ... 'iVc7 2 S .t2Jxb7
2 5 . t2Jc4 ..txc4 2 6 . 'iVxc4 'iVd8 ! � ;
2 5 .�xa2 'iVxa5+ 2 6 .c3 l:td8 2 7 .<it>c2
'iVb6oo - hardly a standard position!
Black is a pawn down, it is White to
move and Black has no threats. But it
turns out that not only does White have
no advantage, but he has to play several
accurate moves, in order to equalise!
2S ... t2Jf6 26.'iVe3 Now Black is two
pawns down, and it looks as though he
will soon have to resign, but sacrificing
a third pawn turns out to be the saving
resource; Black achieves perpetual
check. 26 ... e4! 26 . . . tt:Jds is less clear.
27.fxe4 'iVxh2+ 28.'iYe2 'iVf4+ 29.'iVe3
'i¥h2+=
A3 2 1 2) 1 9.'iVd2 ! dxe4 1 9 . . . l:td8
2 0 . t2Jxa2 dxe4 2 1 .'iVe2 exf3 2 2 . l:txd8+
'iVxd8 2 3 .'iVxf3 ± . 20.t2Jxa2 2 0 .fxe4?
b6! . 20 ... t2Jxa2+ 2 1 .<it>b l ..tb4 22.'iVe3
�xaS 2 3.<it>xa2 'iVxc2 24. ..tbS± ;
A3 22) 1 4... tt:Jes
1 5.'iYfl ! tt:Jc7 1 5 . . . bs 1 6 .ttJxbS d5
1 7 .exd5 ..txd5 l 8 .l:td2 !;t. 1 6 .$..b 6;t;
A3 2 3 ) 14 ... dS ! The long-awaited
break, even at the cost of a pawn. After
this, the bishop on e 7 is opened up, the
knight on f6 transfers to the blockading
1 46
square and his bishop on e6 begins to
control the b l -h7 diagonal, along
which is the weakest point in the white
camp, the c2-pawn, next to his king.
1 S .gS t2Je8 As we have already said, the
black pieces begin to regroup, after
which they will occupy better attacking
positions. The standard move l 5 . . . d4?
does not work. White just keeps an ex­
tra pawn and a winning position:
l 6 .gxf6 ..txf6 ( 1 6 . . . �xb3 1 7 .cxb3
�xf6 1 8 .�f2 dxc3 1 9 . bxc3 t2Ja6
2 0 .�c4;t) 1 7 .t2Jxd4 exd4 1 8 .�xd4
..ta2 + 1 9 . <it> c l �xd4 ( 1 9 . . . �gS +
2 0.�e3 �f6 2 1 .l:tg l ±) 2 0 .l:txd4 'iYcs
2 1 .'il¥d2 t2Jc6 2 2 . l:td3 �c4 2 3 .'iVe3 ±.
1 6.exdS �fs
A sad situation for White, who has
three ways to defend c2 , all of which
have their drawbacks. We will examine
each in turn.
A 3 2 3 1 ) 1 7. Itc l ?! t2J c 7 1 7 . . . bS ! ?
1 8 .�xbS t2Jd6�. 1 8.�d2 1 8 .'ilfd2 ?
l:td8 1 9 .�c4 b5 ! BOOM! ! ! A blow at
the very point at which all the white
pieces seem to be pointing. All White's
pieces have more than enough on their
plate, and now it is too late to start
thinking what to do with the pawn,
which smashes all in its way. 2 0.axbS a4
2 1 .ttJcS t2Je6-+ . 1 8 ... Ites !� A quiet
rook move which indirectly defends e5
and increases the pressure on White.
Chapter 8
Black retains all his threats and it is
harder and harder to find a move for
White;
A3 23 2) 1 7.tll a l ? ! tll d 6
What can one say about a posltlon
where the white knight on a 1 defends
the c2-pawn? Indeed, at several points,
the computer recommends b2-b3 , after
which the knight is totally crippled,
while Black's pieces are becoming more
and more active. 1 7 . . . bS ?!N 1 8 .axbS
( 1 8 .]lxb S ;l;) l 8 . . . tll d6 (if l 8 . . . a4
1 9 .�c l ) 1 9 .b6±.
It is clear that Black is preparing the
break . . . b7 -bS , and so I began to think
how to stop this. I only came up with
one idea, namely just putting the
bishop in front of the pawn to stop the
advance, but in that case, Black has
other ideas and has a very strong initia­
tive. One can also try another line, just
strengthening the position with l 8 .h4,
but here too, like lightning from a clear
sky, there comes . . . b7 -bS , after which
Black has a terrible attack.
A3 2 3 2 l ) 1 8.�b6N
A3 2 3 2 1 l ) 1 8 ...�xgS 1 9.�xe5 i.f6
20.�xd6 �xc3
The bishop on c3 hangs but cannot be
taken. White has an extra pawn and it is
logical that he should try to exchange
queens, to douse the flames of the black
attack. 2 1 .�c5 The queen has to go
-
6 . � e 3 e S : Kn i ght g o es to b 3
here to offer the exchange, but the
move also has some pluses, as White
opens the path for his passed d-pawn,
which will soon start its advance, while
the c2-pawn is defended one more
time. Not 2 l .bxc3 ? �xc3 2 2 .�cS D
'W'a3 2 3 .�c4 .l:rfc8 24.�c7 (24.l'id4
'!Wxa4:+) 24 . . . b 6 ! 2 5 . 'W'xb6 '!Wc3
2 6 .�d4 ( 2 6 .�b3 .lhc 7 2 7 .�d4
�xf3 :+) 2 6 . . . �xc2+ 2 7 .@c l 'i¥a3 +
2 8 . @d2 �xd l :+ ; 2 l . 'W'c 7 ? �eS ! .
2 1 ...�f6 22.d6 �xc5 2 3.�xcS .l::.fc8
24.�xb4 axb4 2S.i.d3 �xd3 26 . .l::.xd3
@f8;!;;
A3 2 3 2 1 2) 18 ... �d7 ! ? 1 9.h4
The key moment. Black has two ideas:
he can play 1 9 . . JHc8 or 1 9 . . . f6 . The
move 1 9 . . . f6 has one drawback: it fails
to a concrete white idea, and we will
not bother to go too deeply into the nu­
merous variations. Instead, I will just
explain the ideas which one must use to
neutralise this move: firstly, one must
take on f6 , then play �b6-c5 , to elimi­
nate the knight on d6, so as to close for­
ever the question of the advance
. . . b7-b5 , and then put one's knight on
e4, so as to solve the issue with the
c2-pawn. If White manages to carry out
this plan, he will obtain the advantage.
If 1 9 ... �fcS 20 . .l:rh2 After 20.'W'xeS a
very sharp position arises, where Black
has sacrificed two pawns, but needs to
sacrifice an additional exchange, to se­
cure his initiative: 20 .. ..lhc3 ! 2 l .bxc3
tll xc2 2 2 .tll x c2 'W'xa4 2 3 . .l:Id2 'W'b3 +
24.@c l �xb6 2 5 .'iVe3 'iVc 7 oo .
2 0 ...tll c4 2 0 . . . f6 ! ? 2 l .�e3 transposes
to l 9 . . .f6 2 0 .'W'e3 . 2 1 .�gl �ab8 with
compensation for the pawn due to
Black's initiative on the queenside.
A3 23 22) 1 8.h4 It seems as though
White has defended everything and can
now march boldly forward, but he gets
1 47
Winn i n g w i t h t h e Naj d orf S i c i l i an
a nasty surprise in the shape of a further
pawn sacrifice.after which Black has a
very strong attack:
2 2 .tlJa5 l:txa5 (22 . . . a3 2 3 .�b6 l:td7
24.tlJc6 axb2 2 5 .l:thd l ±) 2 3 .�b6 l:ta8
24.�xd8 'i¥xd8
1 8 ... bS!N 1 9.axbS 1 9 .�xb 5 ? ! tlJxb5
2 0 . axb5 �d6 2 1 .ild2 (2 1 .tlJe4? �xe4
2 2 .fxe4 'i¥c4 2 3 .b3 'iVxb5--+) 2 l . . .�d7
2 2 .tlJe4 �xe4 2 3 .fxe4 'i¥xb5--+. 19 ...a4
20.�cl a3! 2 1 .bxa3 The only move,
but sufficient. It allows Black to con­
tinue his attack and White has to play a
great many only moves to save the
game : 2 1 . .. tlJc4! 2 2.d6 2 2 . axb4 ?
�xb4-+ . 22 ... lLJxa3+ 23.�xa3 l:txa3
24.dxe 7 l:txa l + ! 2 5 . �xal lLJxc2 +
2 6 .�b2
lLJxe l
2 7 .�h3
�xh3
2 8.exf8 l:t + 'ifxf8 29.l:thxe l 'ifh4+
30.�c2 �fs + 3 1 .l:te4 f6!=F Black has
queen against rook and knight, but
White has a strong passed pawn on b5 ,
which will advance with the rook sup­
porting it from behind. However, with
the text, Black does not rush to win the
exchange, but makes luft for his king
and creates weaknesses on the kingside.
A3 2 3 3 ) 1 7.l:!:d2 lLJc7 To prepare
. . . b 7 -b5 . Black could have played the
latter at once, and begun a strong attack,
but here this move is not so strong and
White can gain a large advantage with
accurate defence: 1 7 . . . b5 ?!N 1 8 .�xb5
tlJd6 1 9 .'i¥e2 l:td8 2 0 .h4 (20 .�c6
tt:Jxc6 2 l .dxc6 'i¥xc6 2 2 . l:thd l I:!.ab8�)
2 0 ... tt:Jxb5 2 1 .axb5 a4 (2 1 . . .l:td7 ! ?;!;)
2 5 .d6 ! ( 2 5 .'i¥xe5 ? a3 =F) 2 5 . . . �f8 ?
(25 . . . tt:Jxc2 ?! 2 6 .dxe7 tlJd4+ 2 7 .�a l
'i¥d7 2 8 .l:txd4 exd4 2 9 .tlJd5 .l::t e 8
3 0 .°tWe5 ± ; 2 5 ... �xd6 2 6.tlJe4 tt:Jxc2
2 7 . .l:.xd6 'i¥xd6 2 8 . tt:Jxd6 tlJd4+
2 9 .tlJxf5 tt:Jxe2 3 0 . l:te l ±) 2 6 .'i¥xe5
ilxc2 + 2 7 .l:txc2 a3 . When I analysed
this position, it seemed to me that
White was winning easily, but when I
looked more closely, I realised that there
is only one path to a precise win:
2 8 .'i¥e4! 'ii' a 5 2 9 .l:tdl ! axb2 3 0 .'i¥xa8
'iix a8 3 1 . l:txb 2 + - . 1 8 .°iVdl l:td8
1 9 .lLJal 'ifd7 1 9 . . . tt:Je8 2 0 .�b5 tt:Jd6
2 l .'iVe2 tt:Jxb5 2 2 .'iixb5 .l:ra6 2 3 . l:thd l
.l:rad6 and White is winning, Topalov­
Dominguez Perez, Sofia 2 0 0 9 . 20.�c4
1 48
20 ... bS !N as usual, we land the cus­
tomary blow on b5. We are already fa-
Chap t er 8
miliar with the basic ideas of this, and
we only need to confirm the details in
concrete moves:
A3 2 3 3 1 ) 2 1 .�xb5 ci:Jxb5 2 2 .ci:JxbS
tbxd5 23 . .l::!.xdS 'i¥xd5 24.°iVxdS .l.:!.xd5
25 .ci:Jc7 .l.:!.ad8 2 6.ci:JxdS l:txd5 � ;
A3 2 3 3 2 ) 2 1 .�b3 �d6 22.°iVe2 l:tab8
23.l:thdl l:tdc8t 24.�fl A strange se­
ries of moves, which I myself found
hard to understand, but after studying
the position thoroughly, I came to the
conclusion that both sides' pieces stand
as well as possible, and one may even go
so far as to say that we have reached a
kind of mutual zugzwang - a highly
unusual thing with so many pieces on
the board! 24... ci:Jba6! =F ;
tbcxd5
A3 23 3 3 ) 2 1 .ci:Jxb5
2 1 . ..ci:JxbS ! ? 22 .�xbS °iVd6-+ . 22.�xd5
ci:Jxd5 23.l:txd5 'i¥xd5 24.°iVxd5 l:txd5
25.ci:Jc7 l:tad8 26.ci:Jxd5 l:txd5gg;
A3 2 3 3 4) 2 1 .axb5 ci:Je8! 22.°iVe2 a4
2 2 . . . ci:Jd6 ! ?� . 2 3.d6 ci:Jxd6 24.�c5
'i¥c7! This move contains a hidden idea
of a queen sacrifice, which White can­
not accept, because of mate. 25.'i¥xe5
2 5 .�xb4 tbxc4 2 6 . �xd8 + .txd8
2 7 .ci:Jd5
'i¥c8 D oo .
25 ... tt:Jxc4!
26.l:txdS+ 'i¥xd8 2 7.'i¥xe7
2 7 ... �xc2+ A beautiful finish to a
beautiful game - Black gives perpetual
with two knights. 2 8.ci:Jxc2 ci:Jd2+
29.�cl tbb3 + 3 0.�bl ci:Jd2+=.
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Kn i g h t g o es t o b 3
Back to the position after 1 0 . . . a5 .
B) 1 1 .�b l a4 1 2.ci:Jc l
B 1 ) 1 2 ... l:ta5 This rook move looks
very strong, since it assists Black's main
idea in this variation, of advancing the
pawn to d5 .
White cannot prevent . . . d6-d5 , and can
only try to arrange for it to happen in as
favourable a form as possible for him.
For this, we will examine several con­
tinuations, so as to understand how
White can best meet this move.
B l l ) 1 3.a3N d5 1 4.ci:Jxd5 1 4.exdS
ci:Jxd5 1 5 . ci:Jxd5 .l.:!.xd5 1 6 .�d3 ci:Jc6oo
Black has achieved . . . d6-d5 , transferred
his rook from a8 to d 5 , and is ready for
a full-blooded struggle for the only
open file. The position is roughly equal.
1 4 ... ci:Jxd5 1 5 .exd5 l:txd5 l 6.�d3
ci:Jc6oo;
B 1 2) 1 3.g4 d5 1 4.gS tbxe4 1 5 .ci:Jxe4
dxe4 1 6 .°iYxd8 l:txd8 1 7 .ld.xd8+ .txd8
1 8.fxe4= ;
B 1 3 ) I do not particularly like
1 3.°iVe l N, as the queen has a better re­
treat square on f2 . 1 3 . . . a3 1 4. b3 trans­
poses to the game Akopian-Xiu Deshun
(with 1 2 . . . a3 , line B24) ;
B 1 4) 1 3 .°iVfl !
ci:Jbd7
1 4.a3
1 4 . .td2 ! ?N a3 1 5 .b3 d5 1 6 .ci:JxdS
.txd5 1 7 . 'li'e 1 ! (a splendid intermedi­
ate move, the idea of which is some­
what hidden and will only become
1 49
Winning w i th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
clear after a few moves: firstly, the
queen defends the rook on d 1 , and
moves out of the attacks) 1 7 . . . l:rc5
l 8.exd5 l:rxd5 l 9 .�c4 l::!.d 6 2 0 .tLld3
20 . . . 'l!Vb8 ! oo . 14 ...d5 1 5 .tt:Jxd5 tbxd5
1 6.exd5 l:!.xd5 1 7 .l:rxd5 �xd5 1 8.�d3
and White is a little better thanks to his
better pawn structure, better squares for
his pieces and the somewhat isolated
black a-pawn, which is cut off and may
become a weakness.
B2) 1 2 ... a3 1 3.b3 l:ra5 In case of
1 3 . . . tbc6 l 4.g4 tLld4 1 5 .�xd4 exd4
1 6.'l!Vxd4;1;; 1 6 .tLlb5 ? ! d5 ! 1 7 .e5 tLld7
l 8.f4 �xg4 l 9 .�e2 �xe2 2 0 .tbxe2
tbc5 2 1 .'l!Vxd4 l:ra5 2 2 .tLlec3 tbe6
2 3 .'l!Vxd5 'l!Vc8 White has the extra
pawn and the compensation! Eliseev-­
Grigoryan, Moscow 2 0 1 1 .
B2 1 ) 1 4.g4 d5 1 5 .g5 The battle starts,
with lots of pieces hanging, but as often
happens in such cases, the outcome is
an equal endgame, by force. 1 5 ... tt:Jxe4
1 50
1 6.tbxe4 1 6 .fxe4 d4 1 7 .h4 �b4
1 8 .tLl l e2 'l!Vc7 =F . 1 6 ...dxe4 1 7.'l!Vxd8
1 7 .fxe4 'lWc7--+ . 1 7 ... l:rxd8 1 8.�xd8+
�xd8 1 9.fxe4= ;
B22) After 1 4.tLld3 Black has a pleas­
ant choice, and either may complete his
development with a double-edged po­
sition, or, if he is in a more determined
mood, he may sacrifice a pawn for
compensation: 1 4 ... d5 ! ?N 1 4 . . . tbc6
1 5 .'lWf2 'l!Vc8 t ; 1 5 ... tbd7 ! ?oo (since
White has hitherto played passively and
lost control of d5 , it seems to me that
Black can fight for the advantage)
1 5 .tbxe5 �b4�;
B23) 1 4.'i:Yf2 White wants to play
�b6 , and win the black rook on a5 , but
in reply, Black has a fantastic resource,
involving an exchange sacrifice, prom­
ising him excellent counterplay :
1 4...'!Wc7!N 1 5.tLlb5 l:rxb5 1 6 .�xb5 d5
1 7.exd5 tbxd5 1 8.l:rxd5 �xd5 1 9 .tLld3
�c6 20.�xc6 tbxc6 2 1 .�b6 'l!Vd6
22.l:rel l:rc8= ;
B24) 1 4.'i:Yel d5 !N After l 4 . . . 'l!Vc7
1 5 .tLlb5 l:rxb5 1 6 .�xb5 d5 1 7 .exd5
tbxd5 1 8 .�d2 l:!.c8 1 9 .�d3 Black has
good compensation for the sacrificed
exchange, but this position should nev­
ertheless be assessed as better for
White, because Black has no particular
threats, Akopian-Xiu Deshun, Alhena
2 0 1 2 . 1 5 .�d2 1 5 . tbxd5 tbxd5 1 6 .�c4
�b4 1 7 . ..td2 �xd2 l 8.'i:Yxd2
C h apter 8
l 8 . . . tll c 3 + ! l 9 .'i¥xc3 'i¥c7 2 0 .°iYd3
.i.xc4 2 l .'ti'xc4 .!:IcS 2 2 .'ti'd3 .t!.c3
2 3 .'Yi'd6 .lhc2 2 4.'Yi'xc7 .l:Ixc7 = .
1 S ... d4 1 6.tlJdS 1:1.xdS The exchange
sacrifice is both the normal continua­
tion and also the only way not to obtain
a bad position. 1 7 .exdS tlJxdS 1 8. 'ifxeS
tll c 6 1 9.'ife l ..ib4@g 20.�c4 �xd2
2 1 .'ifxd2 tb c 3 + 22.°iYxc3 dxc3
24 . ..ixe6
fxe6
2 3 . .t!.xdS
.t!.xd8
2S.tlJd3oo ;
B 2 S ) 1 4.tlJa4 ? ! With this move,
White challenges his opponent, pro­
voking him to sacrifice the exchange.
The latter is happy to accept the chal­
lenge and after a sharp struggle, an
equal endgame arises. 1 4 .. Jha4!
1 S.bxa4
B 2 S 1 ) I S ... ds 1 6.exdS tlJxdS 1 7 .�c4
..ib4 1 8.'li'xb4
l 8 . 'i¥d3 tbc3 +
1 9 . 'i¥xc3 �xc3 2 0 . .t!.xd8 .t!.xd8
2 1 .�xe6 fxe 6 = . 1 8 ... tbxb4 1 9 .J::txdS
.t!.xd8 20.�xe6 fxe6 = ;
B2 S2) I f Black does not wish to go
into an equal ending, in which book­
makers would not even accept bets on a
draw, but prefers a full-blooded struggle,
then he can bravely play 1 S ...'li'c7!?N,
after which he has a very strong attack:
l 6 .tbb3 .t!.c8 1 7 .c4 tbc6@g.
B26) 1 4.�c4 �xc4 1 S.bxc4 'li'cs
1 6 .tbb3 1 6.�d3 tll b d7 1 7 .tll b 3 .t!.a6
l 8 .g4 .t!.c6 1 9 .gs tll e 8 2 0 .tll d s �d8
-
6 . � e 3 eS : Kn i g h t goes t o b 3
2 l .tbd2 tll c S 2 2 .'ifxa3 .t!.a6 2 3 .'ifb2
tll a4 24.'i¥b4 tbc7 2 S .tbb3 bS. Black
has a very strong attack for his sacrifice,
and White's game is not simple to play,
Shirov-Woj taszek, Pamplona 2 0 0 6 .
1 6 ... .t!.a6 Strangely, 1 6 . . . l:ra8 ! ?N may be
even stronger than the other, more ac­
tive rook move, because in the corner,
the rook is not vulnerable to a fork.
1 7.'li'e2 tbc6 ! ? oo The position is
roughly equal, but I prefer Black, be­
cause the white king is very weak and
can always come under attack,
Karjakin-Grischuk, Nice blind 2 0 1 0 .
C) 1 1 .a4 tbc6 1 2.g4 tbb4 Black ex­
ploits the fact that White has already
played a2-a4 and thus given the black
knight a square on b4, from where it
will attack c2 and take part in the fight
for ds .
C 1 ) 1 3.gS tlJhS There are positions
where the black knight stands quite
well on h S . For the moment he stops
White playing h2-h4 and can at some
moment jump into f4.
C 1 1 ) 1 4. .t!.g 1 The rook move pre­
pares h2-h4 and is ready for the ad­
vance of the black f-pawn.
C 1 1 1 ) Of course, Black can dispense
with the move . . . f7 -fS and can continue
his play on the queenside: 14 ...'i¥c7!?oo
l S.@bl l S .tll b S 'i¥c8 1 6 .tbc3 'i¥c7 = .
l S ...dS
151
Winn i n g with the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
always useful and at the same time, acts
as a waiting move.
C I I 1 1 ) 1 6.exd5? ! This inaccuracy
will cost White a great deal, and instead
of obtaining the advantage, he will face
an unclear fight, where Black's chances
are not inferior. l 6 ... �f5 1 gg A move
which shows up White's inaccuracy last
move. If 1 6 . . . tll x dS
1 7 . 'iYxdS !
( 1 7 .tll x dS ! ? �xdS 1 8 .°iVxdS l:tfd8
1 9 .�b S ! ) 1 7 . . . jlxdS 1 8 . tll x dS ! .
1 7.l:tcl l:tfd8 1 8.jlb5 tiJf4 1 9 ...ixf4
exf4 2 0.l:tgd l 2 0 .'il'd4 'il'd6oo .
20 ...jle6 2 1 .dxe6 l:txd2 22.exf7+ Wxf7
2 3.l:txd2 l:td8oo
C I I I 2) Better is 1 6.tll xd5 tll xd5
1 7.exd5 ..ixd5 1 8.'iYxd5 l:tad8 . It may
look as though White has miscalcu­
lated, but this is only a strong positional
queen sacrifice, after which there is no
doubt as to White's advantage :
1 9.jlb5!
Cl 1 2) 1 4...f5 1 5 .h4 White has to de­
cide what to do with the g-pawn. Leav­
ing it where it stands is not possible,
and advancing it spoils his pawn struc­
ture: 1 5 .g 6 ! ?N hxg6 1 6 .l:txg6 l:tf6oo.
15 ...l:tc8 16 ...ib5 Wh8 1 7.Wb l fxe4
1 8.fxe4 d5 1 9.'iYh2 tll f4 with a dou­
ble-edged position with equal chances,
Vallejo Pons-Morozevich, Novi Sad
Ech-tt 2 0 0 9 .
C l 2) 1 4.Wb l As we have seen, the
rook move does not bring White any­
thing, and it is not clear which side
Black plans to play on. The king move is
1 52
1 4... l:tc8 Black could play on the
kingside, but he decides to play a useful
move, which will always be necessary.
1 4 . . .f6 ! ?N 1 5 .l:tg l g 6 ! l 6 .gxf6 l:txf6
1 7 .�g5 l:txf3 l 8 .'il'g2 l:tf8oo. 1 5.l:tgl
1 5 .�b5 f5 oo . 1 5 ... f5 1 6 .g6 hxg6
1 7 .l:txg6 l:tf6 1 8.l:tgl f4 1 9 ..itf2 l:th6
20.ti:Jc l ti:Jf6 2 1 .h4
Now the time has come to open the
game, as the black pieces are better
placed for such a game : 2 1 . .. dS !
22.exd5 ti:lfxd5 2 3 .tll x d5 'iYxd5
24.'i:Wxd5 �xd5 and Black has the ad­
vantage, on account of his stronger
pawn structure and active pieces,
Sukandar-Xiu Deshun, Jakarta 2 0 1 2 .
C2) 1 3.Wb l l:tc8 1 4.h4 1 4.g5 tll h 5
transposes to 1 3 . g S . 14 ...d5 1 5.gS tll e 8
1 6.exdS �f5 1 7.l:tc l 1 7 .tll a l tll d 6gg.
1 7 ...b6
Cha p t e r 8
For me, it has always been a mystery
how white players can go into such a
position, where they have an extra
pawn, but Black has a super attack and
even the materialistic computer gives
only a microscopic advantage for
White. It is hard to analyse the position
accurately, because Black has such a rich
choice of possibilities. We will examine
them one by one.
C2 1 ) 1 8.l2Jal l2Jd6�;
C 2 2 ) 1 8.�fl f6 ! ?N 1 8 . . . t2Jd6 ! ?
l 9 .'i}Ve3 'l?Vd7 2 0 .t2Jd2.
Black has two equally strong moves in
this position, and I like both. Each
gives Black a very strong attack, and if
White has no home preparation here,
or forgets his analysis, then the game is
virtually over. 2 0 . . . .l:!.xc3 ! ?N 2 1 . bxc3
l2Jxd5 2 2 .'i}VxeS �e6�; or 2 0 . . . bS
2 1 .axbS .l:!.xc3 2 2 . �xc3 .l:!.c8 2 3 .l2Jc4
l2Jxb5 24.'i}VxeS , Nijboer-Gharamian,
Metz 2 0 0 9 . It is strange that Black
-
6 . � e 3 e 5 : Kn i ght g oes to b 3
agreed a draw here, because his posi­
tion looks extremely threatening. after
2 4 . . . f6 ! =F . 1 9.�h3 �xh3 2 0 . .l:!.xh3
fxgS 2 1 .hxgS �xgS 22.�e3 �xe3
2 3 . 'l?Vxe3 ttJxdS 24.ltJxdS 'l?VxdS
2S.'l?Vxb6 .l:!.f4oo The pawn structure is
unusual and both sides' pieces are scat­
tered all round the board, but thanks to
the lack of material, the game soon
ends in a draw;
C 2 3 ) 1 8.�bs t2Jd6 1 9.'l?Ve2 ttJxbS
20.'fVxbS
•
�
2 0 .. .J:hc3 ! 2 1 .bxc3 ttJxdS 2 2 .�d2
�cs ! Until I saw this move and under­
stood its point, it seemed to me that
White had coped with Black's initiative,
and kept his extra exchange, but this
move proves the extent of Black's com­
pensation. 2 3 . .l:!:he l 'l?Vd6� ;
C24) 1 8.�g l t2J d 6 l 9 .�e3 'i¥d7
2 0 .t2Jd2 .l:!.fd8 !oo;
C25) 1 8.hS ?! l2Jd6 1 9 .lDal 'l?Vd7 oo
2 0 . .l:!:h4 h6 ! =F . Before this move, Black
was attacking on the queenside with all
his pieces, and White defending that
flank with all means possible.
C 2 6) 1 8 .�e2 t2Jd6 1 9.hS 'i}Vd7
20.tll a l My chess feeling goes against
this move. ttJa 1 is a very passive contin­
uation, and I do not believe that such a
move can allow White to defend the
position, although alternatives are hard
to see.
1 53
Winning w i th the Naj d orf S i c i l i an
2 0 ... tll c4 2 0 . . Jhc3 ! ?N 2 1 .'tWxc3
(2 1 .bxc3 ? ? �xa4 2 2 .cxb4 axb4-+ and
there is no defence to the threat of .l:!.a8)
2 1 . . . 'tWxa4 2 2 .'i¥b3 'i¥xb3 2 3 .tll x b3
tt:lxdS=F. 2 1 ..ixc4 .l:!.xc4 22.b3? The po­
sition is already hopeless, but better was
2 2 . .l:!.hd 1 , although even in this case,
Black has a large advantage. 22 ... .l:!.cc8
23.Wb2
D l ) 1 1 . .. tllb d7! ? 1 2 ..ibs After 1 2 .g4
the move 1 2 . . . dS looks natural, but in
order to play it, one must find the sub­
sequent knight sacrifice, after which we
reach a sharp position with mutual
chances: 1 2 . . . dS ! 1 3 .gS tt:lxe4N 1 4.fxe4
d4-+. 1 2 ... dS 1 3.exdS tt:lxdS I would
not even call this a queen sacrifice, but
rather a necessity, after which the ad­
vantage nonetheless remains on Black's
side. 1 4.�xdS �xdS 1 5.l:i.xdS �gs
1 6.f4 �xf4 1 7 ..ixf4 exf4 1 8.�xd7
. :g:
2 3 ... .l:!.xc3 ! This nice sacrifice is not
the only way to win, but in keeping
with the Olympic motto, ' faster,
stronger, higher! ' . 24. 'iVxc3 tt:lxdS
2 5 .�e l 'tWd6 26.�d2 °iVa3 + 2 7.Wb l
.ib4 2 8 . .l:!.dl .l:!.c8 29.°iVxeS .l:!.xc2!
3 0 .tll x c2 tll c 3 + ! 0 - 1 Smirnov­
Vitiugov, Moscow 2 0 0 9 .
D) 1 1 .tll a4?! I do not like this move,
because the fight going on is about the
d5 -square, and instead of fighting for
this, the knight goes to the edge of the
board. As Dr Tarrasch said, 'a knight on
the rim is dim' !
1 54
1 8 ... 'tWh4=F ;
D2) 1 1 . .. dS ! Of course! If Black can
achieve this move so easily, there is no
question that he should do so. It is just a
matter of checking the concrete varia­
tions.
1 3 .tll x a8
d4!
D 2 1 ) 1 2 .tll b 6
1 3 .�xd4? a4! -+ . All white's pieces are
hanging, and he cannot defend them
all. 1 3 tt:lc6 ! 1 4.�xd4 exd4 1 5 .tllxd4
tt:lxd4 1 6. �xd4 'i¥xd4 1 6 . . . 'iYxa8
•..
Chapter 8
1 7 . .tc4oo. 1 7 Jhd4 .tcs ! 1 8.�d 1 lha8
and Black is slightly better;
D22) 1 2.c3 tLlbd7 1 3 .tLlbcS tLlxcS
1 4.tLlxcS a4=F;
D 2 3 ) 1 2.tLlbcS d4 1 3 .tLlxe6 fxe6
14 . ..tg 1 tLle8 ! -. It is a shame that Dr
Tarrasch cannot see this position and
see the exception to his teachings. The
knight heads to c 7 , so as to play
. . . d6-dS and trap the knight on a4.
E) The idea of 1 1 .�f2 is to exploit
the pin on the d-file and play tLlcS , at­
tacking the pride of Black's position,
the bishop on e6.
E l ) 1 1 . ..a4 1 2 .tLlcS a3 1 3 .b3
1 3 .tLlxe6?! fxe6 1 4.�c4? The bishop
move looks good but sadly, this is a mi­
rage, and fails to a lovely tactic, after
which the position is lost: 1 4 . . . dS !
l S .exdS ? tLlg4-+ . 1 3 ... Vi'c7 1 3 . . . Vi'as
1 4.tLlSa4 tLlbd7 1 S .'i¥d2 �ab8 1 6 .tLlbS
�xd2+ 1 7 ..txd2 dS 1 8 .exdS .txdS ;!:;.
1 4.tLlbS 'ii'c 6 1 5.tLlxe6 fxe6 1 6 .Vi'el
White has two bishops and the better
pawn structure, and it seems as though
his advantage should be beyond dis­
pute, but Black also has his trumps, as
he has managed to push his pawn all
the way to a3 , weakening the white
king, and now by means of 1 6 ... dS , he
wants to take control of the centre
( 1 6 . . . l:rc8 1 7 . .td3 tLlbd7 is also un­
clear) : 1 7 .exdS and now either
-
6 . � e 3 e S : Kn i ght g o e s to b 3
1 7 . . . tLlxdS ! ? l 8 . ..tc4 l::r c 8 with interest­
ing play, or 1 7 . . . exdS l 8.�d4 tLlbd7
1 9 .�xeS tLlxeS 2 0 .Vi'xeS ;!:; .
E 2 ) 1 1 ...Vi'cS!? i s a quieter continua­
tion, which does not go to meet White,
and does not allow his knight to jump
to c S . 1 2 .�bs tLla6 1 3 .tLla4 tLlc7
1 4.tLlb6 'ii'b 8 and now:
E 2 l ) 1 5 .�a4? ! �a6 1 6.g4 tLla8 !
1 7.gS 1 7 .�bS a4! =F. 1 7 ... tLlhS and
Black has the initiative;
E22) 1 5.�e2 ( 1 S .�d3 transposes to
this line) 1 S . . . a4 1 6 .tLld2 . It seems that
White should have the advantage, but
now the strong capture 1 6 ... �xa2 fol­
lows, after which the position becomes
unclear: 1 7.tLldc4 1 7 .g4 �e6 t .
1 7 ... �xc4 Interesting is 1 7 . . . �d8 ! ?oo.
1 8.�xc4 a3 1 9.'it>b l
Not one step back! Black sacrifices a
pawn, but opens his pieces and begins
an attack on the white king, which lacks
pawn protection. 1 9 ... dS ! 20.exdS axb2
2 1 .'it>xb2 �a3+ 22.'it>b 3 ! As the saying
lSS
Winning w i th the Najd orf S i c i l i an
goes, 'If you want something done,
then do it yourself! ' . The white king
marches boldly out to face his enemies.
If 2 2 .Wb l ! ? l:raSoo. 22 ... �d6 23 . .l::[ a l
l:i.xa 1 24. .i::r xa 1 t2Ja6 25 ...ixa6 bxa6
26.c4 tLld7oo
dS 1 5 .exdS tLlcxdS 1 6.tLlxdS tLlxdS
1 7 . tLlcS �xcS
1 8 .�xcS l::[ d 8 oo
Durarbeyli-Papaioannou, Aix-les-Bains
Ech 2 0 1 1 . 14.tLlxb5 a4 1 5 .tLlcl d5 !
1 6.g5
11 .. tt:JaG
.
1 2 'ife2
.
White has to decide how to continue
the attack, but out of three alternatives,
two bring him a bad position:
A) 1 2.Wb l ? ! tLlc7 Now White has to
decide which bishop to keep, or
whether to retain both. In all three
cases, the position is roughly equal,
with play for both sides.
A l ) 1 3.g4
It is interesting that White voluntarily
gives up his light-squared bishop,
which defends all the light squares on
the queenside. Without it, White will
struggle. 1 3 ... tt:Jxb5N 1 3 . . . 'ifb8 ! ? l 4.a4
156
1 6 ...tt:Jxe4! A splendid piece sacrifice,
after which White has to be very careful
and play extremely accurately, to
achieve equality. 1 7.£Xe4 d4 and now
1 8.tLlxd4
1 8 .'ife l
l::!: c 8 � ;
or
1 8 . . . 'iVaS :::: ; 1 8 .�xd4 exd4 1 9 .tLlxd4
�g4t; 1 8 .�f2 'ifb6 1 9 .'iVd3 ( 1 9 .tLlxd4
exd4 2 0 .�xd4 11Wc6oo) l 9 . . JHc8oo .
1 8 . . .exd4 1 9.�xd4 �g4 20.tLle2 �xg5
2 1 .�d3 f6 ! ?oo - a non-standard deci­
sion, but very appropriate and strong.
The move neutralises the white bishop
on d4, defends his own bishop on gS
and opens fl for the other bishop.
A2) White can first insert 1 3 ...ib6
�b8 and now:
A2 1 ) 1 4.a4
tt:Jxb5
1 4 . . . .l::[ c 8 ! ? .
1 5.tt:Jxb5 .i::r c s 1 6.tLlc3 Ira6 1 7.�e3
.i::r ac6 1 8.g4
Chapter 8
1 8 .. Jhc3 ! A standard but nonetheless
nice exchange sacrifice, which prom­
ises Black a strong advantage. White has
no satisfactory defence against the nu­
merous threats. 1 9 .bxc3 b 5 ! 20.axb5 a4
2 0 . . . �xb S ! + . 2 1 .tLld4 exd4 22.cxd4
d5 23.Wal dxe4 24J:lbl 'iVd6 25.'iYc l
l::txc2-+ Petr-Zakhartsov, Pardubice
201 1 ;
A22) 14.�xc7 'iVxc7 1 5.g4 1 5 .a4
.l:!.fd8 1 6 .tll d S tLlxdS 1 7 .exdS �d7 ! =F .
1 5 ... l::tfdS
A22 1 ) 1 6.g5? ! t2Jh5 1 7.t2Jd5 ? �xd5
1 8.exd5 a4 1 8 . . . fS ? It is strange that af­
ter playing so magnificently up to now,
Black should miss the simple move
l 8 . . . a4, which promises him an extra
pawn and a winning position. 1 9 . gxf6
�xf6 2 0 . .i::l. h g l l::t f8 2 1 . l::t g 4 t2Jf4
2 2 .tLld4 exd4 2 3 .'iVxf4 d3 24.�xd3
�xb2 2 5 .'iVe4 �f6 2 6.'iVxh 7 + . As we
know, when there are opposite-col­
oured bishops on the board, the attack
gains in strength. White went on to win
in Tiviakov-Shytaj , Bratto 2 0 0 7 . 1 9.tt:Jcl
'iVa5 ! :+ ;
A222) 1 6.'iVe2
Black has an excellent position, and can
continue quietly with the move
l 6 . . . �f8 , but he also has an alternative,
involving a pawn sacrifice, which gives
him a strong attack: 1 6 ...a4! 1 7.�xa4
�c4 1 8.'iVf2 d5 1 9.exd5 t2Jxd5
-
6 . Jl e 3 e S : Kni ght g o e s to b 3
1 9 . . . �b4 ! ? 2 0 .d6 l::t x d6 2 1 . l::t x d6
'i¥xd6 22 .�bS �xbS (Black can ex­
change both bishops for knight, and
damage the pawn structure around the
white king. As we know, queen and
knight are an excellent attacking duo.
2 2 . . . �xb3 ! ? 2 3 . cxb3 .txc3 24.bxc3
e4!oo) 2 3 .tllxbS 'ifa6 24.a3 'ifxbS
2 5 . axb4 �xb4oo Bologan-Freitag,
Izmir tt 2 004. 20.t2Jxd5 �xd5 2 1 .�b5
White has an extra pawn, but his pieces
are extremely badly placed, scattered
over the whole board, and completely
lacking any coordination, whilst Black
has two bishops and excellent piece co­
ordination. It is hardly surprising that
he has a very strong move available:
2 1 . ..e4!=F;
A2 3 ) After 1 4.i.a4 Black has a
choice: either to play l 4 . . . l::t a 6 and con­
tinue the battle, with equal chances, or
to play 1 4 . . . dS , a more concrete move,
after which there follows a standard
queen sacrifice and chances for both
sides:
A 2 3 1 ) 1 4 ... d5
1 5 .i.xc 7
�xc 7
1 6.exd5 .l:!.fd8 1 7 .dxe6 .l:!.xd2 1 8.exf7 +
Wxf7 1 9.t2Jxd2 l::td8 20.a3 Wg6 2 1 .�b5
�xa3 22.�d3 +
2 2 ... l::tx d3 ! 2 3 .cxd3 �b4 24.t2Jde4
'iYd7 25.l::thfl i.xc3 26.t2Jxc3 In most
cases, two rooks are stronger than a
queen, but in this concrete case, be-
157
Winning wi th the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
cause of the weakness of the white king,
the position is obj ectively equal,
Svidler-Naer, Moscow ch-RUS 2 0 0 6 ;
A2 3 2) With 1 4... .l:!.a6 Black declines
to play with an extra queen and prefers
an unclear position: 1 5.�£'2 .l:!.cs t
l 5 . . . lLla8 ! ? l 6 . .ie3 lLlc7=. 1 6.lLlb5?!
lLlxb5
1 7 .�xb5
a4!
1 8 .llJcl
.l:!.a8 1 8 ... d5 ! ?=F . 1 9.g4 a3 20.b3
2 0 ... ..txg4 ! 2 1 .fxg4 lLlxe4 22. �fl
lLlc3 + 2 3 .@ a l d5 24.i..d7 �d6
2 5 .i..xcS �xb6 26 ...tf5 e4 2 7.lLle2
lLixe2 2 8.�xe2 �f6 + 29.c3 -+
Anisimov-Kornev, St Petersburg 2004;
A24) 1 4.g4 lLlxb5 1 5 .llJxb5 a4
1 6.llJcl .l:!.cst 1 7.tll e 2?! 1 7 .g5 lLld7 -+ .
1 7 . . .d 5 1 7 . . . .l:!.a6 ! ? . 1 8.g5 tll d 7 and
now:
A24 1 ) 1 9.exd5 ? �f5 20 . ..tc7 .l:!.xc7
2 1 .tllxc7 �xc7 22.d6 �xd6 23.tll g 3!
White is lost, but this move is strong, in
that it poses maximum problems to
158
Black, and gives some practical chances
of making a draw, as happens in the
game. 2 3 ... ..tb4 24.°iYxb4 �xc2 +
25.@al tll c 5! 26.a3 and now 26 ...�c6 !
is winning , whereas 2 6 . . . lLlb3 +
2 7 .@a2 �xd l 2 8 . .l:!.xd l °ifc2 only led
to a draw in Sebag-Vachier-Lagrave, Cap
d'Agde rapid 2 0 0 8 ;
A242) 1 9 . ..tf2 d4 2 0 . .ig3 tll b 6
2 l .tll bxd4 tll c4 2 2 .°ifc l .l:!.a6 2 3 .tll xe6
�b6 ! :+ Instead of the automatic capture
on e6, which also gave a clear advan­
tage, this move wins at once. The knight
is going nowhere and the capture on b2
is threatened; White cannot defend.
B) I do not like the plan with 1 2.g4?! ,
which gives up the light-squared
bishop, since this bishop is very impor­
tant in such positions and it is hard for
White to manage without it: 1 2 ... tll c 7
1 3.g5 tll xb5 1 4.tll xb5 1 4.gxf6 lLlxc3
1 5 . fxe 7 tll x a2 + 1 6 .@b l 'ifxe7
1 7 .°ifxd6 °iff6+.
1 4...a4!N A good tactical resource,
which gives Black the possibility of
seizing the initiative, instead of obtain­
ing an equal but more passive position.
1 5 .gxf6 1 5 . tll c 5 dxc5 1 6 . °ifxd8
�xd8 ! ? l 7 .gxf6 �xf6 l 8 .tll c 7 .l:!.ac8
l 9 .lLlxe6 fxe6=F. 1 5 ...axb3 1 6.cxb3
1 6.fxe7 ? ? bxa2 !-+ . 1 6 ... �xf6 1 7.@bl
� d7 1 8.tll c 3 .l:!.a6 oo ; and not
l 8 .lLlxd6 ?!
Chapter 8
-
6 . � e 3 e S : Kn i ght g o es to b 3
better, having full compensation for the
sacrificed pawn.
C l 2) 1 3 ... .!:!'.c8
1 4.ilxa5
�xb3
1 4. . . tLlcS ! ? 1 5 .tLlxcS 'ifa7 ! l 6.�b4 dxcS
1 7 .ila3 'ifb6 1 8 .�a4 .!:!'.a5 !--+. 1 5.axb3
I 8 . . . .!:!'.xa2 ! I 9 . tLlc4 ( 1 9 . �xa2 ? 'ifa4+
2 0 .�b l ilxb3 2 I .'it'd3 .!:!'.d8-+)
1 9 ... 'ifxd2 2 0 . .!:!'.xd2 .!:!'.a6=F ;
C ) White has to remove his queen
from the d-file, because she does noth­
ing there. The queen has two good
retreats, but first we will analyse
1 2.'it'fl ? ! , with the idea of putting the
bishop on b6, so as to pressurise the
black queenside. 1 2 ... 'it'bS
1 5 ... d5 ! This version of the pawn sacri­
fice, with .!:!'.c8 , is more to my taste:
1 6.exd5 �c5 1 7.'iYe2 ild4�
C2) 1 3.�b l ?! t2lc7 14.a4
C l ) 1 3.�b6?! White has done what
he wanted, and put his bishop on b6 to
start pressure. The aS-pawn hangs, and
it becomes clear that standard defensive
measures are not good, so we will look
at two black continuations, which I
think are interesting.
C I I ) The first of these is the pawn
sacrifice 1 3 . . . a4! ?N 1 4 . .ixa4 .!:!'.c8
1 5 ..ibs .!:!'.xc3 1 6 .bxc3 t2lc7 1 7 . .ixc7
�xc7 with big compensation for Black.
White can also play 1 4.t2lxa4, but then
Black replies 1 4 . . . dS , after which he is
Black has a pleasant choice. He can ei­
ther bring his rook to the c-file, after
which Black fights for the advantage, or
play the long-awaited 1 4 ... d5 !?N, and
obtain the advantage at once: l 5.tlJxd5
t2icxd5 1 6.exd5 t2ixd5=F ;
C3) 1 3.g4 a4!N Black can play more
quietly, with 1 3 . . . t2lc7 , preparing the
move . . . d6-d5 , and I don't see any spe­
cial way to prevent that, but of course
he can also play more sharply, offering a
pawn sacrifice, after which he has a
strong initiative. Now:
1 59
Winn i n g with the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
C3 l ) 1 4.�xa4?! .!:!.cs A wonderful
move, after an excellent sacrifice, with a
simple idea: after any white move, there
follows the standard sacrifice on c3 , and
Black will have a clear advantage.
but Black's position is very threatening
and White is forced to take the pawn
and suffer a strong attack.
1 2 �b8
...
A) 1 2 ... tt:'ic7?! is a strategical mistake,
after which White achieves the impor­
tant exchange of two minor pieces, and
has a large advantage: 1 3.tt::l cs tt::lxb5
1 4.'i¥xb5 1 4.Ci:JxbS dS ? ! 1 5 .Ci:Jxe6 fxe6
1 6 .S:i.f2 ;!;. 14...'iYcs 1 5.Ci:Jxe6 fxe6
C3 1 1 ) 1 5.jlbs .l:!.xc3 1 6.bxc3 Ci:Jc7
1 7 _jld3 .l:!.xa2 1 8.Ci:Jd2 �e8+:;
C 3 1 2) 1 5 .S:lb6 .!:!.xc3 1 5 . . . Ci:Jb4 =F .
1 6 .bxc3 'iYcS 1 7.S:lb5 'i¥xc3=F;
C 3 1 3 ) 1 5 .g5 tt:'ih5
1 5 . . . Ci:Jxe4 ! ?
1 6 .fxe4 .l:!.xc3 1 7 . bxc3 b S 1 8 . Ci:JaS bxa4
1 9 .Ci:Jc6 �cl 2 0 .Ci:Jxe 7 + 't!Vxe 7 � .
1 6 .S:lbs .!:!.xc3 1 7 .bxc3 tt:'ic7=F
C3 2) 14.tt:'ixa4? Taking this way makes
no sense, because Black easily regains it
and obtains a large advantage: 1 4 Ci:Jc7
1 5 .tt::l c 3 tt:'ixb5 1 6.tt:'ixb5 .!:!.xa2=F;
C3 3) 1 4.tt:'id2 tt:'ic7- 14 ... a3 1 5 .b3
Ci:Jb4=F . 1 5 .S:lxa4 b5 1 5 . . . �xa2 ! ?+ .
l 6.i.b3 b4 1 7 .tt:'ie2
•..
1 7 ...dS =F At first, White did not take the
pawn and tried to keep lines closed, so
as to stop Black developing an attack,
1 60
1 6.l:!.d3 ! .!:!.a6 1 6 . . . 't!Vc6 1 7 . .!:!.hd l @f7
1 8 .a4 .!:!.fc8 1 9 .Wb l t. 1 7.a4 1 7 .l:!.hd l ! ?
Ci:Je8 l 8 .�b3 @ f7 1 9 . g 3 �c6 20 .a4
Ci:Jf6 2 1 .Ci:Jbs ± . 1 7 ... .!:!.£7 1 s . .!:!.hd1 i.f8
1 9 .�b3 �es 20.Wbl l:!.c6 2 1 .g4 l:IcS
22.�b6 tt::l d 7 2 3.�gl tt:'if6 24.l:!.3d2
.!:!.c6 25.Ci:Jbs l:!.d7 26.h4 'i¥f7
2 7.i.h2! +- Lastin-Dvoirys, Moscow
ch-RUS 1 99 9 . An instructive game. All
the white pieces occupy ideal positions,
and Black's position is sad to look at;
Chap ter 8
B) 1 2 ... 'iWc8?! 1 3 .tll a4 tll b4 1 4.@b l
'lWc7 1 5 .a3 tll c 6 1 6.tllb 6 J::la d8 1 7 .tll d S
�xdS 1 8 . exdS tll b 8 1 9 .g4± ; or
1 9 .�c4± It matters little how White
chooses to win the game. He can play
g4, aiming to give mate, or follow the
more technical path of just exchanging
queens and converting the technically
winning ending.
-
6 . .£ e 3 e S : Kn i ght g oes t o b 3
26.�xf4 exf4 27.�xf4 i.xd5 28.h4
�e6 Black has sacrificed the exchange
for excellent practical chances. However,
at home in front of the computer, it is al­
ways easy. If White succeeds in defend­
ing, he has some chances to seize the ad­
vantage himself: 29.tll e 2! �b4 30.l::[h dl
�xd2 3 1 .'iWxd2! ;
B) 1 7.�xbSN tll xbS 1 8.�xbS
1 3 .g41
1 3 ..JkS
1 3 tll c 7 1 4.�a4 .i::r c 8 1 5 .gS tll h s
1 6.@b l b5 ! Our beloved . . . b7-b5 once
again, opening lines against the white
king. White cannot prevent this or its
consequences :
A) 1 7.tll xbS
t2Jxb5
1 8 .�xbS
1 8 .�xbS ? ! 'iWc7--.. 1 8 ... a4 1 9.t2Jcl l::!: as
20.c4
•••
1 8 ... �xc3! This is not the standard ex­
change sacrifice we are used to, but only
an exchanging operation, after which
White will have rook and two pawns
against two minor pieces. 1 9.'iWxb8+
�xb8 20.bxc3 a4 2 1 .@cl axb3 22.cxb3
fS 2 3.gxf6 tll xf6 and now either
24.�gS! or 24.c4!. To my surprise, the
computer assesses this position as equal.
From a human standpoint, I would con­
sider it better for White.
1 4.@b1
20 ... l::!:xbS ! 2 1 .cxbS �c4 22.'iYg2 'iWxbS
23.l::[ d2 d5 24.'iVg4 �b8 25.exdS tll f4
As always, White faces the question of
whether or not to play g4-g5 . As we
said earlier about such positions, there
are pluses and minuses: 14.gS We will
examine the move 1 4... l2Je8 , where the
black knight heads to c7, to eliminate
the main blockader, the i.bS . But there
is also the sharp 1 4 . . . tll h S , leading to a
fierce fight, with mutual chances:
1 5 .@b l tll c 7 1 6 .�a4 bS transposes to
the line 1 3 . . . tll c 7 given above.
161
Winn i n g wi th t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
pieces are more active and his pawn
structure somewhat better, and in addi­
tion, it is not obvious how to defend the
pawn on d4. 1 8.WVe2 a4 1 9.CiJcl aJ=F;
C) 1 5.f4 CiJec7 1 6.�xa6 CiJxa6 1 7.f5
�c4 Lively play has started, with Black
attacking on the queenside and White
on the kingside, but it obvious even to
the naked eye that Black's attack is
stronger and faster.
A) 1 5 .�xe8 .l:he8 1 5 . . Jhc3 ! ?N
1 6.jlxf? + �xf7 1 7 .bxc3 WVc8 !�. 1 6.f4
exf4 1 7 ..ixf4 'i:Vc8 oo ;
B) 1 5 .'it>b l CiJec7 1 6 . .ic4? .ixc4
1 7.WVxc4
1 7 ...b5!N 1 7 . . . a4 1 8.CiJcl a3 1 9.b3 CiJe6
2 0.'iVd3 CiJb4 2 1 .'i1Yd2 Ii.a6 22 .CiJdS
CiJxdS 2 3 .exdS CiJd4 24.�xd4 exd4,
Karjakin-Grischuk, Odessa rapid 20 1 0 .
White has the advantage, because his
Sergey Karjakln
1 62
C l ) 1 8.'iVe l ?! b5 !N 1 8 . . . WVc7 1 9 .f6
�f8 2 0 .Wb l bS 2 1 .'iVf2 a4 22.CiJaS
�e6 2 3 .�b6 'iVd7 24.CiJdS �xdS
2 5 .exdS a3 2 6 .CiJc6 axb2 - a sharp po­
sition, but one where Black's chances
are slightly better, Ter Sahakyan-Yilmaz,
Chotowa Wch-jr 2 0 1 0 . 1 9 .f6 b4
20.CiJe2 2 0 .CiJdS �d8=F . And now
20 ...a4+:; or 20 ....idS !?+;
C2) 1 8.'iYd2N This was the only
move, which by accurate play retains
equality. The idea is that after fS -f6 , the
black pawn on d6 will hang. 1 8 ... b5
1 9.f6 �d8 This is the moment where
we feel the difference between the
queen retreats. 1 9 . . . �f8 2 0 . fxg7
'it>xg 7 oo . 20.'i1Yxd6 b4 2 1 .'iVxb8 �axb8
22.CiJa4 .ib5 23.CiJbc5 CiJxc5 24.CiJxc5
.ib6 2 5 .�d5 �c6 26.�hd l �bc8
26 . . . h6 ! ?oo. 2 7.jlgl h6oo We might say
that all the pieces are pinned. White has
an extra pawn, but this is an irrelevance
when one looks at the black pieces. Of-
Chapter 8
ten such positions end with White re­
turning the pawn and equalising.
1 4...tt:Jc7
14 ... a4 1 5 .tll xa4 ttJb4 1 6.gS ti:Jhs
1 6 . . . tll e 8 ! ? 1 7 .'t!Vd2 tll x c2 1 8 . .l:Ic l
tllx e3 1 9 . .l:!.xc8 �xc8 2 0 .tll b 6 tll c 7
2 1 .tll x a8 't!Vxa8 2 2 .iile2 tll g 2 and Black
has a winning position, which he con­
verted confidently in Ter Sahakyan­
Gopal, Martuni 2 0 1 0 . 1 7.tllc 3
1 7 ... .l:!.xc3 ! Our favourite companion,
the exchange sacrifice, after which forc­
ing play ensues, and White obtains some
advantage. 1 8.bxc3 tllxa2 1 9.Wb2 tllf4
20.°iVd2 dS ! 2 1 ..l:!.al ! d4! 2 l .. .�a3 + ?
22.Wb l d4 2 3 . .l:i.xa2± . 22.�xd4 exd4
2 3 . .l:!.xa2 dxc3 + 24.'i¥xc3 .l:!.xa2+
2S.Wxa2 �xgS 26 ..l:!.dl hS;\;
-
6 . � e 3 eS : Kn i ght g o es to b 3
In the game, White incorrectly accepted
the sacrifice, and obtained a bad posi­
tion which he was unable to defend:
1 6 .tllxbS ?! tllxbS 1 7.�xbS 1 7 .'t!VxbS
't!Vc7 =F .
1 7 ... a4
1 8 .ttJd2
dS
l 8 . . . 't!Vb7 ! ?:f. 1 9.gS
1 9 ... .l:!.aS ! 20.gxf6? A terrible mistake,
after which White can resign with a
clear conscience, although it was hard
to find the only possible defence:
2 0 .�a6D �a3 2 1 .b3 ld.c6 ! 2 2 .gxf6
.l:!.cxa6 2 3 .exdS iilxdS 24.tll c4 axb3
2 5 . cxb3 .l:!.bS ! -+ . 20 ... .l:!.xbS 2 1 .b3
�xf6 22.exdS iilxdS 23.'t!Vd3 axb3
24.cxb3
1 5 .�a4
24...e4! 2S.tllxe4 �xe4 0- 1 The attack
ends with a beautiful mate, Visser­
Klein, Amsterdam 2 0 1 1 .
But White had another option, which
gave him chances to equalize:
1 5 ... bSI
1 6.�xbSN tt:Jxb5 1 7.°ifxbS 'filc7
1 63
Winning with the Naj dorf S i c i l i a n
1 8 ..tb6
Or 1 8 .gS tLld7 1 9 .a4 .l::!. ab8 2 0 .'i¥e2
�c4 with an attack for Black.
Neither side can decline the repetition.
If 1 9 .tLlxaS ? 'i¥a6 ! 2 0 .tLlc6 �xa2+
2 1 .<Jo>c l nxc6 2 2 .'i¥xc6
1 8...�b7
1 9.�f2
White has an extra pawn, and Black in
return has excellently posted pieces and
is ready to attack.
22 . . . tLld7 ! 2 3 .'i¥xd7 �gs + 24 . .l::t d2
'i¥xb6 2 5 .�bS 'lWf2+; or 1 9 .�xaS ?!
'lWxbS 2 0.tLlxbS .txb3 2 l .cxb3 �xa5
2 2 .tLlxd6 �xd6 2 3 .nxd6 h5 ! and Black
has a slight advantage.
1 9...�c7 20 ..tb6 'ii' b7=
.
Conclusion
Looking at this chapter, we have obtained answers to many of the ques­
tions that interest us: can Black obtain sufficient play after 1 O . . . a5 to make
up for the strategic weakening of his position? We can conclude that he
has good enough play in all lines, and in several cases can take over the
initiative.
From this chapter, we can also identify various devices which are typi­
cal of the Najdorf: the pawn sacrifice . . . b7-b5, . . . a5 -a4 and . . . d6-d5 , and
the standard Sicilian exchange sacrifice on c3 .
1 64
Part IV
Other White Moves
In this part, we will examine five minor alternatives on move 6 in five separate
chapters. These are:
Chapter 9
-
The Positional 6 .�e2
Chapter 10 - The Aggressive 6 .f4
Chapter 11 - Occupyi ng the Flank: 6.a4
Chapter 12 - The Fianchetto 6 .g3
Chapter 13 - The Poisonous 6.h3
1 65
Winning w i th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
Chapter 9
The Positional 6.�e2
1.e4 c5 2.t2Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.t2Jxd4 t2Jf6 5.t2Jc3 a6 6.�e2
In this chapter, we will examine the move of the bishop to e2. This does not pretend
to a large advantage, and the move is not the most principled; instead, White wishes
to direct the game into positional channels, where his advantage will be minimal, but
his position will be solid and reliable. White gives his opponent the chance to play
6 . . . e6 and then after 7 .a4, which is one of the strongest moves in the position, we
reach a position typical of the Scheveningen Variation. I think the Scheveningen ap­
peals more to players who prefer a defensive formation and base their plans on coun­
terattack, and Najdorf lovers (myself included) are not so keen on it. Therefore, we
will examine the move 6 . . . eS, instead of 6 . . . e6, for the above reasons.
The tempting move 6 . . . eS has one drawback. Black weakens the strategically important square dS and practically all the subsequent play revolves around this
square. The first plus of 6 . . . es is that it drives the white knight from the central
square d4. The second is that Black gains a tempo for the development of his pieces,
and his light-squared bishop can come to e6, where it will help in the fight for dS .
In my opinion, after 6 . . . eS, White has two main plans:
1 . To play a2-a4 and not allow the advance . . . b 7 -bS and the activation of the
black queenside. The subsequent part of the plan involves kingside castling and
then White has two interesting ways to continue. The first is f2-f3 , after which long
positional play ensues. The second involves the sharper and more aggressive f2-f4,
the idea of which is either to exchange pawns on eS , or, if allowed, to push f4-fS .
2 . The other plan is the aggressive move g2-g4. With g4-gS White wants to
start an indirect fight for the important square dS . After driving the knight away
from f6 , White can play �g4 and try to exchange off the last defender of dS.
1 66
Chapter 9
1 .e4 c5 2.tllf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.tt:lxd4 tt:lf6 5.tt:lc3 a6 6.ile2 e5
7.tt:lb3
7.tll f3 Coming back with knight to f3
isn't the best solution. White's idea is to
play .tc4 and ile3 or .tgS . But Black
has the very strong move . . . h7-h6 , after
which White has to develop his bishop
on e3 , entering a position with an im­
portant tempo less, compared with
6 .h3 (see Chapter 1 3 ) .
-
T h e Posi t i on a l 6 . � e 2
C ) 8.h3 �e6 9.�e3 tll bd7 1 0.0-0
1 0 .'i¥d2 .i::r c 8 1 1 . 0-0 tt:l c s 1 0 ... .i::rc s
l l .a4 ile7 = .
.
7...�e7
In this position White has three main
continuations. We will discuss all of
them in some detail.
8.0-0
A) 8.�g5 The bishop's move is hardly
being played currently. White players
have tried everything, but it was not
enough.
7 h6 :
A) 8.0-0 .te6 If 8 . . . �e7
•..
8 ... �e6 9.�xf6 ilxf6 1 0.'i¥d3 tll c 6
1 1 .0-0-0
9 .�c4! (9 . .i::r e I .te6 !) 9 . . . 'i¥c7 l O . .tb3
White can fight for the advantage. 9.a4
9 . .i::r e 1 �e7 1 0 .ilfl 0-0 l 1 .h3 tllb d7
1 2 .tll d S .txdS 1 3 .exdS tllh 7 t . 9 ...�e7
1 o.ile3 0 - 0 1 I .tll d 2 'iY c7 1 2.�f3
tll b d7 1 3.as .i::r acS=.
B) 8.a4 �e6 9 . 0 - 0 tll b d7 1 0 .�e3
.i::r c 8 1 1 .aS ile7 = ;
A 1) 1 1 . .. tll d4? ! is not an obligatory
move. After it, Black faces difficulties.
The best solution in the position is
1 l . . . 'i¥b6 , see line A2. 1 2.tll xd4 exd4
1 3.tt:lds .txd5 1 4.exdS 0-0 1 5.'i¥f3
167
Winn i n g w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
A l 1 ) 1 S .. Jle8 1 6.�d3 J:les 1 7.@b l
�as
Grande 2 0 04; 2 0 . . . g6? 2 l .b4!± V
Onischuk-Dvoirys, St Petersburg 2 0 1 1 ) .
2 1 .gS �d8 22.J:lhe l t ;
1 6 .�d3
'i¥f6
A l 2 ) 1 5 .. �es
1 7 .�xf6 �xf6
1 8 . J:lhe l
l:!.fe 8
1 9 . .l:!.xe8+ l:!.xe8 2 0 .f4 g6 2 1 .b4 Wf8
22 .@b2 @e7 2 3 .@b3 .l:lc8 24.g4 �h4
2S . .!:i.fl @d7 2 6 . I;lf3 l:!.h8 2 7 . .l:lh3 gf6
2 8 .gS �g7 29.l::r f3 . By means of splen­
did play in a roughly equal position,
White gradually strengthened his posi­
tion move by move, and pressed Black,
until the latter could not stand the ten­
sion and lost. Carlsen in his element in
Carlsen-Karjakin, Nice blind 2 0 0 8 .
A 2 ) 1 1 . .. �b6 !
1 2.�xd6
After
1 2 . .!:i.hfl tt:Jd4 ( 1 2 . . . 0-0 1 3 .�b l .l:!.fd8
1 4.tt:Jds �xdS l S .°iYxdS t2J e 7 = )
1 3 .t2Jxd4 exd4 1 4.tt:Jds �xdS l S .exdS
0 - 0 l 6 .�b3 �as 1 7 .@b l J:!.fe8
1 8 .�d3 bS 19 .�fs l:ta7 2 0 .°iYh3 g6
2 l .�d3 J:lae7 2 2 .�g3 .l:i.e l and we
have a dead drawn position, Felgaer­
Gelfand, Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 0 S .
1 2 ...�e7 1 3.tt:Jds 1 3 .�d3 'flxf2oo.
1 3 ... �xdS
1 4.�xdS 0-0 After
1 4 . . Jld8 ! ? the position is absolutely
equal, for example: l S .°iYc4 .l::!. xd l +
1 6 .l:rxd l �xf2 1 7 .J:lfl �e3 + 1 8 .@b l
0-0 1 9 .�g4 g6 2 0 .�d7 t2Jd4 2 1 .t2Jxd4
exd4 2 2 .°iYd3 @g7 2 3 .a3 1/2-1/2
Smeets-Dominguez Perez, Wijk aan Zee
2 0 0 9 . 1 S.�d2 �xf2 1 6.�c4
.
1 8.g4! �xdS?! 1 8 . . . J:lae8 1 9 .h4 �xdS
2 0 .�xdS l:!.xdS 2 1 .gS �d8 2 2 .f4 J:lcS
2 3 .J:lhe l J:lxe l 24.J:lxe l @f8 2 S .a3 .!:lc8
2 6 .�xh7 �c7 27 .�fS± Bezgodov­
Kozlitin, Voronezh 2 0 1 0 . 1 9.�xdS
J:lxdS 20.f4
Here, Black is slightly worse, but with
the move 20 ... J:lcS ! ?N he reaches not
such a bad position, where he can fight.
The rook escapes from its troubles and
returns home (20 . . . �h4 2 l .b4 J:lc8
2 2 .a4 l:!.c3 2 3 .@b2 fS 24.gxfS J:lxd3
2 S .cxd3 J:lxfS 2 6 .J:lc l J:lxf4 2 7 .J:lhfl
�d8
2 9 . a S +2 8 .l:lxfl
l:lxfl
Morelia/Linares
Radjabov-Shirov,
2 0 0 8 ; 20 . . . gs 2 1 .fxgS J:lxgS 2 2 .�fs
J:le8 2 3 .J:lhfl �es 24.h4 J:lg7 2 S .hS h6
2 6 .J:lf3 and the endgame, despite the
extra pawn for Black, is absolutely
equal, Kiilaots-Areschenko, Cappelle la
1 68
Chapter 9
A2 1 ) 1 6 ... 'ifxd2 + 1 7 . tbxd2 Here
White has some pressure, and his posi­
tion is a little more pleasant, as shown
in the following game : 1 7 . . J:!.ac8
1 8 .�b 1 bS 1 9 .�dS J::r c 7 2 0 .t2Jf3 l:i:fc8
2 1 ..!::lhfl �f6 22 .c3 hS 23 . .l:tf2 . White
has the advantage, as his bishop domi­
nates and his pawn structure is some­
what better, Hou Yifan-Ju Wenjun,
Jiangsu Wuxi 2 0 1 1 ;
A22) 1 6 ...°iYh4 1 7.'ife2 ld:ac8
1 8.a3 ! ld:c7 1 8 . . . �f6 ?
1 9 .Wb l ?! tbd4 2 0 .tbxd4 exd4 2 1 .g3
Here White also holds some advantage,
for instance: 2 1 . . .°iYgS 2 2 . ld:hfl �e3
23 . .l::!.f3 1/2-1/2 Anand-Topalov, Morelia/
Linares 2 0 0 8 . However, it is not clear to
me why Anand refrained from playing
1 9 .l:i:d? !N, as after 1 9 . . . bS 2 0 .�ds±
White has a huge advantage. 1 9 .Wb l
�f6 20.c3 On square h4 the black
queen does not stand properly, as it nei-
-
T h e Posi ti onal 6 . ..@. e 2
ther helps its pieces nor supports an ex­
change of the rooks, and in this case the
c7-rook doesn't help with the the de­
fence of the d-file either;
A23) 1 6 ... 'ifb6!N The queen stands
here best of all, defending pawn b7 and
helping to exchange the rooks, after
which the position becomes equal.
1 7.Wb l I:!.ad8 The main idea of this
move is that Black can easily exchange
both rooks. One important factor is that
the pawn is on b7 and not on bS . In the
latter case the c6-knight wouldn't be
defended and White would always have
the possibility of the unpleasant break
a2-a4.
B) 8.g4 A daring move, but one with
an interesting idea. White wants to play
g4-g5 and then put the bishop on g4
and exchange the light-squared bish­
ops. In a way this is similar to the varia­
tions connected with the move 6 .�e3 ,
but here White doesn't lose the impor­
tant tempo on the move f2-f3 and plays
f2-f4 at once. 8 ... h6
B l ) 9.�e3 �e6 1 0.�f3 1 0 .h4 dS !N
As we are taught as children, if the op­
ponent attacks on the flank, one should
counter in the centre. This example am­
ply illustrates the truth of this postulate.
1 1 .tLlxdS tbxdS 1 2 . exdS �xdS oo ;
1 0 .tiJdS t2Jbd 7 ! l l .f3 �xdS 1 2 .exdS
tbh7 1 3 .�f2 White just needs to play
1 69
Wi nning wi th t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
h2-h4 and his position will be normal­
ised, but all his dark squares are weak.
For this reason, Black's move is obvious
and strong, after which he has the ad­
vantage: 1 3 . . . �h4! :f Polgar-Karjakin,
Benidorm 2 0 0 3 . 1 0 ... tt:Jbd7 In the main
lines Black doesn't even have the slight­
est problem, but there is an interesting
idea connected with the move 1 0 . . . as ! ? ,
namely l l . a4 tll a 6 . l 1 .'iWe2 .l::!. c 8
1 2.0-0-0
12 .l::!.xc3 ! This is a standard sacrifice,
after which Black gets rich play on the
queenside. 1 3.bxc3 �c7 14.h4
•••
1 5 .gS tt:Jxe4 1 6 .'ti'd3 fS ! :f . 1 5 ...tt:Jcs
1 6 . .l::!.del 'iWa4�;
B2) 9.f4 tlJc6 9 . . . exf4 1 0.�xf4 tlJc6
l 1 .h3 �e6 1 2 .'tl!Vd2 dS 1 3 .0-0-0 dxe4
1 4. 'ti'e3 'tW c8 1 5 . tt:Jxe4 tlJxe4 1 6 . �xe4
0-0 1 7 .Wb l fS l 8 .'ti'e3 tlJb4 l 9 .�d3
fxg4 20 . .ie4 �fS 2 1 . tll d 4 �xe4
2 2 ."il'xe4 �c4 2 3 .b3 'tWf7 24.tlJe6 with
a roughly equal position, but Black
needs to be on his guard and to play
concretely, Shirov-Van Wely, Tilburg
1 99 7 ; 9 . . . bS 1 0 .gS tt:Jfd7 1 1 .tlJdS �b7
1 2 .�d2 tt:Jc6 l 3 . gxh6 �h4+ 1 4.Wfl
gxh6 1 5 .c4 bxc4 l 6.�xc4 exf4 1 7 . .l::!. c 1
.l::!. c 8 l 8 .�e2 tll f6 1 9 .�g4 tlJxdS
2 0 .exdS tll e S 2 l .�xc8 �xc8 22 . .l::!.c 3
and here Black has a winning position,
due to the weakness of the white king,
which does not have a single defender,
whilst Black is attacking with his whole
army, Bologan-Svidler, Tomsk 2 0 0 1 .
1 0.0-0 1 O.fS bS l l .�e3 �b7 l 2 .a4 b4
1 3 .tll dS tt:JxdS 1 4.°iYxdS 'tl!Vc7:f; 1 0 .gS
hxgS 1 1 .fxgS tlJh7 1 2 .tlJdS tt:Jxg5 -+
Nisipeanu-Bruzon Batista, Moscow
2 0 0 1 . 1 0 ...exf4 1 1 ..ixf4 0-0=F;
B3) 9.h4 bS 1 O . .if3 b4 1 1 .tlJdS
tlJxdS 1 2 .'ti'xdS .l::!.a 7 l 3 .�e3 �e6
1 4.°iVd2 .l::!. b 7oo Matlakov-Korbut, St Pe­
tersburg 2 0 0 7 ;
B4) 9 .l::!. g l �e6 1 0 .�f3
•
14 ...�c6 !N Black's standard sacrifice a
couple of moves ago weakened the
white king and spoilt his pawn struc­
ture. But White is also ready to start
counteraction with the move g4-g5 ,
and for this reason, 1 4 . . . 'tW c6 is a very
strong prophylactic move, which stops
g4-g5 and transfers the queen to the
ideal attacking square a4. 1 5.�d2
1 70
1 0 . . . aS !N This is an interesting move in
this type of position, which is always
Chapter 9
approved by our 'iron friend' . The idea
is simple: Black wants to push back the
knight from b3 , and if White plays
a2-a4, he loses control of the b4-square
and gives it to the black knight, after
which Black can carry through . . . d6-d5
with ease and comfort. I I .a4 tLlc6=F.
8 0-0 9.�e3
...
A) If 9.'itihl b5 !
A I ) 1 0.a4 �b7
White must undertake concrete mea­
sures, as the pawn on e4 is hanging. He
can exchange on bS and then a8, but this
does not help the e4-pawn, and although
the black b-pawn would then hang, the
exchange of b-pawn for e-pawn favours
Black. White therefore has to choose be­
tween the move f2-f3 , and the interesting
jump tLldS . The former is very passive
and leaves Black with an excellent game,
so by a process of elimination, we come
to the conclusion that:
A I I ) 1 1 .tLldS is the strongest.
-
T h e P o s i t i onal 6 . Jl e 2
A I I I ) 1 1 ...b4! 1 2.tLlxf6+ 1 2 .tLlxe 7 +
'fixe 7 I 3 . f3 dS I 4. exd5 �xdS =
Yakovenko-Naer, Krasnoyarsk 2 0 0 3 .
1 2 ...�xf6 1 3.f3 'fie? 1 4...te3
14 ... dS !N I 4 . . . tLld7 I S .c3 bxc3 I 6 . .l::i. c I
.l::t ac8 I 7 .�xc3 'fib8 I 8 .tLlaS �xc3
I 9 .bxc3 �c8 2 0.'fids 'fib2 2 I .�d3
�xc3 2 2 . .l:Ic I �b4 2 3 .tLlc4 Jl.e7
24.'fias 'fib8 2 5 .tLlb6 �d8 2 6 .tLlxd7
�xd7 27 .'i:Yxa6 and White has the ad­
vantage, Asrian-Jobava, Yerevan zt
2 0 0 0 . 1 5.exdS �d8 1 6.�d3
1 6 ...�xdS ! If I 6 . . . �xdS I 7 .c3 ! ! . A fan­
tastic move! It is clearly a computer
move. The bishop on d3 is in the line of
the �d8 and this move weakens its de­
fence. But it is strong because it opens
the c-file and White takes control of the
square c S .
1 7 .a5 ! A very strong positional move,
which does not allow Black to play
. . . a6-a5 and strengthen his weak pawns.
171
Winn ing wi th the Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
Now his weak pawn on a6 is fixed and
the b4-pawn remains without defence,
moreover the development of the b8knight and a8-rook becomes difficult,
as after �e2 the a6-pawn will be under
attack. 1 7 ... �c6 1 8.�e2 tlJd7 1 8 . . . e4! ?
1 9 .fxe4 �xe4
2 0 . .l:!.xf6 ! ! . The only move that allows
White to fight for the advantage! In case
of slow play, Black will exchange the
strong bishop on d3 and snap the initia­
tive. 20 . . . gxf6 2 1 .tlJd4 °iVd5 22 . .l:!.fl
tlJc6 2 3 .tlJf5 i.xf5 24.�xf5 tlJe7
2 5 .°iVg4+ tlJg6 2 6.�b6 .l:!.e8 2 7 .�xb4
.l:le2 2 8 .�g4 .l:!.ae8 2 9.�d3 �d2 3 0 .b3
h5 3 l .�g3 h4 3 2 .�g4 - White has a
very good position, due to his bishop
pair and Black's weak pawns. 1 9.l:i:adl
h6 Or 1 9 . . . e4 2 0 .fxe4 �xe4 2 1 . tlJd4
jlxd3 2 2 .l::rx d3 �xd4 2 3 . .l:!.xd4 .i::r e 8
24.�£'2 .l::!. e 7 25 ..id2 �xc2 2 6 .�xb4
�xf2 2 7 .r.i:xf2
2 7 . . . tlJc5 2 8 .h3;!;. Play takes place on
both flanks, and the position has an
open character. Because of this, White
has an advantage with his bishop, and a
chance to create a passed pawn. 20.�f2
h5 2 1 ..!::[fe 1 g6 the position is close to
equality;
Al 1 2) 1 1 ...tlJbd7?! 1 2 .tlJxe7+ �xe7
1 3 .£'3 d5 1 3 . . . bxa4
-
1 5 . tlJxb7 tlJxb 7
1 4.tlJa5 !
tlJc5
l 6 . .i::rxa4;l; Khalifman-Loginov, St Pe­
tersburg 1 99 5 . 1 4.exdS �xd5 1 5.axbS
�xb3 1 5 . . . axb5 1 6 . .l::!. x a8 i.xa8
1 7 .�xb5± Stellwagen-Bu Xiangzhi,
Wijk aan Zee 2 0 0 7 . 1 6.cxb3 axb5
1 7 . .i::rxa8 .i::rxa8 1 8.�xbS ;!; ;
A 1 1 3 ) 1 1 ...tlJxe4?
1 2.tlJaS !N A very interesting move.
Strangely, nobody has played this nov­
elty, although this position was reached
5 times. Surprisingly, 4 out of these 5
games were won by Black, even though
1 72
Chapter 9
the other moves chosen also gave White
an advantage. 1 2 . . . WfxaS 1 3 .tbxe 7 +
�h8 1 4.f3 'iVd8 1 s .tt:Jfs ± ;
A 1 1 4) 1 1 . ..bxa4 1 2 . l:rxa4 �c6
1 3 . .r:i:a3 tbxe4 1 4.tbaS;l:; Kasparov­
Anand, Las Palmas 1 9 9 6 .
A 1 2) 1 1 .axbS axbS 1 2.l:rxa8 ..txa8
1 3.Wfd3 t2Jbd7 1 4...teJN 1 4.�dl b4!
l S .tbdS
tbxdS
1 6 .exdS
Wf c 7
( 1 6 . . . tbb6 !=F) 1 7 .c4 bxc3 l 8.bxc3 .l:!.b8
1 9 .c4 Wlb6 2 0 .Wlfs tbf6 2 I . l:rd3 �b7
2 2 .l:rg3 �c8 2 3 .Wlgs g6 24.Wfe3 'ifc7 .
White's attack has come to nothing,
whilst Black has achieved a lot on the
queenside. Black has a large advantage,
Vogt-Suetin, Leipzig 1 9 8 0 . 14 ...b4
1 s .tt:Jds tbxds 1 6.exds i.gs t;
A l 3 ) 1 1 .f3 b4 1 2 . tbds lbxdS
1 3 . exdS tbd7 Black's position looks
more pleasant, due to his better devel­
opment and central pawns. Also, he has
easy play in the kingside connected
with the e- and f-pawns. For example:
1 4.c4 as 1 S .�e3 �gs 1 6 .f4 exf4
1 7 .�xf4 �xf4 1 8 . .l:rxf4 tbeS 1 9 . tbd4
'ifgs 2 0 .WVfl .l:rfe8 2 1 .1l!Vf2 I:!.ad8
2 2 .:c!'..fl :c!'.. d 7 2 3 .tbb3 Wfd8 24.h3 �a6
and Black won in Panarin-Bu Xiangzhi,
Internet Chess Club 2 0 0 S ;
A2) 1 0.tLldS tbxdS 1 1 .WfxdS l:ra7
1 2.�e3 �e6 1 3.Wfdl 1 3 .'ilWd2 J:[d7 !
1 4.a4 dS = . 1 3 ... J:[b?! 1 4.a4 1 4 . .l::t c l
tbc6 l S . c 4 tbaS 1 6 . tbxaS Wf xaS
1 7 .cxbS axbS 1 8 .a3 'ifa8 1 9 . .id3 .i:!.d8
2 0 .f3 h6 2 I ..l:rf2 �gs 2 2 .�xgS hxgS
with an absolutely equal position,
Short-Kasparov, Novgorod 1 9 94.
1 4...bxa4N 1 4 . . . tbc6 1 S .'ifd2 Wfc7
1 6.axbS axbS 1 7 .J::!'.. a 6 dS 1 8 .exdS
�xdS 1 9 .°iVxdS tbb4 2 0 .Wfxb7 Wlxb7
2 1 . .l:!.a7 'i!Yc8 2 2 . l:rxe7 and Black had a
very large advantage in Ganguly­
Saravanan, Nagpur 2 0 0 2 . 1 S . .l:!.xa4 Wfd7
1 6.'i!Yal .l:!.c8 1 7 . .l:!.c1
-
The P o s i t i o n a l 6 . � e 2
1 7 ...h6! A strong move! Firstly, Black
wants to exchange his bad dark-squared
bishop for its stronger white opponent
and secondly, to make luft for the king.
A3) 1 0.f4?! �b7 l I .�f3 tbbd7+;
B) 9.a4 Always necessary for White in
such structures. He does not allow Black
to play . . . b7-bS and develop his pieces
actively, and in addition, he wants to play
a4-aS and fix the black pawns.
9 ... �e6 and now:
B l ) 1 0.�f3 tbbd7 1 1 ..l:!.el Wlc7
B 1 1 ) 1 2.aS Of course, this is not the
fixing White dreamed of, because Black
can play . . . b7 -bS anyway, after which
he has a weak pawn on a6, but active
pieces, which compensate for this:
B 1 1 1 ) 1 2 ... bS 1 3.axb6 tbxb6 1 4.tLlaS
tbc4 1 S.tbxc4 i.xc4 1 6.�d2 l:!.fc8 1 7.b3
�e6 1 8 ..l:ta2 Wlb7 1 9.Wle2 �d8 20.t2:la4
20 . .i:!ea l �b6 2 l .tba4 �d4 2 2 .:c!'..d l dS
2 3 .exdS �xdS 24.�xdS tbxdS 2 S .Wff3 .
Black has carried out . . . d6-dS , activating
1 73
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
his bishop on e 7 , and has obtained
slightly the better position, Shabalov­
Naroditsky, Las Vegas 2 0 0 9 . 20 ... l:i.c6
2 1 .i::t'.eal l:!.ac8 22.'iYd3 tll d 7 23.c4 ..tb6
24...te3 i.xe3 2S.'iYxe3 tllf8 26 . ..te2
i::t'.b 8 2 7.l:i.a3 with a small advantage, on
account of the weak black pawn on a6,
Areschenko-Nepomniachtchi, Sochi tt
2008;
B l 1 2) 1 2 ... i::tfc s 1 3 .i.e3 h 6 1 4.'iYd2
bS 1 S .axb6 tll xb6 1 6.tll a S tll c4
1 7.tllxc4
Black has two ways to recapture. After
the bishop capture White has the ad­
vantage. However, the queen on c4 is a
bone in White's throat and does not al­
low him to carry out his plans in peace.
1 7 ... 'iYxc4N 1 7 . . . jlxc4 1 8 . .!:!ec l ! 'iYb7
1 9 .b3 �e6 2 0 .'iYd3 �d8 2 1 .tll a4 .ld.c6
22 .c4 �h8 2 3 .i::t'. ab l aS 24.jle2 .l:!.b8
2 S .i::t'. d l and White has a small but sta­
ble advantage, LekoKarjakin, Nice blind
2 0 0 8 . 1 8 . ..te2 'i!Vc6 1 9Jled l oo
B 1 2) 1 2.tlld2 i::t'.ac8 1 3.tllfl
1 3 ... J::!'. fe8! 1 3 . . . 'i!Vc6 1 4.tll e 3 bS ?
( 1 4 . . . tll cs ! ? 1 S .as .!:!fe8 1 6. tll edS jlxdS
1 7 .exdS �c7�) l S .axbS axbS 1 6.tll fS
.l:!.fe8 1 7 . .l:!.e2 jlf8 1 8 .tll d S jixdS
1 9.exdS 'i?Vb7 20.g4 g6 2 1 .tllh 6+ itxh6
22 .jLxh6 e4 2 3 .itg2 tllxg4 24.�f4 'i?Vb6
2S .�h3 tlldf6 2 6.'i?Vd2 and Black has a
winning position, but everything is pos­
sible in blitz, Alexeev-Karjakin, Moscow
blitz 2008. 14.tlle 3 'iYc6= Even with his
control of the dS-square White doesn't
have an advantage, as the bishop on c 1
can't get involved into the game, and also
the pawn on c2 is always under attack,
not allowing the c3-knight to comfort­
ably move to dS .
B2) 1 0.f4 exf4 1 1 .i.xf4 tll c 6 1 2.tlld4
1 2 .�h l dS 1 3 .eS tll e 4 1 4.�d3 and I
think 9 0% of players would play 1 4 . . .fS
here, but the computer regards
1 4 . . . tll c S as equally good. It is a strong
and interesting move, although even so,
I would prefer 1 4 .. .fS . 1 4 . . . tll c S!N
1 S .tll xcS .itxcS 1 6.'i?Vf3 oo . 12 ...'i?Vb6
1 3.i.e3
1 3 ... tll xd4 1 3 . . . dS ! 1 4. exdS tll x dS
1 s . tll xdS ..txdS 1 6. tll fs �cs 1 7. 'iYxdS
.itxe3+ 1 8 .�h l g6=. 1 4.�xd4 'i?Vc7
1 5.aS tt:ld7 1 6.tll ds jlxdS 1 7.exdS itf6
1 8.c4 i::t'.fe8 1 9 ...txf6 tllxf6 20.b4 b6
2 1 .i.d3 bxaS 22.i::t'.xf6 gxf6 23.�hS
White's attack has been repulsed and
Black has an extra exchange, Volokitin-
1 74
Chapter 9
Woj taszek,
Germany Bundesliga
2006/07 ;
B3) 1 0 ...tgs ti:Jbd7 1 1 .'iWd2
-
T h e Posi t i onal 6 . Jte2
1 3 ...lt:id7! 14.@hl tbes 15 ...td3 ti:Jc6
1 6.�gl �f6 1 7 ..b!.fl ..txc3 1 8.bxc3 'ti'as
1 9 ...td4 'ti'a4 20 ...te3 f6 2 1 .°tWel .b!.ad8
22.'i!Vg3 @hs 23 . .b!.f4 tbes 24.�d4 ..tf7
25.h4 Black has a definite advantage, on
account of the weak white pawns,
Makoli-Shirov, Kerner tt 2 0 0 7 .
A2) 1 I ...txf4 tbc6 1 2.@hl 1 2 .VWe l
dS ! 1 3 .exdS ti:JxdS 1 4.ti:JxdS 'tWxdS ! = .
1 1 . . .h6!N As if to ask, 'do you want to
exchange or retreat ? ' . In both cases,
Black has an excellent position, for
example l 2 . .ie3 ti:Jb6t.
9 ..te6 1 0.'ii'd 2
...
A) 1 0.f4 exf4 and now:
A 1 ) 1 1 ..b!.xf4 ti:Jc6 1 2.ti:Jd4 In case of
1 2 .ti:Jds ..txdS 1 3 .exdS tt:Jes 1 4 . .b!.b4,
after 1 4 . . . VWd7 Black has a brilliant po­
sition due to the dark-squared bishop,
his outpost on eS and his play on the
dark squares : 1 5 .a4 .b!.fe8 1 6 .@h l ..td8
1 7 . ..tg l .b!.c8 1 8 .aS ti:Jg6 1 9 .c3 tlJe4
2 0 .ti:Jd4 ti:JeS 2 1 .'tWa4 'MVxa4 22 . .b!.bxa4
tbcS 2 3 . .b!.b4 with a practical ending
where chances are equal, Lutz-Bologan,
Germany
Bundesliga
1 998/99.
1 2 ... ti:Jxd4 1 3 ...txd4 1 3 .VWxd4 .b!.c8= .
1 2 ...dS ! 1 3 .es 1 3 .exdS ttJxdS 1 4.tlJxdS
'tWxdS 1 5 .'ifxdS ..txdS 1 6 . .b!.ad l .b!.ad8
1 7 .c3 ..te4= Ahmad-Adly, Amman
2 0 0 8 . 1 3 ... tt:Je4! 1 4.i.d3 1 4.tlJxe4 dxe4
1 5 .ti:Jd2 ..tgS ! 1 6.ti:Jxe4 (1/2-1/2 Karpov­
Najdorf, Hastings 1 9 7 1 / 7 2) 1 6 . . . i.xf4
1 7 . .b!.xf4 tLixeS =F .
1 4. . . fs 1 4 . . . tb c s ! ? 1 5 . tbxcS .ixcS
1 6 .a3 l:!.c8+:t. 1 5.exf6 �xf6 1 5 . . . ti:Jxf6 ! ?
1 6 . 'ifd2 @h8
1 7 . l':i.ae l
..tg 8 = .
1 6.'iVe2N 1 6. tbxe4 dxe4 1 7 . ..txe4 ..tc4
1 8 . ..td6 ..txfl 1 9 .'il'ds + @h8 2 0 .'il'hs
g6 2 1 ...txg6 ..txg2 + 2 2 . @xg2
1 75
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
2 2 ... 'iVd7 (22 . JH7 ! 2 3 .�xf7 'iVxd6�)
2 3 .ti:lcS 'iV g 7 2 4 . �xf8 'iVxg 6 +
2 5 .'iVxg6 hxg6 2 6.�d6 J::i.e 8 2 7 .l:rfl .
Although White has an extra pawn, it is
extremely hard to win such a position,
on account of the paucity of material,
Karpov-Anand, Buenos Aires 1 9 94.
16 ...�xc3 1 7.bxc3 'iVe7=;
B) 1 0.'iVd3 ! ? is not a principal move,
and Black has many good responses.
1 4.'iVb4 as l S .'iVbs 'iVc7 1 6.'ti'c4 l:tac8
1 7.I:!.fdl fs 1 8.c3 'iVds 1 9.'iVbs b6
20.ti:ld2 tt:Jxd2 2 1 .jlxd2 �f6 22.l:!.ab 1
e4
1 0 ... ti:lbd7 1 1 .tlJdS �xdS 1 2.exdS :
B 1 ) 1 2 ... tt:Jcs .This seems to be stron­
ger than l 2 . . . J::i. e 8, as the text move
equalises. 1 3 .'iVd2 1 3 .tt::l x cS dxc5
1 4.I:!.ad l ]!.d6=. 1 3 ...tt::l fe4 Here we see
what I think is a CLASSICAL game for
this type of play. Anand brilliantly
shows what should be done in such po­
sitions. His opponent, the very strong
grandmaster Ponomariov, tried to hold
him off, but did not succeed. This posi­
tion suits Anand's style very well, and
he played an absolutely great game:
23.b4 tt:Jd7 24.I:!.b3 �es 25.a3 .l:l:f7
26.c4 axb4 2 7.axb4 I:!.a8 and Black had
a large advantage in Ponomariov­
Anand, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 1 1 .
B2) 1 2 ... l:I.eS ! ? After this move we get
some play in the position. In such posi­
tions I always like Black. The second
player has very clear play, as in many
other typical positions: Black just starts
to push his e- and f-pawns with the
support of his pieces. 1 3.c4 1 3 .I:!.fd l g6
1 4.c4 b6 1 5 .tlJd2 a5 1 6 .tlJb l h5
1 7 . tt::l c 3 tt::l g 4 1 8 .�d2 tt:Jcs 1 9 . °iYh3
.
1 76
Viswanathan Anand
C h a p t e r 9 - T h e P o s i t i on a l 6 . � e 2
tt:'if6 2 0 .�d3 tt:'ih7 2 l .�c2 �gs 2 2 .b3
�xd2 2 3 ..!:i.xd2 fs 24.'fk'e3 tt:'igs 2S .f3
h4 with an unclear position with mu­
tual chances in Emelin-Sakaev, Tallinn
2 00 1 . 1 3 ... �fS 14.tt:'id2 as 1 5 ..tdl N
tt:Jcs 1 6.'fk'e2 g 6 1 7.tt:'ib l tt:Jhs 1 8 ..txcS
dxcS 1 9.'fk'd2 tt:'ig7 20.�a4 t:te7 2 1 .d6
J::te 6 22.d7 tt:Jfs 23.'fk'ds e4 24.tt:'ic3 e3
and now:
1 O...tt:Jbd7 1 1 .a4 .!:i.c8 1 2.aS Wic7
One of the key positions of this varia­
tion, where White has several possibili­
ties, but there is no great difference be­
tween them. We reach one and the
same sort of position, which I think is
objectively equal, but where from a
playing point of view, I think Black's
game is easier.
B2 1 ) 25.g4! exf2 + 2 6 . .!:i.xf2 tt:'ie3
27 .'fk'f3 'iYe7 0 2 8 .tt:'ids tt:'ixdS
2 9 .'fk'xdS �g7oo;
B22) 25 .'fk'xb7? t:tbs 26.'ti'f3 .!:i.xb2
2 6 . . . �g 7 ! ? 2 7.t:tab l ? 2 7 .fxe3 .!:i.xe3
2 8 . 'fk' d S D
.!:i. e 6 t .
2 7 ... tt:'id4-+
28.'iYxf7+ 2 8 .'li'h3 exf2 + 29 . .!:i.xf2
J::txb l + 3 0 . tt:'ixb l .!:i.e l + 3 1 ..!:i.fl tt:'ie2+
3 2 .Wf2 tt:'if4 33 . .!:i.xe l tt:'ixh 3 + 34.gxh3
'iVh4+-+ . 28 ... @xf7 29.fxe3+ Wg7
30 . .!:i.xb2 .!:i.xe3 3 1 .tLldS t:te2 32 ..!:i.xe2
tt:'ixe 2 + 3 3 .Wfl tt:'id4 3 3 . . . °iYh4+ !
3 4 . g 3 'iVxh 2 + 3 S . W e 3 tt:'i d4 ! -+ .
3 4. .!:i.el 'fk'h4+ 3 5 .Wfl tt:'ie6?? After
3 S . . . ti:Jf3 ! 3 6 . .!:i.e8 'li'xc4+ 3 7 .Wf2
'iVxa2+ Black is winning. . 36 . .!:i.xe6
1 -0 . I simply blundered . . . Hovhan­
nisyan-Andriasyan, Yerevan ch-ARM
20 1 2;
B3) 25.fxe3 tt:'ixe3 2 6 . 'iYf3 tt:'ixfl
2 7 . .!:i.xfl fS 2 8 .'i¥xb7 .!:i.b8 29 .'iYds
'iVf6 � .
Back t o the position after 1 O . . 'ifd 2 .
1 3J:Uc1
A) 1 3 . .!:i.fdl lll cs 1 3 . . . .!:i.fe8 1 4.'iVe l
tt:'icS 1 S .tt:'ixcS dxcS 1 6 . f3 .!:i.ed8
1 7 .tt:'ia4 .!:i.xd l 1 8 . .!:i.xd l tt:'id7 1 9 .°iYc3
c4 2 0 .tt:'ib6 tt:'ixb6 2 1 .�xb6 �cs +
2 2 .�xcS 'iYxcS+ - Black has already
taken the initiative and has a small ad­
vantage, which Anand managed to real­
ise, Fernandez Garcia-Anand, Santurtzi
blind 2 0 0 3 . 14.tt:'ixcS dxcS
A l ) 1 5.ti:JdS !? �xdS 1 6.exdS �d6
1 7.c4 1 7 . .!:i.a3 c4. 1 7 ... tt:'id7 A playing
177
Winn i n g w i t h the Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
position, but I prefer Black, who has a
simple plan connected with play on the
kingside: he just tries to push his e- and
f-pawns;
A2) 1 5 .f3 ? ! J:l.fd8 1 6.'iVe l .i::t x dl
1 7.'iVxdl 1 7 .�xd l c4 1 8 .tll a4 tll d 7
1 9 .�e2 h6 2 0 .g3 'i¥c6 2 1 .Wg2 'iVbs
2 2 .�d2 'i¥c6 2 3 .�b4 �xb4 24.'i¥xb4
tll c S 2 S .tll b 6 .!d'.d8 2 6 .tll xc4 and despite
the fact that White has won a pawn,
Black has good compensation,
Naiditsch-Hou Yifan, Moscow 2 0 0 7 .
1 7 ...c 4 1 8.tlJa4 �b4 1 9.�b6 'i¥c6
20.c3 �e7 2 1 .Whl tt:Jd7+;
A3) 1 5 .�el J:l.fd8 1 6.f3 1 6.1:!'.xd8+
.l::!: xd8 1 7 .f3 c4 1 8 .tlJa4 tll d 7 1 9 .'i¥c3 f6
2 0.b3 .ld.c8 2 1 .b4 'i¥c6 2 2.'i¥a3 fS 2 3 .bS
axbS 24.'i¥xe7 bxa4 2S . .l::td l . As Dr
Tarrasch said, 'he who has the bishops
has the future' , Ivanchuk-Karjakin, Wijk
aan Zee 2009. 1 6 ... .!d'.xdl 1 7.tlJxdl c4=;
A4) 1 5 .�f3 .!d'.fd8 1 6.'iYe l .!d'.xd l
1 7.'l!fxdl h6! 1 7 . . . c4 1 8 .�b6 'i¥d6
1 9 .'iYe l 'i¥b4 2 0 .'iYb l h6 2 1 .h3 'i¥d6
2 2 .�e3 'i¥c6 23 . .!d'.a4 .!d'.d8 24.°iYe l J:l.d7
2 S .�b6 �cs 2 6 .�xcS 'iVxcS and Black
had the advantage in Lautier-Gelfand,
Tilburg 1 99 6 . 1 8.'l!fe l c4= J. Horvath­
Pigusov, Sochi 1 9 8 S .
B) 1 3.�f3?!
bishop for the knight. 1 3 ...h6 1 4.J:rfdl
.i::tfe8 1 5.tlJcl l S .°iYe l .l:!.a8 1 6.tll c l b6
1 7 .axb6 tll x b6 1 8 .b3 tll b d7 1 9 . tt:J 1 e2
.l:!.ec8 2 0 . .ld.a 2 tll c S 2 1 . .l:!.da 1 'iV c6
2 2 .�d2 �d8 2 3 .tll g 3 aS 24.h3 with an
unclear position, in which each side has
his trumps, Akopian-Short, Lucerne
Wch-tt 1 99 7 . 1 5 ... b5! 1 6.axb6 tt:Jxb6
1 7.�xb6 'l!fxb6+
1 3 ...tll c5 1 4.tll xc5 dxc5
Here White has two continuations. In
the computer's opinion, 1 S .tll d S gives a
small advantage to White, but I believe
that in such a structure, from a purely
practical standpoint, Black's game is at
least not worse. On the other hand,
1 S .f3 is passive and causes Black no
problems at all. He has plenty of moves
which promise him equality.
1 5.f3
1 5.tlld5 �xd5 1 6 .exd5 :
I have always disliked this move in this
structure, as after it the c4-square re­
mains without defence, and White will
have to exchange his dark-squared
1 78
Chapter 9
1 6 ...�d6!? If Black plays . . . e5-e4 first,
White will be able to exchange the
dark-squared bishops, which is why I
now think that it is stronger to play
1 6 . . . �d6 at once. If 1 6 ...e4 1 7 .�f4 �d6
1 8.�xd6 Wixd6 1 9.l:!.dl tll d 7 20.l:!.a3 f5
2 1 .l:!.b3 l:!.b8 22.f4 e:xf3 23.�:xf3 l:!.fe8
24.@hl l:!.e7 2S.h3 g6 26.c4 l:!.be8?
2 6 . . . b6=. 2 7.W/fl? 2 7 . l:!.xb7 'i¥g3
2 8 .l:!.fl ! tll e S 29.l:rxe7 l:!.xe7. 2 7...b6
28.axb6 tllxb6 29 ..l:!.c3 a5:f, Asrian­
Andriasyan, Yerevan ch-ARM 2007.
15 ...c4
-
T h e P o s i t i on a l 6 . � e 2
I f 1 5 ... l:!.cdS 1 6 .Wfe l c 4 1 7 .tll a4 tll d 7
1 8 .b4 Wfc6= .
Or 1 5 . .JHdS 1 6 .'ii'e l c4 1 7 .tll a4 tll d 7
1 8 .@fl Wlc6 1 9 .@g l h6 2 0 .h4 @h8
2 1 .�fl fS 2 2 . exfS �xfS 2 3 .tll b 6 tllx b6
24.�xb6 �cs + 2 5 .�xcS 'lWxcS + and
Black has the advantage, Zubarev­
Areschenko, Alushta tt 2 0 0 7 .
1 6.tll a4 tll d 7 1 7.�f1
1 8.'YWe1 '1Wc6 1 9.@h1 h6
.l:!.fd8
With an equal position, Ivanchuk­
Kramnik, Monaco blind 2 004.
Conclusion
The present chapter dealt with one of the positional methods by which
White can fight the Najdorf Sicilian. Such positions were often played by
one of the kings of chess, the 1 2th World Champion, Anatoly Karpov. De­
spite the fact that the move is regarded as positional, in recent times,
there has been a different trend in respect of the line. In several positions,
White chooses the active move g2-g4, which leads to sharp and interest­
ing play. You have seen this in several of the games examined in this
chapter.
But to return to traditional positions, which we have already analysed
in this chapter. We came to the conclusion that after the move 6.�e2 ,
Black has good counterchances in all lines, and a fighting position. In re­
cent games, Black is not experiencing problems equalising, or obtaining
sufficient counterplay, in any of the positions.
Anatoly Karpov
1 79
Chapter 9
1 6 ... �d6!? If Black plays ... e5-e4 first,
White will be able to exchange the
dark-squared bishops, which is why I
now think that it is stronger to play
1 6 . . . �d6 at once. If 1 6 ...e4 1 7.�f4 �d6
1 8.jixd6 �xd6 1 9 ..l:[dl tlld 7 20.l::ta3 B
2 1 ..ld:b3 .l:[b8 22.f4 exf3 23.jixf3 .l:[fe8
24.'itihl .i::r e 7 25.h3 g6 26.c4 .ld:be8?
2 6 . . . b6=. 2 7 .�f2? 2 7 . .l:!.xb7 'iVg3
2 8 . .l:[fl ! tll eS 2 9 . .l:!.xe7 .l:!.xe7. 2 7...b6
28.axb6 tllxb6 29 ..l::i.c3 a5=F, Asrian­
Andriasyan, Yerevan ch-ARM 2007.
1 5 ...c4
-
T h e Posi t i on a l 6 . �e2
If 15 ....l::i.cdS 1 6.'MVe l c4 1 7 .tll a4 tll d 7
1 8 .b4 'ifc6= .
O r 1 5 ... nfds 1 6 .'iVe l c 4 1 7 .tll a4 tll d 7
1 8 .'itifl 'i¥c6 1 9 .'itig l h6 2 0 .h4 'itih8
2 1 .�fl fS 2 2 .exfS �xfS 2 3 .tll b 6 tll x b6
24.�xb6 �cs + 2 5 .jixcS 'Yi'xcS + and
Black has the advantage, Zubarev­
Areschenko, Alushta tt 2 0 0 7 .
1 6.tll a 4 tll d 7 1 7.�f1
1 8.'i\f e1 'MVc6 1 9.'itih1 h6
l:Ifd8
With an equal position, Ivanchuk­
Kramnik, Monaco blind 2 004.
Conclusion
The present chapter dealt with one of the positional methods by which
White can fight the Najdorf Sicilian. Such positions were often played by
one of the kings of chess, the 1 2th World Champion, Anatoly Karpov. De­
spite the fact that the move is regarded as positional, in recent times,
there has been a different trend in respect of the line. In several positions,
White chooses the active move g2-g4, which leads to sharp and interest­
ing play. You have seen this in several of the games examined in this
chapter.
But to return to traditional positions, which we have already analysed
in this chapter. We came to the conclusion that after the move 6.jie2 ,
Black has good counterchances in all lines, and a fighting position. In re­
cent games, Black is not experiencing problems equalising, or obtaining
sufficient counterplay, in any of the positions.
Anatoly Karpov
1 79
Chapter 10
The Aggressive 6.f4
1.e4 c5 2.tllf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tll xd4 tll f6 5.tll c3 a6 6.f4
The move f2-f4 is very aggressive and contains many ideas. White wants to com­
mence active operations at once and delays the development of his pieces. He wants
to put his queen on the square f3 . The move f2-f4 also prevents the black knight
reaching the excellent square eS , and from f3 the queen defends the e4-pawn and
helps the white attack, as well as also being able to transfer to h3 , from where it
will exert pressure on the black king.
After 6.f4, Black has two main continuations, which are 6 . . . e6 and 6 . . . eS , of
which I prefer 6 . . . e S , since it is more active and does not allow White to play
g2-g4 and begin active operations on the kingside. It also forces White to move
his knight from d4 to f3 , after which the white queen has to come to the kingside
via e 1 and g 3 , where she can always be attacked by the black knight jumping to
hS.
After the retreat 7 .tll f3 , Black has two main continuations: 7 . . . Wic7 and
7 . . . tll bd7 . In my opinion, the stronger move is 7 . . . 'Vilic7 , since after the other con­
tinuation 7 . . . tll b d7 White places his bishop on c4, where it is ideally located, si­
multaneously controlling the a2-g8 diagonal and attacking the square f7 , creating
problems for the black king. The move 7 . . . 'Vilic7 is strong because it does not allow
the white bishop this possibility, and forces it to the passive square d3 , where it just
defends its own pawn on e4. Then Black develops his pieces actively, to control the
centre.
180
Chapter I 0
-
The Ag g ressive 6 . f4
1 .e4 c5 2.tllf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.tllxd4 tllf6 5.tll c3 a6 6.f4 es
7.tllf3
A) 7.tll b 3 is not dangerous for Black.
He has many good continuations, so
we will show just one example:
7 ...tll b d7
8.g4N 8 .a4 b6 9 .i.e2 �b7 1 0 .�f3 �e7
1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 .Whl exf4 1 3 .�xf4 tll e 5
1 4.tll d4 g6 1 5 .'i!Ve2 I:re8 1 6.I:rad l
tll fd7 with an unclear position, in
which the chances of the two sides are
about level, Hebert-Portisch, Rio de Ja­
neiro Interzonal 1 9 7 9 . 8 dS ! 9.exdS
tllb 6 1 0.�e2 tll fxdS 1 0 . . . tll x g4 1 1 . 0-0
'tWh4 1 2 .i.xg4 �xg4 1 3 .'tWd3 .
1 1 .tll xdS tll xdS 1 2.0-0 exf4 and Black
is better;
B) 7.tll fs and now:
B l ) 7 ...dS 8.tll e 3
.•.
8 ... �b4N After 8 . . . tll xe4 9 .tll xe4 dxe4
1 O .'tWxd8+ Wxd8 1 1 .fxeS i.e6 1 2 .�c4
White has the advantage, as his king can
castle and Black's cannot, plus White
has the better development and his re­
maining pieces can come out more
quickly. 9.tll xdS tll xe4 1 0.�e3 �xc3+
1 1 .tll x c3 °iYxd l + 1 2 .tll x dl exf4
1 3.�xf4 Despite the fact that the com­
puter assesses this as absolutely equal,
that does not seem right to me; the po­
sition is open and White has the two
bishops, so he should have the advan­
tage, albeit not a large one.
B2) 7 ...tt:lxe4 8.tllxg7+ �xg7 9.tll xe4
dS 1 0.tll c 3 ! ?
1 o ...tll c 6N 1 1 .�e2 0 - 0 1 2.0-0 �fs
1 3.tll xdS �xc2 14.�xc2 tll d4 1 5 .'ii'd l
'itxdS 1 6 .fxeS tllxe2+ 1 7.'i¥xe2 'iVxeS=
One can say that the position is a dead
draw. Many pieces have already come off,
and now the queens will follow, after
which peace will soon be signed.
181
Winn i n g w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
7... 'lWc71 8.�d3 tt:Jbd7
A) 8 ...�e7 9.0-0 0-0
Here White has a choice of two possible
continuations. The first, 1 O .a4, stops
Black getting active counterplay on the
queenside. But the move also has draw­
backs, namely that it costs a tempo, and
Black can exploit this to develop
quickly. The other move is 1 0 .�e l ,
which ignores Black's queenside activ­
ity and starts an attack on the king, but
in this case, Black has counterplay.
A l ) 1 0 .'lWel tlJbd 7 ! and now 1 1 .a4
transposes to 8 . . . tlJbd7 . Instead, Black
may try 1 O . . . bS ?! 1 1 .a4!
l 1 . . .b4N 1 2 .tLldS tlJxdS 1 3 .exdS �b7
1 4.fxeS dxeS 1 5 .'lWxeS .ics + 1 6.<it'h l
'lWxeS 1 7 .tLlxeS �xdS 1 8 .1::!.d l and
White's position is slightly more pleas­
ant, because the black queenside is weak
and White's pieces are better developed.
A2) 1 0.a4 tbbd7 1 I .<it'hl tbcs 1 2.'iVel
182
Black has a mass of possibilities, and
they are all about equally good. He has
no problems at all and the positions are
in general very similar to one another,
with similar ideas. For example:
A2 1 ) 1 2 ... l:teS and now:
A2 1 l ) 1 3.fxeS dxeS 1 4.'l!\Yg3
A2 l l l ) 14 ... tbhs At the time, I did
not know this variation very well, and
had to improvise at the board. This did
not work out so badly, but it could have
been better. I obtained a slightly worse
position, whilst at the same time my
opponent was playing very quickly, and
at one moment, even offered a draw in
a slightly better position. But I realised
that I could already count on more, and
began an interesting knight transfer.
1 5.'iVxeS 'iVxeS 1 6.tbxeS �f6 1 7.tbc4
�xc3 1 8.bxc3 tbxe4 1 9 .�a3 �g4
20.1::!. ab 1 l:tab8 2 I .t2'id6 tbxd6 22.�xd6
l:tbd8 2 3 .�cs �cs 24.�d4 l:td6
25.J::r fe l l:txe l + 26.l:txel �e6 2 7.�bl
l:te8 28.<it'gl tbf4 29.@fl tbe6 30.�e3
C ha p t e r 1 0
-
T h e Agg ress i v e 6 . f4
1 9.tllxe4 'i¥xa4 20.tllxcS .ixcS 2 1 .l::txf6
.ic4 22.'i¥g3 �xd3 2 3.cxd3 'iVc2
24..Ubfl 'iYxd2 25.tll f5 g6 26.lhf7 �fS
30 ...tll d S! So as to defend the b7-pawn
and so free the bishop on c8 , after
which the bishop will move to c6 and it
seems to me that Black will already have
slightly the more pleasant position.
On move 3 8 my opponent made a seri­
ous mistake in time trouble, after which
I could take his knight, with a great ad­
vantage. Unfortunately I have lost the
game score, but Black won easily
enough, Petrov-Andriasyan, Warsaw
2009.
A2 1 1 2) 1 4. . .b6
1 5 .tll x e5
�d8
1 6.tll c4 'iYxg3 1 7 .hxg3 tll fxe4 1 8 .tbxe4
tllxe4 1 9.�f4 g5 20 .l:!.ae l �b7 2 1 .tbd6
tll xd6 22 .�xd6 I:txe l 23 . .l::.xe l �f6 (A.
Fedorov-Lupulescu, Baile Herculane
2 0 1 0) and the game was soon drawn.
A2 1 2) 1 3 .tll h4 exf4 1 4.�xf4 �e6
Now White played 2 7 .tll h4? ? and after
2 7 . . . .ig7 the situation was unclear in
Hou Yifan-Zhou Jianchao, Xinghua
ch-CHN 2 0 1 2 . Instead, she could have
won with 2 7.'i¥h4!+- <Jitxf7 2 8 .tll e 7+
<Jite6 2 9 .'iVe4+; or also 2 7.l:!.xb7+-.
A22) 12 �e6?! 1 3.fs .id?
•••
1 4.g4 �c6 1 4 . . . d5 ? 1 5 .g5 +- Tal­
Saigin, 3rd match game, Riga 1 9 54.
1 5.gS tllhS 1 6.f6 �d8
The same sort of position that we have al­
ready seen. Black has no problems at all ,
having played well. 1 5.�g3 �6 1 6.l:!.bl
'iVb4 1 7.�f4 dS !+ 1 8.�d2 dxe4
1 83
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
1 7 .fxg7N In my opinion, it is better to
open lines and the entry square, al­
though the interesting 1 7 .�h4 has
also been played here; White has an
excellent position anyway : 1 7 . . . g 6
l 8 .�e3 tll x d3 1 9 .cxd3 @h8 2 0 .tll e 2
d 5 2 1 . tll g 3 dxe4 2 2 . dxe4 Vid6
2 3 . .l:f.ad 1 with a very sharp position, in
which it is difficult to give a definite
assessment. The position is super­
sharp and each side has his trumps,
Nunn-Portisch,
Brussels
1 986.
1 7 ... tll x g7 1 8 .�h4 tll x d3 1 9.cxd3
'li'b6 20.'tWh6 �e7
2 1 .J:i.b 1 ! and White has a tremendous
attack. This is the reason why I do not
recommend l 2 . . . �e6 , coming under
attack with tempo from the white
pawns. ;
A2 3 ) 1 2 . . . exf4
1 3 .kxf4
.i.e6
1 4.tll d4 'li'd7 i s .jigs @h8 1 6 .tll fs
tll g 8 For some reason, Black starts to
play passively and ends up worse, but
then he gets the advantage, and finally
loses ! 1 7 .'li'g3 jixgS 1 8 .'li'xgS f6
1 9.°'iWg3 J:i.ad8 2 0 . .l:f.f4 J:i.fe8 2 1 .h3
kxfS 2 2 .J:i.xfS tll e 7 2 3 .J:i. ffl Vie6
24.b4 tll d 7 25 .as tll e s 26.bS 'li'c8
2 7 .tll e 2 dS 2 8 .bxa6 bxa6 2 9 .tll f4
dxe4 3 0,jixe4 J:i.d4 3 1 .J:i.fe l J::i. e d8
3 2.J:rab l tll fs 3 3 .kxfS 'li'xfS 34 . .ld:fl
'lW c8 3 S .ld:b6 'lW c4 3 6 . l:[ f2 l:[g8
3 7.@h2
•
1 84
3 7 ... tll d 7?? 3 7 . . . .l:r.d7 = . 3 8.c3 ! +- l:[e4
3 9 .l:[b4
'li'c6
40.tll g 6+
1 -0
Fedorchuk-Bologan, Sibenik tt 2 0 1 1 ;
B) 8 ...bs 9.0-0 tllb d7 1 0.'li'e l jib?
1 1 .@hl Again we reach a crossroads.
B 1 ) 1 1 ...ke7 The bishop stands some­
what better here than on g 7 , since it stops
the queen coming to the excellent square
h4, and does not cost additional develop­
ment tempi. 1 2.�d2 0-0 1 3.tllh4
1 3 ... g6! Strongly played! After this,
think the advantage goes to Black, who
Chapter 1 0
has excellently-coordinated pieces.
1 4.fS Wg7 1 5 .°i¥e3 tl:ig8 1 6 .°i¥g3 'i¥d8
1 7.tl:if3 tbcs 1 8.tl:igs h6 1 9.tl:ih3 tLlf6
20.tl:ifl b4 2 1 .tl:idS tl:ixd3 22.'i¥xd3 and
Black soon won in Chernobay­
Savchenko, Moscow 2 0 1 2 ;
B2) 1 1 ... g6 and now:
B2 1 ) 1 2.b4!?N is a pure computer
move. The idea is simple: to play a2-a4
without allowing the reply . . . b5-b4, so as
to create weaknesses in Black's camp, in
the form of the a6-pawn, which can then
be attacked by 'i¥e2 . 1 2 ...�g7 1 3.a4 bxa4
14.fxe5 dxe5 1 5.tl:ixa4 0-0 1 6.c4t;
B2 2) After 1 2.a4 White was slightly
better, as see 1 2 . . . b4 1 3 . tl:id 1 tl:icS
l 4.tl:if2 tl:ixd3 1 5 .cxd3 as 1 6 . d4,
Enklaar-Smejkal, Amsterdam 1 9 7 3 ;
B23) 1 2.fxeS dxe5 1 3.'i¥h4 �e7
-
T h e Ag g ressive 6 . f4
problems, and after castling, he will
come under a strong attack. 1 4 ... tl:ihSoo
1 4 . . . b4 1 5 .tl:ids tl:ixdS 1 6 . exdS
ilxdS =F. 1 5 .'tWf2 0-0 1 6 .�h6 l::tfe8
1 7 .tl:id2 tl:idf6 1 8 .a4 b4 1 9 .tl:ie2 �f8
2 0 .�gS �g7 2 1 .h3 l::t e 6 2 2 .J::i'.a e l �ae8
2 3 .b3 h6 24.�e3 tl:ih7 2 5 .g4 .bif6
2 6.'f¥h2 l::txfl + 2 7 .i::Ix fl tlJSf6 . Here
Black has a very small advantage, on ac­
count of his superior pawn structure
and the weak white king. Tukmakov­
Tal, Leningrad Interzonal 1 9 7 3 .
Mikhail Tai
9.a4
The alternative is 9.0-0 �e7 1 0.Whl
0-0 and now:
A) 1 1 .�el tl:icS 1 2.fxeS dxeS 1 3 .'tWg3
1 4.'i¥g3 1 4.ilgS ! is a strong move, after
which White has pressure. It is not easy
for Black to cope with his kingside
1 85
Winn ing w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
l 3 . . . .ite6!N 1 4.°iWxeS .itd6 1 S .°iWd4
tll x d3 1 6 .cxd3 tll g 4 1 7 .�g l fS
1 8 . ..tgs ..tcs 1 9 .d4 fxe4 2 0 .tll xe4 ..ta7
and Black has excellent compensation
for the pawn.
B) 1 1 .fxeS dxeS 1 2 . tllh4 tllc S 1 3 . ..tg S
.l::!. d 8 l 4 ...txf6 tllxd3 1 S .cxd3 ..txf6
1 6 . .l::!.xf6 gxf6 1 7 .tll d S l:rxdS 1 8 .exdS
..td7 1 9 .°iWhS 'lWc2 2 0 .�h6 °iWxd3
2 l . �xf6 �xdS 2 2 .°iWg S + 'itif8
2 3 .°iWh6+ 'itig8= ;
C) 1 1 .tllh4 tll c S 1 2 .fxeS dxeS trans­
poses to 1 1 .fxeS .
9 . .�e7 1 0.0·0 0-0 1 1 .'itih1
.
1 1 .'tWe l ! ?In case of l 1 .tllh4? ! Black
gains an edge with 1 1 . . .tll c S ! 1 2 .fxeS
dxeS 1 3 .tll fs .ixfS 1 4 . .l:f.xfS .l:l'.ad8=F.
1 7.�xc4 ..txc4 1 8 . .l:f.fe l .l:f.fe8 An equal
position, where each side has his
pluses; White with the more active
pieces and control of some central
squares, and Black the two bishops;
A2) 1 3.'itihl .ie6 and now:
A2 l ) 14.tllxeS dxe5 1 5 ..igs
A2 1 1 ) Here I once played 1 5 ... 'itih8 .
This game was played a long time ago
and I did not know the theory. I do not
understand why I moved the king to
h8 , as it definitely should not be there,
but should instead remain closer to the
centre, able to flee to f8 if necessary.
1 6 . .l:f.dl l 6 ...txf6 .ixf6 1 7 .tll d S ..txdS
1 8 .exdS �e7 1 9 .°iVe4 g6 2 0 . .l:f.ae l ..td6
2 l ..l:f.f6 ..te7 2 2 . .l:f.f3 ..td6 2 3 .g4 something like this was what I wrote in
my analysis after the game. Here, White
is probably a bit better and Black should
passively stand his ground, although
things are probably not so bad for him
after he plays . . . f7-f6 . However, White
pushes the h-pawn, and it is clear that
play is for two results. 1 6 ... .l:f.ad8
1 7 .�h4 tll h5 1 8.tll dS ..txd5 1 9.exdS
g6 20.c4 2 0 .d6 ! ? °iWxd6 2 l ..ixg6
°iVxd l 22 .°iVxd l .l:f.xd l 2 3 . .!d:xd l .ixh4
24 . ..txh S = 2 0 ...fS 2 1 ...txe7 'i¥xe 7
22.�c3 tll f6 23.b4 'itig7 24...tc2 .l:f.fe8
25.aS e4 26 . .l:f.del °iVeS 2 7.'iYxeS .l:f.xe5
2 8 .g3 g5 29.'itig2 'itig6 3 0.h3 h5
3 1 ...tdl .l:f.c8 32 ..te2 h4 3 3.gxh4
•
A) 1 1 ...exf4? ! 12 ..ixf4 tlle 5 and now:
A 1 ) 1 3 .aS �e6 1 4 ...te3 .l:f.ac8 If
1 4 . . . tll c4 White gets the upper hand
with 1 S .�xc4 .ixc4 1 6 . .l:f.f2 .l:f.ae8
1 7 .h3 tll d 7 l 8 . .if4 tll e s 1 9 .°iWd2 ..tf6
2 0 .tll d 4. 1 5.�b6 �d7 1 6.°iWg3 tll c4
1 86
C h apter 1 0
Here, after 3 3 . . . f4 Black was slightly
better and he eventually won, Mallahi­
Andriasyan, Sevan 2 0 0 6 ;
A2 1 2) 1 5 ... ttJh5 1 6.kxe7 1 6 .ttJds
ilxdS 1 7 .ilxe7 '1Wxe7 1 8 .exdS trans­
poses to 1 6.ilxe 7 . 1 6 ... '1Wxe7 1 7.ttJd5
kxd5 1 8.exd5 g6
A very interesting position, where each
side has the advantage on one flank.
White should try to advance the b- , c­
and cl-pawns, and Black the e- and
f-pawns. I prefer Black, as the knight
will be stronger than the bishop in the
near future and Black has already estab­
lished some sort of blockade on the
dark squares, whereas it is not obvious
how White can establish such a block­
ade. There can follow 1 9 .as .ld.ae8 2 0 . c4
e4 2 1 ..ie2 ttJg7 2 2 .'lWc3 ttJfs 2 3 .b4
'YWgS 24 . .ld.ae l ttJe3 2 S . l.d.f2 l:!eS
2 6 .l.d.g l hS 1/2-1/2 Backlund-Kaminski,
Guarapuava jr 1 9 9 S .
A22) 1 4.ttJd4 l.d.ac8 1 5.a5
-
T h e Aggressive 6 . f4
A2 2 1 ) 1 5 ... 'lWc5 1 6.ge 3 ! ttJxd3
1 7 .cxd3 White has pressure and a nice
advantage, as it is not obvious where
the queen should go, whilst White
wants to play ttJfS , when Black will
have to exchange it for his strong
bishop on e6, remaining with passive
pieces. 1 7 . . . °'lWhS 1 8 . ttJfs .l:i.fe8 1 9 .ild4
ilxfS 2 0 . .ld.xfS 1lW g 6 2 1 . 'lW d2 ttJd 7
22 .ttJdS f6 2 3 .'1Wb4 .ld.c2 1 -0 Kinder­
mann-Post!, Austria 1 99 3 ;
A 2 2 2 ) 1 5 ... kdS !
1 6.ke2
l::!. e 8
1 7.ttJxe6 l.d.xe6= with a playable posi­
tion where Black stands normally, con­
trolling the dark squares and the two
half-open c- and e-files.
B) 1 1 . ..ttJc5 ! This move is strongest.
Black should not take on f4 and allow
the bishop to come to a good square, at
the same time opening the f-file for the
white rook. If White wants to open the
f-file, he must take on eS himself,
which for the moment he is not pre­
pared to do. Now:
B 1 ) 1 2 .ke3N .id7 1 3. Wh 1 trans­
poses to our game move 1 1 . W h 1 ;
B2) 1 2 .fXe5? ! dxe5 and now:
B2 l ) 1 3 . .ig5 ?!N In such structures,
it is favourable for White to force the
move . . . h 7 -h6 , because after this,
Black cannot play . . . g 7 - g 6 , a move
which would be very useful for him.
Even so, Black's position is sufficiently
187
Winning wi th t h e N a j d o r f S i c i l i a n
good that such minor matters do not
greatly affect the evaluation. 1 3 ... �e6!
1 4.'itihl h6 1 5.�e3 .ti.ads 1 6 . .t!.dl .t!.d7
1 7.'fig3
1 7 .. JHds! + ;
B22) 1 3.tl'ih4?!N White's basic idea
involves 'fie l and then continuing
tl'ih4-f5 and somehow obtaining
counterplay. 1 3...tl'ixd3 1 4.cxd3 .t!.d8 !
1 5.'fig3 tl'ih5 ! 1 6 .'fif3 tl'if4! 1 7.�xf4
exf4 1 8 .tl'ifs �f8 1 9 . .t!.ac l �xfS
20.exfS 'fies + 2 1 .'itihl 'fixfs + ;
B2 3 ) 1 3.'fig3
1 3 ...�e6!N A typical idea in such posi­
tions, seen very often. Black sacrifices
the eS-pawn, to open the g l -a7 diago­
nal for his dark-squared bishop and
activate all his pieces, whilst White has
not yet developed the �c I and l:ra I ,
and those pieces that he has developed
are not especially well placed, for
instance the �d3 . 1 4.'fixeS �d6
1 88
1 5 .'figS D h6 1 6.'fih4 tl'ig4 1 7.�d2
1 7.tlJdS
1 7 ...'fidS ! Black is a pawn down, but he
exchanges queens, because the queen is
the only white piece that is really play­
ing. His other pieces are standing idle,
and after the exchange of queens, Black
stands better: 1 8.'fixd8 .t!.fxd8 1 9 .tl'if4
tl'ixd3 20.tl'ixd3 �b8 !+
B3) For 1 2 .'itihl see 1 1 .'itih l (game) .
1 1 tl'ic5
...
1 1 ... exf4! ? 1 2 ...txf4 tl'ies
White has many continuations and a lot
of games have been played from this
position, but White has no advantage
anywhere. Black has an excellent posi­
tion, in many cases being able to play to
take the initiative, or just to play
quietly:
A) 1 3 .�gS ..te6 1 4.tl'ixeS dxe5
1 5 .�xf6 �xf6
Chapter 1 0
1 6.J:Ixf6 ! 1 6 .tll d S ? ! �xdS 1 7 .exdS
�el 1 8 .'tWg4 g6 1 9 .l:Iae l �h8 is
unclear. 1 6 ... gxf6 1 7 .tll d S �xdS
1 8.exdS J:Ife8 1 9.'tWg4+ �f8 20.'1We4
'li'b6=;
B) 1 3.'li'el �e6 1 4.tlld4 1 4.tllx eS
dxeS 1 5 .�gS tll h S = . 14 ...J:Iac8 trans­
poses to 1 1 .'tWe 1 ;
C) 1 3.°iYd2 �e6 1 4.tlld4
C 1 ) I would also not rush to move
the a8-rook, as it is still not clear
where it belongs , whether on the c-,
d- or even the e-file : 14 ... J:Iad8 ! ?
1 5 .J:Iae l I:!'.fe8 1 6 .tll fS �xfS 1 7.exfS
tll xd3 1 8.'1Wxd3 'tWc6 1 9.�gS h6 Now
White played 2 0.J:Ixe 7 ? ! (it was nec­
essary to play 2 0 .�h4 and maintain
equal chances) , after which Black
gained the advantage with 20 ... hxgS =F
in Rogers-Kempinski, Polanica Zdroj
1 996;
C 2 ) 1 4 ... J:Ife8
1 5 .�xeS
dxeS
1 6 .tllxe6 fxe6
-
T h e Agg ress i v e 6 . f4
A very interesting position. White' s
pawn structure is good, whereas Black
has doubled e-pawns, with a weakness
on e6. However, it turns out that Black is
not worse, and may even be slightly
better because of his excellent pieces and
especially because of the a7-g 1 diagonal,
which is ruled by the black bishop.
1 7.°iYe2 J:Iad8 1 8.tlld l �cs l 9.tlle 3
There is no reason to weaken the dark
squares with 1 9.b3 ?, when Black's ad­
vantage grows: 1 9 . . . l:If8 2 0 .tll e 3 �xe3
2 1 .°iYxe3 l:Id7 22.'tWh3 'li'c6 2 3 .l:If3 g6
24.I:!'.afl �g7 2 5 .Wk'h4 .l:tdf7 2 6.Wk'f2
Wk'd6 2 7 .aS Wk'd4 0 - 1 Hjartarson­
Wojtkiewicz, Reykjavik 1 994. 1 9 ...J:IfS
20.tlJg4 tlld 7 2 1 .i..c4 Wk'c6 22.�b3 hS !
23.tlJf2 i..xf2 24.J::i.xf2 g6 and Black won
in SherzerWojtkiewicz, New York 1 99 3 .
D) 1 3.t2Jd4 �e6 and now:
D l ) 1 4.t2Jce2
This position is not dangerous for
Black. He has many good continuations:
l 4...�d7 ! In the game, Black also
1 89
Winning wi th t h e N a j d o r f S i c i l i an
played in normal fashion: 1 4 . . . .l::t a d8 ! ?
1 5 .tll g 3 tll g 6 1 6 .�d2 ilg4 1 7 .lte2
ilxe2 1 8 . �xe2 dS 1 9 .ilc3 �d6
2 0 .J::!.xf6 gxf6 2 1 .tll h S iles 22 . .l::tfl
�c4 2 3 .�fl dxe4 24.tllxf6+ @h8
2 5 .tll g4 f6 0- 1 A. Onischuk­
Kempinski , Polanica Zdroj 1 9 9 9 .
1 5 .tll g 3 g6! 1 6 .�d2 J:tfe8�;
D2) 1 4.h3N l:tac8 1 5.aS l:tfe8! with a
dynamically equal position;
D 3 ) 1 4.aS l:tfe8 1 5 ..itgs 1 5 .tll xe6
fxe6 1 6 .�e2 �cS oo. 1 5 ... tll fg4 1 6.�f4
tll f6 1 7 .h3 .itf8 Black is also fine here.
( 1 7 . . . l:tac8 ! ?) 1 8.jlgs tll fd7 1 9 .tll fs g6
20.tl:ie3 �g7 2 1 .tl:icdS �cs 22.b4 '1Wd4
23.ite2 tl:ic6 24.c3 As White has a
space advantage and the more active
pieces, his position is better, Li Chao­
Aveskulov, Beijing rapid 2 0 0 8 .
E ) 1 3.tl:ih4
.i
1 2.ile3
1 2.�el ltd?! 1 3 .b4 1 3 .fxeS dxe5
1 4.�g3 .ite6 !N transposes to 1 1 .'iVe l .
1 3...tl:ixd3 1 4.cxd3 bS 1 5.axbS 1 5 .fxeS
dxe S 1 6 .ilgS bxa4 1 7 .tll x a4 a 5
1 8 .bxaS .l::tx aS =. 1 5 ...axbS 1 6.itd2
1 6 .ilb2 .l::!. xa l 1 7 .�xal .l::tc 8 leads to a
dynamically equal position, similar to
what arises in the game. 1 6 .. Jhal
1 7.�xal l:te8 1 8.'iWa2 h6 1 9.'iVa6 'iVb8
20.'iWal White has an interesting idea
in mind: first he plays �a2 , forcing
Black to play . . . h7-h6, then he plays
�a6 , so that the black queen goes to b8
or c8 , and now he returns the queen to
a l , so as to play �e l and �g3 and ex­
ploit the weakness on h6. 20 ...exf4
2 1 .�xf4 'iVb6 22.'iVe l ? 2 2 .h3 was nec­
essary, when the position is roughly
equal. 22 ... dS ! Feeling that I could ob­
tain the advantage, I went in for compli­
cations; this was the correct move, but,
alas, I followed it up incorrectly.
23.tl:ixdS 2 3 .eS ilxb4 24.ilxh6 ilxc3
2 5 .�xc3 gxh6 2 6 . exf6 .ld.e6 + .
2 3 ...tl:ixdS 24.exdS
1 3 ... 'iVcSN 1 4.�e2 l:te8 1 5.tllf3 .ie6
1 6.aS l:tac8 1 7 ..ite3 'iVc7 Black has an
excellent position.
A) 24 ... ild6? In playing this move, I
thought I was getting the advantage, but
it turns out I am just getting a draw.
25.�g3 .ixf4 26.'iVxf4 'iYe3 2 7.'iVxe3
l:txe3 28.Wgl .l::tx d3 29.tl:ies .l::txdS
30.tllxd7 J::!.xd7 3 1 .l:tfs l:tb7 32.g4 l:tb6
.
1 90
Chapter 1 0
3 3 .h3 f6 34.Wg2 Wf7 3 5 .l:tcs gs 36.h4
gxh4 3 7.Wh3 Wg6 3 8.Wxh4 .!:Ibs
3 9.l:Ids l:Ib6 1/2- 1/2 Hayrapetian­
Andriasyan, Jermuk 20 1 2 ;
B) There was another move that
would have given me good winning
chances: 24...'iY1>7! 25.�e4 2 5 .�e5
..txb4 2 6.�d4 ..tas=F . 25 .....tf6 26.ti:Jes
�xe5 27 ...txeS f6 2 8 .l:Ixf6 l:Ixe5
29.�xe5 gxf6 30.�xf6 �xd5 3 1 .�g6+
Wf8 32.�xh6+ Wf7 3 3.�7+ We8=F
We have by force reached a position in
which White has three pawns for a
piece, and the black king is exposed.
Black has chances to save the game, but
play is clearly for two results.
1 3 .'iYe1
1 5.'iie 3
-
exf4
T h e Aggressive 6 . f4
14 ...txf4
.!:Iac8
1 5 .e5 ti:Jxd3 l 6.cxd3 dxe5 1 7 .ti:Jxe5
�d8 l 8 . ti:Jxd7 �xd7=F.
15 ....!:IfeS! 1 6.a5 tt:Jxd3 1 7.cxd3
'iYc5 1 8.'t!!Vd 2 'i!Yb4 1 9 ...te3 tt:Jg4
20 . ..td4
1 2 ...�d7
20.....tf6
21 .ti:Jd5
'iix d2
22.tbxf6+ tt:Jxf6 23.tbxd2 ..tb5
24. ..txf6 gxf6 25 . .!:Ixf6 .!:Ic2
25 . . . ..txd3 2 6 .l:rxd6 �xe4= .
26.tbf3 .t:te6 27..t:lf4 .t:txb2
112-1/2
Conclusion
In this chapter, we have examined one of the favourite moves of aggres­
sive players, which has always been considered dangerous. But thanks to
the computer, and the efforts of hard-working analysts, who have
worked at home and found strong responses to White's ingenious ideas,
Black can be fully armed against this move.
Analysing the games, we come to the conclusion that if Black knows
what he is doing from the very start, then soon it is White who has to
think about his own weaknesses, which he has created by playing this ag­
gressive move. We have seen that by sacrificing the pawn on e5, even af­
ter the exchange of queens, Black retains extremely good counterplay.
My advice is that if you react to 6.f4 correctly and accurately, not for­
getting or mixing up the variations, you will not experience any prob­
lems.
191
Chapter 11
Occu pyi ng the Flank: 6 .a4
1.e4 c5 2.lllf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.lllxd4 lllf6 5.lll c3 a6 6.a4
The move 6 .a4 is not the most principled in this position and in practice, does not
pretend to fight for an advantage. Black can play 6 . . . g6 and head to a structure from
the Dragon Variation, but we will not consider this in the present book. To continue
in Najdorf style, Black has the two possibilities 6 . . . e6 and 6 . . . eS. After 6 . . . e6, we
reach the Scheveningen structure, and because this is fundamentally different from
the Najdorf and more defensive, most players prefer not to play this line.
We will examine 6 . . . eS. In most cases, the position transposes into the variation
6.1le2. The difference consists in the fact that White has already played a2-a4, as
well as 1le2 , whereas if 6 .�e2 is played first, White retains the option of the move
g2-g4, when a2-a4 would then become pointless - after all, the advance g2-g4-g5
drives the tLif6 away, when the pressure on the e4 pawn is removed and the white
knight obtains access to dS , so he no longer need fear the advance of the black
b-pawn. Indeed, in many cases the latter just becomes a waste of tempo.
1 .e4 c5 2.ttJf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.ttJxd4 ttJf6 5.ttJc3 a6 6.a4 es
7.ttJf3
A) 7.tl:Jb3 will always transpose to
lines with �e2 , for which I refer to the
chapter on that move;
192
B) 7.tl:Jde2 does not look so attractive,
since it blocks in the bishop on fl , and
Black then has the aggressive pawn sacri­
fice 7 ... dS , to obtain the initiative. Even
so, with accurate play and the return of
the sacrificed pawn, White can perhaps
retain a small opening advantage:
C h apter 1 1
-
O cc up y i n g t h e F l a n k : 6 . a4
1 5 .�c l hS 1 6.l::r e l g6 1 7 .�f3 tll d s
1 8 .�gS �e7 1 9 .�xe7 �xe7 2 0 .tll e4
aS 2 1 .tll c S b6 2 2 .tll d 3 f6 2 3 .�xdS
.l:!.xdS 24.tll f4 l:thd8 2 5 .tllxdS + �xdS
2 6 .c3 +- Van der Wiel-Li Shilong, Wijk
aan Zee 2 0 0 6 ;
B 2 2 ) 1 0.f3 tll c s 1 1 .tll e c3 �fs
1 2.�c4 �d6 1 2 . . . tll e 6 1 3 .0-0 �cs
1 4.�xcS tll xcS 1 5 .'li'e2 0-0 1 6 .°iff2t.
1 3.0-0 0-0
B l ) 8.exd5 �b4 9.i.gs 0-0 1 0.i.xf6
'li'xf6 1 1 .tllg 3 'li'd6 1 2.�d3 fS and
Black has excellent compensation for
the pawn, with a mobile centre and
strong dark-squared bishop;
B2) 8.tllxd5 tllxe4 9.�e3 tll c6 and
now:
B2 1 ) 1 0.tll b 6 'li'xd l + 1 1 .�xd l
1 1 . l:!.xd 1 tll b4 ! 1 2 . l:!c 1 l:tb8 1 3 . tll c 3
�fs
1 4. tll c ds tll f6 = . 1 1 .. . .!:!.bs
1 2.tllxcS l:txc8 1 3.tllg 3 tllf6 with an
equal position. The pawn on a4 is
badly-placed, and the white king on d l
can come under attack. Despite the end­
game, Black has still many pieces on the
board which can disturb the white
monarch. White's only trump is his
light-squared bishop, but at the mo­
ment I do not think that the active black
knights are inferior to it. Moreover,
sooner or later White will lose one of
his bishops. Even so, White won in the
following game: 1 4.�e2 l:td8 +
The key position. After White has re­
turned the extra pawn and both sides
have developed their pieces, the time
has come for concrete action. Having
two knights pointing at one and the
same square is not usually very desir­
able, because they interfere with each
other. This consideration led me to the
interesting idea of exchanging off one
of the knights and establishing the
white pawn on c3 , after which the
black knight on c6 is not so well placed,
and White's positional advantage be­
comes obvious. 1 4.tll e 4!N 1 4. f4 ?
exf4+, for example 1 5 .tll xf4 tll e S
1 6 .�e2 .l:!.e8 1 7 .tll c dS �e4 1 8 .b4 tll e 6
1 9 .tll xe6 .l:!.xe6 2 0 .tll f4 .l:!.e8 2 1 .c3 °ifc7
2 2 .°ife l tll g 6 2 3 .�f2 �xf4 24.�xf4
°ifxc3 2 5 .�d6 �xg2 and Black won in
Palac-Brkic, Sibenik 2 0 0 6 . 1 4... tllxe4
1 4 . . . �xe4 1 5 .fxe4±. 1 5 .fxe4 �g6
1 s . . . �xe4 1 6 .tll b 6 nb8 1 7 .°if g4 �g6
1 8 .tll d 7t 1 6.c3 !t
1 93
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
7...S'i.e7
7 ...h6 8.�c4 In case of 8 .aS �e6 ! Black
has an excellent position. The only
drawback of 6 . . . eS is the weakening of
the dS-square, which White should ex­
ploit by playing �fl-c4. By delaying this
in favour of a4-aS , White allows Black to
play . . . �e6 , after which White no lon­
ger has a way to fight for the central light
squares, and so has no advantage.
8 ... �e6 9.�xe6 fxe6 1 0.tllh4 1 O .�e3
tt:Jc6 1 1 .ti:Jh4 @f7 . 1 o ...I:rgs and now:
A) 1 1 .0-0 gs 1 2 .ti:Jf3 tt:Jc6 1 3 .�e3
'i¥c7 +%;
B) 1 1 .f4 tll c 6 1 2.tt:Jg6 1 2 . fs dS
1 3 .0-0 dxe4 ( 1 3 ... �cS + 1 4.@h l d4)
1 4.�e3 'iYxd l 1 5 . .l:!.axd l @f7 =F.
1 2...<;tif7 1 3.fS exfS 1 4.exfS dS t ;
C ) 1 1 .tll g6 tll c 6 1 2 .f4 <;tif7 1 3 .fS exfS
1 4.exfS dS t .
8.�g5!?
If 8.�c4 jie6 , and now:
1 94
Here White has two main possibilities :
A) 9.'i¥e2:
A l ) 9...'i¥c7! The queen move is
strongest, because it forces White to
solve the problem of his bishop: taking
on e6 makes no sense, so it must retreat
to b3 , but this only leads at some mo­
ment to the line with 9 .�b3 , where we
have already seen that Black is fine.
1 o ..ib3 tll c 6 1 1 .0-0 l:i.cs 1 2 ..igs tll d S?
1 2 . . . tll a S ! 1 3 .�xf6 tll xb3 1 4.cxb3
�xf6= . 1 3.�xf6 �xf6
1 4.tll d S i �xdS 1 5 .�xdS 'i¥xc2
1 6.'i¥xc2 .l:!.xc2 1 7.b4 tll c 6 1 8.bS tll aS
1 9 . .ld.fbl 0-0 20.bxa6 bxa6 2 1 .l:i.b6
.!:i.fc8 22 .g3 tll c 6 2 3 .l:i.xa6 tll b 4
24. .ld:xd6 �e7 2S . .l:rd7 Felgaer-Sune
Berg Hansen, Calvia Olympiad 2 0 04.
White has an extra pawn, but realising
it is extremely difficult, because the
black bishop is very strong. The game is
being played 'for two results' , in that ei­
ther White will win or it will be a draw.
C h ap t e r 1 1
The chances are about 5 0-5 0 .
A2) 9 ...tll c 6 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .lldl l::tc 8
1 2 . ..tb3 h6 1 3 .�e3 �c7 1 4.tll d s
1 4.tllh 4! ? tll a 5 1 5 ...txe6 fxe6 1 6 .tll g 6
l::tfe8 = . 14 .....txdS l S.�xdS tllb4
1 6.�b3 ! 1 6.c3 tll bxd5 1 7 .exd5 tll g 4t.
1 6 ... tll xe4 1 7.�xh6 1 7 .a5 ! tll c 5
1 8 .ilxc5 �xc5 1 9 .c3 tll c 6 2 0 .l::t d 5
�a7 2 1 .tll d 2-+. 1 7 ...tll c S ! 1 8.'iVc4!
In this very complicated situation,
where many pieces are hanging, Adams
finds the only way to create sharp play.
This does not really accord with his
style, but the game was played in the
European Club Championships, and the
players needed a win at all costs.
A2 1 ) 1 8 ... gxh6? ! 1 9 .�xb4 tll xb 3
2 0.�xb3 �xc2 2 1 .�xb 7 l::t c 7
2 1 . . JHe 8 ! 2 2 . �xa6 l::ta 8 2 3 .�b7 l::txa4
24.l::t ac l �e4oo. 22.�xa6 �xb2 23.aS
l::t fc8 24.g3 !;1c6 2 5 .�fl �f6
26.!;tdb l ?! 2 6 .a6!;!;. 26 ... �c3 2 7.tll e l ?
2 7 .'ife2 ! . 2 7 ... e4! 28.!;1a2
-
O c c up ying t h e F l a n k : 6 . a 4
28 ...'iVcS? 2 8 . . . e3 ! -+ 29 .'ife2 exf2 +
3 0 .Wxf2 !;1a8= . 29.a6 .l:!.6c7? 2 9 . . . e3 !
3 0 . tll d 3 exf2 + 3 1 . .l:rxf2 'ife3 oo .
3 0 .'iVe2± Adams-Andriasyan, Ohrid tt
2009;
A 2 2 ) 1 8 . . .e 4 ! ? 1 9 .�xb4 tll x b3
20.cxb3 d5 2 l .�d2 gxh6 2 2 .'ifxh6
exf3 2 3 . l:!'.d4 'tWd7 2 4.'iWh5 l:!'.c6
2 5 . l::t g 4+ ld.g6 2 6 . �xg 6 + fxg6
2 7 .'ifxg6+ Wh8 = ;
A 2 3 ) 1 8 ... tll xb3
1 9 .'iWg4
.ilf6
2 0 .cxb3 tll c 6 2 1 .tll g 5 t ;
B ) I n the event o f 9 ...txe6? fxe6
1 0 .0-0 0-0 1 l .'if e2 tll c 6 l 2 . ..te3 ld.c8
Black is slightly better. It makes no sense
to take on e6, as Black has the open
f-file and covers his weakness on d5 ;
C) Since taking on e6 makes no sense,
we will examine the retreat to b3 . The
recapture cxb3 does not look very
pretty, but in reality, it is not so terrible.
9.�b3 tll c 6 1 0.0-0 tll a s 1 1 .�a2
1 l ...txe6 fxe6 1 2 .'iWd3 'iWc8 1 3 .tll g 5
tll c 6 1 4.�h3 tll d4 1 5 ..ile3 h6 1 6 .tll f3
tll xf3 + 1 7 .'ifxf3 0 - 0 = . 1 1 . .. !;1c8
1 2.'l!Ve2 0-0 1 3.l::t d l �c7 1 4.�gS tll c4
1 S.�xf6 �xf6 1 6.�xc4 �xc4 1 7.�d2
!;1fd8 1 8.tll e l 'iWc6= 1 8 . . . 'ifb6 ! ? 1 9 .b3
�e6 2 0 .tll d 5 �xd5 2 1 .'iWxd5 !;1c5
22 .'ifd2 'i¥c6 2 3 .�d3 d5 = . 1 9 .aS h6
20.tll d 3 �gs 2 1 .�el b6 22.g3 bxaS
23.h4 ..te7 24.t!.xaS �b6 25.l::!dal !;1e8
26.�d2 �d8 2 7.!;1Sa4 �b7 28.b3 �bS
29.!;14a2
1 95
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
29 .. Jhc3 30.'irxc3 'iVxe4 Black has
sacrificed the exchange and obtained a
strong attack in return, but the problem
is that White can return the exchange
with .l:!'.xa6 and obtain a small advan­
tage. He subsequently managed to ex­
ploit this and win in Kamsky­
Kempinski, Achaea 2 0 1 2 .
8...�e6 9.�xf6 �xf6 1 O.tt:JdS
tt:Jd7 1 1 ..tc4 .l:!'.c8 1 2.�e2
1 2.b3
native. 1 3 ... °iVxd2+ 1 4.tllxd2 �gs In
the endgame, only Black can be slightly
better, as he has the two bishops and ac­
tive pieces, whilst White only has holes
on the dark squares. If 1 4 . . . �xdS
1 S .�xdS �xc2 l 6 . .txb7 tbc5 1 7 . .ids
tbd3 + 1 8 .@e2 .tgs 1 9.@xd3 .l:!.xd2+
2 0 .@c3 .l:!'.xf2 2 l .b4 is unclear. 1 5.@dl
hS 1 6 .J::!.e l 1 6 .h3 h4. 16 ...h4 1 7.h3
tll f6 1 8.t2Jxf6+ gxf6 1 9.i.xe6 fxe6
20.tbf3 .l:!'.g8 2 1 .c4 fS 22.exfS exfS
23.@e2 i.e7 24.@fl @f7 25 . .l:!'.adl J::!.cS
By very strong and energetic play,
Topalov has first solved all his problems
and then taken the initiative. Black has
some practical advantage, perhaps, al­
though objectively, the position is close
to equal, Kamsky-Topalov, Kazan 2 0 1 1 ;
B) 1 2 ...tllb 6 1 3.tllxf6+
After this move, Black has many contin­
uations, and I think he can equalise in
various ways. Probably the most precise
path was shown by Topalov, at the Can­
didates' matches in Kazan. Instead of
. . . gxf6 , I would recapture . . . 'i¥xf6 ,
when the position is very similar to the
one in Grishuk-Svidler:
A) 1 2 ...'iYaS +!
1 3.'i¥d2 After 1 3 .b4 'i¥d8 14 . .tb3 aS
Black himself starts to play for the ini-
1 96
Gata Kamsky
Chapter 1 I
1 3 ... 1Wxf6! 1 3 . . . gxf6? 1 4.�xe6 fxe6
1 5 .aS tba8 1 6 .c4t Hovhannisyan­
Andriasyan, Yerevan ch-ARM 2 0 1 0 .
1 4.�xe6 '!Wxe6 1 5.aS ltJd7 1 6.0-0 0-0
1 7.c4 ttJc5 18 . .ld.el f5 1 9.exfS 1Wxf5
20.'iVds + 'iVe6=;
C) Only after 12 ...�gS?! does White
have slight pressure, but even here, it is
not a great advantage: 1 3 . 0-0 0-0
1 4.ltJxgS "ii'x gS 1 5 .tbe3 "ii' e 7 1 6 . .ld.e l
tbf6 1 7 ."ii'd 3 .l:i.fd8 1 8 .aS g6 1 9 .�xe6
1Wxe6 2 0 .c4 �g7 2 1 .�a4 .ld.cS 2 2 .h3
'iVc8 23 . .ld.a2 l:!.c6 24.nfl bS 2 5 .f4
bxc4. White has a space advantage, the
more active pieces and some prospects
of attacking on the f-file. For this rea­
son, the position must be assessed as
somewhat better for White, Hou
Yifan-Ju Wenjun, Hefei rapid 2 0 1 0 .
-
O c c upying t h e Fl ank : 6 . a 4
1 5 ... 0-0
An absolutely equal position. We will
give two games with similar play.
1 6 ..l::tfd1 l:[fd8
I 6 . . Jk6 I 7 .b3 ltJd7 = Zinchenko­
Efimenko, Poltava 2 0 0 6 .
'/Wxf6
1 7.b3 ttJd7 1 8.c4 h 6 1 9.fVe3 ttJf6
20.l:rd2 b5!=
After 1 5 .b3 0-0 1 6 . .ld.d l �c6 the draw
was agreed in Svidler-Grischuk,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 1 1 .
With equality in Zubarev-Amonatov,
Tashkent 2 0 0 8 , which was drawn on
move 40.
1 2 ... ttJb6
1 3.ttJxf6+
1 4.�xe6 1Wxe6 1 5.0-0
Conclusion
6.a4 is also one of the positional continuations. As we have seen, it does
not in any way pretend to an advantage. And after looking at the games of
the strongest players, we can see that Black can easily cope with the small
problems he faces.
Although this book is written for the black player and the move 6.a4 is
toothless, I would also not recommend this move to White.
197
Chapter 12
The Fianchetto 6.g3
1.e4 c5 2.tt:Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tt:Jxd4 tt:Jf6 5 .tt:Jc3 a6 6.g3
In this section of the book, we will examine the move 6.g3 and Black's possible re­
plies.
Black has three main continuations in his arsenal, just as after 6.h3 (see the next
chapter) . They are 6 . . . e6, 6 . . . g6 and 6 . . . e S . As with 6.h3 , we will look at our fa­
vourite move . . . e7-eS . In essence, 6.g3 is harmless and simply not as good as 6.h3 .
Looking at the games in the database, we will see that eventually, White usually
plays g3 -g4 anyway, and it becomes clear that he has lost a tempo. We will see one
particular black move which is interesting, and met with in half of the games in
this position.
The move . . . e7 -eS is quite strong for Black because after the move g2-g 3 , White
puts his bishop on g2, where it fires only at its own pawn.
You may wonder why White plays g2-g 3 , rather than h2-h3 , obtaining in sev­
eral lines a position a tempo down on the latter move. The point is that the move
g2-g3 is very strong if the opponent likes to play the Najdorf with . . . e7-e6, instead
of our choice . . . e7 -es .
We will follow the game Dvoirys-Andriasyan, played at Magnitogorsk in 2 0 1 1 , at
the final of the Russia Cup.
1 .e4 c5 2.4Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.4Jxd4 4Jf6 5.4Jc3 a6 6.g3 e5
White has a choice of whether to retreat
to b3 or e2.
1 98
7.4Jb3
Let us first look at the retreat to e2, from
where the knight will be able to assist in
the fight for the crucial square dS , and
C h a p t e r 1 2 - T h e F i a n c h e t to 6 . g 3
in some also with the advance of the
kingside pawns, by h2-h3 and g3 -g4.
7 .ti:lde2 �e7
Here White has three ways to continue:
h2-h3 , �g2 and a2-a4. The first two are
effectively a transposition.
A) With the move 8.�g2 , White ig­
nores Black's activity on the queenside
and wishes to castle as quickly as possi­
ble and exploit Black's . . . b7-b5 move as
a target for the advance a2-a4.
Black has a mass of possibilities here, all
of which give him a normal position. In
general, such positions are not danger­
ous for Black because he has play on the
c-file and if White plays f2-f4, then
Black will capture . . . exf4 and have ex­
cellent play on the dark squares, which
are weak in White's camp. So I will just
quote two games - in both, Black has
different ideas, but a good position:
A 1 2 1 ) 1 2 ... tll e s
1 3 .tll d s
�gs
1 4.�xgS 'iVxg5 1 5.l:Ia3 °iYdS 1 6.'i¥d2
ti:lef6 ? 1 6 . . . �xdS ! 1 7 .'iYxdS .l:!.c8
l 8 .Wfd2 ti:lcS = . 1 7.ti:lxf6 + ti:lxf6
1 8.ti:lg3 !t g6 1 9 ..l:!.dl ti:le8 and Black
was under some pressure, but managed
to draw in Zhang Pengxiang-Karjakin,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 0 7 ;
A l 22) 1 2 . llcs 1 3 .ti:lg3 ti:lcs 1 4.gS
ti:lfd7 1 5 .h4 g6 1 6 .�e3 ti:le6 1 7 .�h3
ti:\f4 l 8 .�xf4 exf4 1 9 .ti:lge2 f3 2 0 .ti:ld4
..
A 1 ) 8 ... 0-0 and now:
A l l ) 9.a4 �e6 1 0.0-0 'iYc7 1 1 .h3
ti:lbd7 After l 1 . . .ti:lc6 Black does not
manage to get the knight to b4, which
would be nice, although even so, Black
has an excellent position: 1 2 . ti:ldS
�xdS 1 3 . exdst. 1 2.g4 h6 1 3.ti:lg3
J:!.fes 1 4.tllfs �fS+Z;
A 1 2) 9.0-0 ti:lbd7 1 0.a4 b6 1 1 .h3
�b7 1 2.g4 Here White has used two
moves to get the pawn on g4.
2 0 . . . �xg S ! + and Black won in
Timofeev-Vitiugov, Moscow ch-RUS
2007.
A2) 8 ...b 5 It seems to b e that this
move is stronger than the immediate
castling, because it hinders White to
play a2-a4, and seizes space on the
queenside. Meanwhile, as we have
already commented, with the move
. . . b7 -b5 , Black starts his own offensive,
planning . . . itb7 , . . . ti:ld7-c5 , and an at­
tack on the e4-pawn, plus the possibil1 99
Winn ing w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
ity if the chance arises of an exchange
sacrifice on c3 .
A2 l ) 9.0-0 �b7 1 O.h3 In case of
1 0.a4 b4 1 1 .tt:ldS tt:lxdS 1 2 .exdS aS
1 3 .c4 tt:ld7 1 4 . .ie3 .l:i.c8 1 S .b3 0-0
Black has an excellent game, and I pre­
fer his position: he will play . . . tt:lcS ,
. . . f7-fS , White will answer f2-f4, and
then Black will have a choice: either ig­
nore the pawn or play . . . e S -e4.
1 O ...tt:lbd7 l 1 .g4 and now:
A2 1 1 ) 1 1 ...b4
1 2 .tt:Jds
tt:lxdS
1 3.exdS aS 14.tt:lg3
1 4 ... 0 - 0 ! N 1 4 . . . g 6 ? 1 S . .ih6 .igS
l 6 . tt:le4! �xh6 ? ! 1 7 . tt:lxd6+ Wf8
l 8 . tt:lxb7 �b6 1 9 .d6 �f4 2 0 .c4! .l:i.b8
2 1 .�dS tt:lf6 2 2 .�f3 gs 2 3 .cS �a6
24 . .l:i.fe 1 +- Kamsky-Gelfand, Tilburg
1 9 9 0 . l S.tt:lfS .l:i.e8 1 6 .tllx e7+ �xe7
with initiative;
A2 1 2) 1 1 . .. 0-0 1 2 .tt:lgJ b4 1 2 . . . tt:Jcs
1 3 .tt:lfs .l:i.c8oo. 1 3.tt:lds tllxdS 1 4.exdS
.l:i.e8 1 S .a3 aS 1 6 .�e3
200
1 6 ...�gS? 1 6 . . . �c7 ! . 1 7.�xgS �xgS
1 8.axb4 axb4 1 9.tt:lfS 1 9 . tt:le4 ! ± .
1 9 ... :!:l:a6 20.:!:!:xa6 �xa6 2 1 .:!:l:el �f6
22.�d2 .l:i.b8 23.b3 g6 24.tt:lg3 �f4
2S.�xf4 exf4 26.tt:le4 Kryvoruchko­
Zhigalko, Plovdiv Ech 2 0 1 2 . Thanks to
the strong knight on e4, White's posi­
tion is a little more pleasant. He will play
g4-gS next and try to keep the knight on
the key square e4, after which he will
have a minimal advantage;
A22) 9.a4
A22 l ) 9 ... bxa4?! 9 . . . b4 should be
played. After the capture on a4, I started
to have problems, although the position
is normal. White started to press on the
queenside, and Black has a weak pawn
on a6 , whilst White can advance his b­
and c-pawns to b4 and c4, after which
he will have the advantage, and Black
will have to defend accurately, so as not
to fall into a passive position: 1 0 .0-0
tt:lbd7 1 1 .tt:lxa4 �b 7 1 2.tt:lec3 0-0
Chapter 1 2
1 3 .°'lWe2 'l1Wc7 1 4.l:i.d l .!:i.fc8 1 S .b3 �c6
1 6 . .!:i.a2 °'lWb7 1 7 . ..ta3 .tbs 1 8 .'ire3
tll c S 1 9. tll xcS dxcS 2 0. tll d S tll xdS
2 1 .1::!'.x dS ? Better was 2 1 .exdS ! ..td6
22 . .!:i.da l ;\;. Now I managed to equalise
with 2 1 ...c4 in Ter Sahakyan­
Andriasyan, Yerevan ch-ARM 2 0 1 1 .
A2 2 2) 9 ... b4!
1 0.tll d S tll xdS
1 1 .°'lWxdS .l:!.a7 1 2 ...te3 �e6 1 3.°'lWd2
A2 2 2 1 ) 1 3 ... .ld.b7 A double-edged
position, where the chances of the two
sides are equal, and Black has no prob­
lems at all; he can quietly play this posi­
tion: 1 4.f4 b3 1 5 .fS �c4 1 6 .tll c l dS
1 6 . . . tll d 7 ! ? 1 7 .cxb3 �xb3 1 8 .tllx b3
l:i.xb3 1 9 . .l::!. a 3 °'lWb8 2 0 . .l:!.xb3 't!Vxb3
2 1 . 0-0 0-0�. 1 7.exdS .l:td7 1 8.tllxb3
�xdS with a draw on move 2 3 ,
Boruchovsky-Rodshtein, Biel 2 0 1 2 ;
A2 2 2 2) I also looked at another move
for Black, also very interesting :
1 3 ... tld7 ! ?N 1 4.aS l 4.�xb4 dS
l S .�cs tll c 6 1 6 . 't!Vb6 't!Vxb6 1 7 . ..txb6
-
T h e F i an c h e t t o 6 . g 3
1 7 . . . d4! 1 8 .aS 0-0 1 9 .0-0 I:rc8 2 0 .tll c l
lCb4 2 1 .tll d 3 f6 ! with good compensa­
tion. 1 4 ... 0-0 1 S .f4 l S . 0 - 0 tll c 6
1 6.I:lfd l 'ir c 7 1 7 .f4 tll xaS 1 8 .b3 .!:i.fd8
1 9 .Afl g6 with chances for both sides.
1 5 ...lll c 6 1 6.fS �c4 1 7.b3 �bs 1 8.'>tif2
1 8 ... dS ! 1 9 .exdS tll d4 2 0 .tll xd4
2 0 .�xd4 exd4 2 1 .tll f4 �cs 2 2 .tll d 3
.l:txdS ! 2 3 .�xdS 'ti'xdS 24 . .l:thfl �d6
2 S .f6 �c6 2 6 .'>tie l D g6 2 7 .'irh6 l::t e 8+
2 8 .'>tid2 �f8=i=. 20...exd4 2 1 .°'lWxd4D
ld:e8! 22.'ird2 't/Vc8 ! 2 3 .l':.he l �f6 !
24.�d4D .l:tde7! A very strong, al­
though at the same time rather strange
move. Black is two pawns down, yet he
exchanges pieces. 2 5 Jh e 7 .l:txe7
26.'>tigl .l:te2 2 7.'lWf4 �xd4+ 28.'t/Vxd4
't/Vxc2 29.�f3 l:!:xh2 30.�e4 �d3 ! Here
Black already has the advantage, and can
regain his lost material with an attack
on the enemy king. Even so, White has
drawing chances.
B) 8.a4
20 1
Wi nning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
This move has another minus. Of
course, White does not want to allow
. . . b7-b S , after which Black seizes space
on the queenside, gives his bishop an
excellent post on b 7 , his knight comes
to d7 and cS , and there is always a
threat of . . . bS -b4, attacking the
e4-pawn. However, after a2-a4, Black
obtains the square b4 for his knight,
from where it supports the advance
. . . d6-dS , and it is not clear how it can
be ejected from the b4-square, since the
move c2-c3 means that the knight
should not have come to c3 in the first
place.
B 1 ) 8 ... ttJc6 9.�g2 ttJb4 1 0 .0-0 �e6
1 1 .b3
1 1 . ..d5 = In such positions, Black's
main idea usually consists of this ad­
vance, and if he achieves this, the posi­
tion is equal. 1 2.exd5 ttJfxd5 1 3.�a3
ttJxc3 1 4.ttJxc3 �xdl 1 5.li:axdl ttJxc2
1 6 .�xe? @xe7 1 7 .ttJd5 + �xd5
1 8.li:xd5 @e6 with a draw on move 2 S
in Ghaem Maghami-Vachier-Lagrave,
Dresden Olympiad 2 0 0 8 ;
B2) 8 ...�e6 is also an interesting
move, giving Black a normal, playable
position: 9 .�g2 ttJbd7 1 O .h3 li:c8
1 1 .g4 h6 1 2 .ttJg3 g6 1 3 . 0-0 W¥c7 1 4.aS
@f8 1 S .�e3 @g7 1 6.f4 exf4 1 7 .li:xf4
ttJeS with a draw on move 4 7 ,
Kamsky-Lautier, Monaco rapid 1 9 9 6 .
202
C) 8.h3
8 ...b 5 ! If we compare this position
with the 6 .h3 variation, then it is clear
that White has simply lost a tempo, be­
cause he will have to spend three
moves getting his pawn to g4, instead
of two. So it seems to me that the varia­
tion with 6 . g3 is not dangerous for
Black. 9.�g2 ttJbd7 1 0.a3 1 O .g4 b4
1 1 .ltJdS ttJxdS 1 2 . exdS aS 1 3 . 0- 0 hS
1 4.gxhS li:xhS 1 S .ttJd4 ttJf6 1 6 .ttJc6
�c7 1 7 .1lii f3 �fs 1 8 . � e l �d 7 .
Black's position is the more promising,
as he has some attack, Alexeev­
Dominguez Perez, Biel 2 0 0 8 . 1 0 ...�b?
1 1 .g4 ttJb6 1 2.ltJg3 g6 1 3.g5 ttJfd7
1 4.h4 .bi.cs 1 5.@fl 0-0 1 6.@gl .bi.c4
Black has a definite advantage, since
the rook on h 1 is not taking part in the
game. But strangely, Black later lost the
game, after wrongly sacrificing the ex­
change in a good position, sharpening
the position, and then committing sev­
eral inaccuracies in Short-Gelfand,
Novgorod 1 99 7 .
7...ile7 8.�g2
White also has the option here of stop­
ping bS by playing a2-a4 himself, but
then, as we have already seen, the black
knight gets a good square on b4, and
this helps him organise the advance
. . . d6-dS : 8.a4 ttJc6 9.�g2
C h a p t e r 1 2 - T h e F i an c h e t to 6 . g 3
Olginka tt 20 1 1 , but to my mind,
1 O . tll b4 is rather stronger. Black pre­
pares the advance . . . d6-d5 , whilst the
white pieces are not harmoniously
placed - the queen interferes with the
development of the other pieces and he
still has to expend a tempo on castling.
1 1 .tll dS tll bxdS 1 2.exdS
..
Not a very dangerous position for
Black, and I would even say that he can
play for the advantage, as White has
conceded the square b4 and the knight
on b3 is out of place in such positions.
It does not contribute to the battle for
dS, while all of Black's pieces take part
in that battle. I will give two examples:
A) 9 .. tllb4 1 o . .igs �e6 1 1 .0-0 l:rc8
1 2 . .l:tel 0-0 1 3 .'li'e2 h6 14 . ..ixf6 �xf6
1 5.aS 'li'd7 1 6 .'i¥d2 .l:fd8 1 7.h4 J::i.c 7
1 8. J::i. e dl .b!.dc8=i= Lopez Martinez­
Dominguez Perez, Barcelona 2 0 0 6 ;
B ) 9. . ..ig4!? I very much like this
move, because now White starts to have
problems. If he plays 'i¥d2 , then he can­
not develop the bishop from c 1 , whilst
if he plays f2-f3 , then he will later end
up having to play f3 -f4, weakening his
king, which is not very desirable.
B l ) 1 0 .'li'd2
1 2.. . .l:!.cS!N Black is simply better. He
will play . . . tll d 7 , . . . f7 -f5 whilst White's
subsequent play is not entirely obvious,
because his pieces do not cooperate
well and it is hard to imagine how he
will restore this coordination. 1 2 . . . aS
1 3 . 0-0 0-0 1 4.�d3 �c8 1 5 .c3 .ifs ,
with good play for Black, was seen in
Vydeslaver-Colovic, Kallithea tt 2 0 0 8 .
1 3.0-0 'li'd?=F ;
B2) 1 0.f3 .ild7 1 1 .0-0 tllb4 1 2 .�e3
0-0 1 3.aS .l:!.c8 14.J::i. f2 .ie6 1 5 . .t!.d2
1 0 ... tllb4! 1 0 . . . tll a S is also not bad, as
was played in Movsesian-Kokarev,
1 5 ...'li'e8! A strong idea. Black transfers
his queen to c6, after which he plays
.
203
Winn i n g w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
. . . �fd8 and . . . d6-d5 , and will then
stand a little better. 1 6 .tl:lc 1 ! h5
1 6 . . . 'iVc6? ! 1 7 .tl:ld3 tl:lxd3 1 8 . .l:txd3
.!::r fd8 1 9 .tl:ldS ! ;l; . 1 7.tbd3 tl:lxd3
1 8 ..ld:xd3 h4� ;
B3) 1 0.�f3 �h3 ! White is hardly
likely to castle kingside, and in order to
castle queenside he needs first to move
the bishop and queen, besides which he
has already played a2-a4, creating a
weakness there.
Back to the position after 8 .�g2 .
8... b5 9.�g5
A) 9.a4 b4 1 0.tl:\d5 tl:\xd5 1 1 .1li!Yxd5
.ld:a7 1 2.�e3 �e6 1 3.'l!Vd3 1 3 .'l!Vd2
transposes to 9. 0-0, see the game
Kasimdzhanov-Karjakin in line C.
1 3 ....ld:d7 1 4.0-0 0-0 1 5 ..ld:fcl
1 5 ... .ld:eS Without the move f2-f4, the
.l:!.e8 does nothing, and Black will not
manage to get in . . . � gs because White
has played a4-a5 and he can put his
bishop on b6 with tempo. So it was
necessary to play 1 5 . . . �gS at once, or
1 5 . . . 'l!Vc8 , whereas 1 5 . . . l:!:e8 turns out
to be a wasted move: 1 5 . . . �gS ! ? 1 6 .f4
�h6 1 7 .l:!:e l l:!:e8oo. 1 6.a5 'l!Vc8 1 7.c3
bxc3 1 8.l:!:xc3 l:!:c7 1 9 . .i::t: ac l l:!:xc3
20.l:!:xc3 'l!Vb7 2 1 .'l!Vc2 l:!:c8 22.l:!:xc8+
�xc8 23.tbd2
204
But here White has pressure, and al­
though his advantage is not great, the
position is unpleasant for Black. White
has a very simple plan. He wants to
play b2 -b4-b 5 , transfer the �g2 via fl
to c4 and bring the knight via b 1 to c3 .
White won on move 3 6 in
Zherebukh-Ter Sahakyan, Athens
Wch-jr 2 0 1 2 ;
B) 9.tl:ld5 It was better to start with
the preliminary 9 .a4 as in line A, and
only after 9 . . . b4 to play 1 0 . tl:ldS . Here,
Black stands fine. 9 ... tl:lxd5 1 0.'l!Vxd5
�a7 1 1 .�e3 �e6 1 2.'l!Vd2 �d7 1 3.0-0
1 3 ... d5 1 4.exd5 �xd5 1 5 .�xd5
l:!:xd5 =
Filipenko-Voitsekhovsky,
Tolyatti 2 0 1 1 ;
C) 9.0-0 0-0 1 O.a4 b4 1 1 .tbd5 tl:lxd5
1 2.'l!Vxd5 .ld:a7 1 3 . .i.e3 �e6 1 4.'l!Vd2 We
have transposed into the position after
9 .a4 with the only difference that here,
the queen is on d2 instead of d3 .
1 4... l:!:b7
Chapter 1 2
1 5.l::!. fdl 1 5 .'iYd3 makes no sense at all;
White could have played 'lli'd3 at once,
saving a tempo: 1 S . . . 'i!Hc7 1 6.tll d 2 aS
1 7 . .l::!. ac l tll d 7 1 8 .b3 .l::r c 8 and Black was
already slightly better in Kasim­
dzhanov-Karjakin,
Tomsk
2006.
1 5 ...'iYc7 1 5 . . . tll d 7 ! ?. 1 6.�acl tll d 7
1 7.�fl .l:!.a8 1 8.c4 a5
-
The Fianchetto 6 . g 3
looked at this position before my
game with Dvoirys at the Russian Cup.
It happened that we met in the first cy­
cle, and before this, he lost in this line
to Sjugirov. For this reason, I did not
think he would play the same way
again, although he probably had little
choice. In the first game, I was White,
and after playing a very strong novelty, I
obtained the advantage. I could not
realise it, but I was full of determina­
tion to win the match in normal time,
which I managed to do.
An alternative is 9 ... tllb d7 and now:
A) 1 0.tll d S tllxdS ! 1 1 .°iVxdS tllb 6
1 2.�xe7 �xe7 although the king is
in the centre, he stands quite comfort­
ably there, as White has no pieces with
which to disturb him, having no dark­
squared bishop and the tll b 3 being un­
able to help. If Black exchanges queens,
he will have the advantage: 1 3.'i!Hd2 f6
1 3 ... 'l!Vc7 ! ? 1 4.0-0 .te6oo. 1 4.0-0 �e6
1 S .c3 .l:!.c8 1 6.h4 tllc4 1 7.'ii'e2 °iVb6
1 8.tllc l b4 and Black was OK in
Alexeev-Nepomniachtchi, Moscow
ch-RUS 2 0 0 6 ;
B) 1 0.a4 and now:
B l ) 1 0 ...b4! ? 1 1 .tll dS
-
A closed and equal position, which
ended in a draw, Adams-Alexeev, Calvia
2007.
9 � g4
...
1 1 ...h6!N 1 1 . . .tll xdS ? ! 1 2 .'iYxdS .l:!.a7
1 3 . .txe7 �xe7 1 4.0-0 tll f6 l S .'°iYd2 aS
1 6.c4 bxc3 1 7 ."i¥xc3 �e6 1 8 .tll d2
'ii'b 6 1 9 .tll c4 �cs 2 0 .tll e 3 'lli'x c3 with
20S
Winning w i t h t h e N a j d o r f S i c i l i an
a later draw, Olsson-Micheli, Skopje
Olympiad 1 9 7 2 . 1 2 .tll xe 7 'iYxe 7
1 3 . .,teJ 0-0 1 4.0-0 aS= ;
B2) 1 0 ....,tb7 1 1 .axbS axbS 1 2 . .ld:xaS
'iYxa8 1 3.tll xb5 1 3 ..,txf6 tllxf6 1 4.'iVd3
0 - 0 1 5 . 0 - 0 .,tc6 1 6 . l:f.a l 'iYb8 = .
1 3 ... 0-0 1 4.tll c 3
1 4... tllxe4!N 1 4 . . . h6?! 1 S . .,txf6 tllxf6
1 6 . 'iY a 1 ! - after this move, White was
slightly better in Deepan-Areschenko,
Mumbai 2 0 0 9 . 1 S ,.,txe4 .,txe4
1 6 .�xe7 �xc2 1 7.'iYxc2 'iYxh l +
1 8.<iite 2 l:f.e8 1 9.�xd6
1 6.h3 1 6 .c3 ! ? bxc3 1 7 .�xe6 fxe6
1 8 .tllx c3 'iYb6 1 9 .tllb S .,te7 20.I:l.cl
tll f6 oo . 1 6 ... tll b 6 1 7.tll xb6 'iYxb6
1 8.'iYd3 l:f.fd8 1 9.l:f.fdl 'iYc6 20.�xe6
fxe6 2 1 .'iYe2 .l:Idc8 22.'iYg4 dS 23.l:f.d2
<iith8 24.l:Ie2 l:f.f8 25.tll c l l:f.ac8 26.tll d 3
dxe4 27.tll e l .,tds 28.'iYxe4 'iYxe4
29..ihe4 �b6 and Black had pressure
and eventually won, Dvoirys-Sjugirov,
Irkutsk 20 1 0 .
1 0...�e6
For some reason, I did not look very
deeply at this position. I thought that if
it arose, I would be able to play it with­
out any special preparation. However,
frankly speaking, once it arose, I was
not happy that I had not looked at how
best to play it, and maybe I did not at
first play it in the best possible way.
1 1 .f4 h6
l 1 . . .tll b d7 1 2 .fS .,tc4
1 9 ... e4 20.tll ds 'iVf3+ 2 1 .\:itfl 'iYhl +
22.<iit e 2 'iVf3+=.
1 0.f3
1 o.�f3 �e6 1 1 .a4 b4 1 2.�xf6 �xf6
1 3.tll ds as 14.�g4 0-0 1 5.0-0 tll d 7 I
did not think that Dvoirys would repeat
this move sequence, because I did not
see anything special here for White, and
I was quite calm about the position.
206
l:i
'--=�
--'--=
=-"---"-__J
Chapter 1 2
1 3 . tll d 2 l:rc8 ! At the board, of course, I
did not want to go in for this position,
here it is easily possible to lose the
bishop on c4, but when you are sitting
quietly at home with the computer on,
then you understand that Black has no
problems.
1 2.�xf6 �xf6 1 3.fS �ca 14.a4
b4 1 5.tll d 5
-
T h e F i an c h e t t o 6 . g 3
has to hurry. If he plays too slowly, he
will just be worse on account of his
damaged pawn structure and poor mi­
nor pieces.
1 7.0-0
Not a good move, which does not fit
the spirit of the position. It was neces­
sary to play °iVd2 or 'iWdS , so as to play a
quick 0-0-0 and create problems for
Black by attacking the d6-pawn. In­
stead, White starts to play slowly and
obtains a bad position.
1 7 .°iVdS l:ra7 1 8 . 0-0-0 ..tb7 1 9 .°iVd3
(with the idea of tll d 2 and tll c 4. In the
event of 1 9 .°iVxd6 °iYxd6 2 0 . l:rxd6 We7
Black has excellent compensation for
the pawn) .
1 7...'ti'b6+ 1 8.@h 1 �a6 1 9.VWdS
..tb7 20.VWd2 tll d 7 21 .l:rfd1
15 ...as
15 ... tll d 7 ! ? 1 6.tll xb4 ( 1 6 .°iVd3 �b7
1 7 .tll xf6+ tll xf6 1 8 .0-0-0 �c6 1 9 .aS
We7 ) 1 6 . . . aS 1 7 .tll d S 0-0.
I did not especially wish to give the
pawn on b4, because a draw meant that
the match would continue with rapid
games, and I did not want to risk any­
thing.
1 6.tllxf6+
I was very surprised by this decision;
why give up the pride of White's posi­
tion, for the bishop which has no great
future? At the time, I was more afraid of
0-0 and then l:rf3 , with the idea of ..tfl
and �c4 or �bS , followed by l:rd3 and
perhaps c3 .
1 6 ...gxf6
Although the computer prefers White
here, during the game I did not feel
this way, but I understood that White
21 ...@e7! 22.c3 bxc3 23.VWxc3
After 2 3 . bxc3 ! (since White is strategi­
cally lost, he must capture bxc3 , in or­
der somehow to try to complicate
Black's task, but after playing 2 3 .°iVxc3
he lost easily, as he had no
counterplay) 23 . . . tll c S 24.tll x cS 'fVxcS
2 5 .l:rab l ..tc6 Black also has the advan­
tage. Any exchange of heavy pieces fa­
vours him and strategically, White's
position is lost.
207
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
2 3. .JihcS=F
24.'iYd3
.ia6
25.'iYd2 �b7 26.'iYd3 'iYb4 27.h4
nc4 28.nac1 �ac8 29.Wh2
2 9 .�xc4! l::rxc4 3 0 .Wh2 .ia8 ! + .
29....ia6 !-+ 30.�a1
3 0 .l::r c 3 .
30 ... 'iYb6 31 .'iff3 �c2 32.tll d 2
�xb2 33.'iYe3 �8c3 34.�xh6
�d3 35.?:rab1
35 ...ndxd2
Conclusion
This chapter was devoted to the move g2-g3 . I have to say that I do not
like this move at all, for several reasons. The first thing is that it is rather
passive, and after looking at the theory and the games of strong grand­
masters, I am convinced that it does not offer White any chances to fight
for an advantage.
The second reason is that the bishop on g2 is very bad after Black plays
. . . e7-e5 . As we have already seen, in the Najdorf, the white king's bishop
stands best on the a2-g8 diagonal.
If White wishes to employ the idea of placing the bishop on g2, it is
more expedient to start with the move 6.h3 , which will be examined in
the next chapter.
208
Chapter 13
The Poisonous 6 . h3
1.e4 c5 2.t2Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.t2Jxd4 tt:Jf6 5.tt:Jc3 a6 6.h3
In this last chapter of the book, we will look at the advance of the rook's pawn one
square. At first glance, this looks harmless and not worth attention. But the move
has hidden depths. Looking at the games of top players, played in recent years, it is
clear that the move is quite poisonous and contains many dangers for the oppo­
nent. After a deeper look at the position, some of the world's best players have
come to the conclusion that it makes good sense in this position to play h2-h3 ,
with the idea of advancing g2-g4.
After this move, like after 6.g3 in the previous chapter, Black has three main re­
sponses. These are the moves 6 . . . g 6 , 6 . . . e6, and 6 . . . eS . In this book, we will only
examine 6 . . . e S , because the other two moves are each a different story, whilst the
move 6 . . . eS seems to me to be more uncompromising and gives Black the chance
to fight for the full point.
For the reasons given above, after Black has played 6 . . . eS 7 .4Jde2 , we will look in
more detail at the move 7 . . . hS . The idea is quite simple: Black does not allow White
to play g2-g4, whereas if Black instead plays 6 . . . bS , then White continues 7 .g4 and
obtains an extra tempo over the line 6 .g3 .
1 .e4 cs 2.4Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.4Jxd4 4Jf6 S.4Jc3 a6 6.h3 es
7.4Jde2
Comparing the moves 7 .4Jf3 and
7 .4Jde2, it becomes obvious that the
knight stands rather better on e2, be­
cause it takes part in the fight for dS , and
can sometimes end up on that square.
Another plus is that from e2, the knight
can also follow a course via g 3 to fS ,
whereas on f3 , the knight has no future.
209
Winn i n g w i t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
After 7.tllf3 we have:
A) 7 ... tllb d7 and now:
A l ) 8.a4 ""Ilic? transposes to 7 . . . ""lli c 7 ,
but i t i s correct to begin with . . . ""llic 7 ,
because after . . . ttJbd7 White has the re­
source ilc4, which I do not like. Here I
will just give a few games by well­
known grandmasters, so you can see
how the play might continue:
Al 1 ) 9.ke3 ile7 9 . . . b6 1 0 .ltJd2 ilb7
l 1 .ilc4 tbcs 1 2 .""llif3 h6 1 3 . 0-0 �e7
1 4.�xcS ""llix cS 1 5 .ilb3 0-0 1 6 .ltJc4
�xe4 1 7 . tbxe4 tbxe4 1 8 . ""Iiixe4 dS
1 9 .""llixeS �f6 2 0 .""llid 6 dxc4 2 1 .""llix cS
bxcS 22 .�xc4 and White has sight
pressure,
Timofeev-Khismatullin,
Irkutsk 2 0 1 0 . 1 O.g4
1 4.kf3 .!:1ac8 1 S . .!:1el .!:1fd8 1 6 .ltJdS
ttJxdS 1 7 .exdS iJ..fs 1 8.aS ttJd7 1 9 .c3
iJ..h 7 20.l:1a4 .!:1f8 2 1 .tt:lc4 fS 22.tt:lb6
with a double-edged game, and mutual
chances , Nakamura-Nepomniachtchi,
Moscow 2 0 1 0 .
A2) 8.kc4! ""Ilic? 9.iJ..b 3 i.. e 7 1 0.0-0
Here White has the advantage - he will
play �gs and take the knight on f6 , af­
ter which he will occupy the dS -square
with his minor pieces.
B) 7 ... "l/Jlic7 ! ? 8.iJ..g S tt:lbd7 9.�d3
9 .a4 h6 1 0 .i..e 3 tbcs l 1 .ltJd2 (after
1 1 .ltJdS Black grabs the initiative with
1 1 . . . ltJxdS 1 2 .exdS �e7 1 3 .aS 0-0
1 4.ltJd2 ilfs 1 s .ile2 ilh7 1 6 . 0-0 fs
1 7 .ltJc4 f4 1 8 .ilxcS ""llix cS 1 9.ltJb6
.!:1ad8�) l l . . .�e6 1 2 .""llif3 ""llic 6 1 3 .aS
.!:1d8 1 4.ile2 �e7 1 5 . 0-0 0-0 1 6 . .!:1fd l
1 6 . . . dS 1 7 . exdS ttJxdS 1 8 . tbxdS �xdS
1 9 .""lli fs tbe6 20 .�f3 ilgs is unclear.
9 ... ile7 1 0.0-0 h6 1 1 .kd2 0-0 1 2.""llie2
tt:lcs 1 3 .ilc4 bs 1 4.tt:lds ""lli d 7
1 S.tt:lxf6 + ilxf6 1 6 .�ds �b7 1 7.�xb7
""llixb7 1 8 . .!:1fel aS =.
1 o...h6 1 1 .gS hxgS 1 2.ttJxgS b6 1 3.l:1gl
ilb7 14.lla3 dS 1 5.ttJxdS hds 1 6.exdS
ilxa3 1 7.bxa3 ""llic 3+ 1 8.iJ..d2 ""llixa3 and
Black is winning, Nepomniachtchi­
Lastin, Olginka tt 2 0 1 1 ;
A l l ) 9 .�gs h6 l O.iJ.. e 3 tbcS =
1 1 .ltJd2 ke6 1 2.iLe2 iJ..e 7 1 3.0-0 0-0
210
7 hS
...
Here Black has an interesting choice be­
tween the moves 7 . . . bS and 7 . . . h S . I al­
ways prefer 7 . . . hS , since this prevents
White playing g2-g4 followed by tbg3
and seizing space on the kingside. Ad­
mittedly, the move . . . h7-h5 also has its
C h ap t e r 1 3 - T h e P o i s o n o u s 6 . h 3
disadvantages: firstly, it concedes the
g5-square to the opponent, where a
bishop will stand ideally, whilst after
kingside castling. Black can come under
attack with g2-g4. For this reason, he
does not rush with castling, so as to
make White commit himself first:
7...bS 8.g4 and now:
A) 8 ... b4 9.tlJdS tLlxdS 9 . . . �b 7
1 0 .�g2. 1 0. °iVxdS l:ta7 1 1 .�e3 �e6
1 2.�d2
1 2 ... l:td7! It is important to create the
threat of . . . d6-d5 , whilst the rook
would not be doing anything on b7
( 1 2 ... l:!'.b7 1 3 .�g2 t) . Now White must
solve concrete problems, as 1 3 . . . d5 is
threatened, and it is not obvious how to
prevent this move. There are two ways
to play: one is to take on b4 and have an
extra pawn, the other to try to blockade
on the light squares. Let us look at the
two continuations:
A l ) 1 3.�xb4 dS 1 4.'iVa4 d4 1 5.�d2
°iVb6
A 1 1 ) 1 6.0-0-0 Castling queenside is
very dangerous, as the white pieces are
not well placed to defend the queen­
side, and his queen is also on a very un­
stable square. The black attack develops
quickly and strongly and all the black
pieces will be involved. The silicon ma­
chine may be able to defend without a
great problem, but for a human, it is
perhaps even an insurmountable task:
1 6 ... �d6 1 7.f4 0-0! 1 8.�aS °iVc6 !
1 9.�xc6 t2Jxc6 2 0.�d2 2 0 .fxeS ! ?
�xe5 2 1 .�e 1 llxa2 ! --+ . 2 0 ...d 3 !
2 1 .cxd3 i.xa2 22.fxeS tLixeS 2 2 . . . llc5 !
2 3 .llf4 .tlc8 24.tLlc3 llb3 2 5 .l:td2
lld4:f . 23.Wc2 t2Jxd3 Or 23 . . . .l:Ib8
24.tLlc l l::!.c 7 + 2 5 .llc3 llb l + 2 6 . Wxb l
.l:hc3 with good play for the material.
24.l:ta l ? l:tc8++ Voboril-Jakubiec,
Czechia tt 1 99 3 ;
A l 2) 1 6.b4 tt:lc6 1 7.a3 tt:la7 1 8.t2Jg3
tLlbS 1 9.tlJhS f6 20.f4 'i¥c6 2 1 .�d3
kd6! 2 1 .. .fs 2 2 .gxfs �xf5 2 3 .t2Jg3
lle6 24.fxeS;\;.
22.0-0 0-0 and Black has full compen­
sation, as the white queen is offside and
needs permanent defence from its own
pieces, to prevent her being trapped.
A2) 1 3 .c4 kxc4 1 4.tt:lg3 kxfl
1 5.Wxfl dS 1 6.exdS .ld:xdS 1 7.�c2
�e7 1 8.tlJfS 0 - 0 1 9.'i¥e4 l::t e 8
20.t2Jxe7 + .ld:xe7 2 1 .J:tc 1 l:!.e8 22. Wg2
°iVaS 23.l:thdl lhdl 24. .l:i.xdl �xa2
2S.°iWxb4 �e6 26.J:td6 °iVe7 White has
211
Winning wi th t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
excellent compensation for the pawn,
but since so little material remains on
the board, this compensation is only
sufficient for a draw
B) 8 .tb7 9 .tg2
•••
•
Here Black has several continuations,
which we will examine. If he plays
9 . . . tbbd7 or 9 . . . .te7 , then White plays
g4-gS at some moment and brings his
knight via g3 to fS , and obtains the ad­
vantage. Concrete play after . . . bS -b4
only favours White. But the best move is
9 . . . h6, not allowing the opponent to
obtain a space advantage with g4-g S .
B l ) 9 h6 1 0.tbg3 tiJbd7 1 1 .0-0�;
B2) 9 �e7 1 0.tbg3 :
B2 l ) 1 0 ... b4 1 1 .tbd5 tbxd5 1 2.exd5
0-0 1 2 . . . g 6 ? 1 3 .�h 6 ! t �gs 1 4 . .txgS
'ifxgS 1 S .tbe4 'ife7 1 6.'ifd2 ! aS 1 7 .a3
0-0 1 8 .axb4 axb4 1 9 . 0-0 and Black
won in Kupreichik-Mukhutdinov,
Cetinje 1 99 2 . 1 3.a3 a5 1 4.0-0 tba6 Or
1 4 . . . g6 1 S . .th6 .l:!.e8 1 6 .'i:Vd2 tba6 .
Now 1 7 .axb4 axb4 1 8 .'it>h l 'ifc7 1 9.f4
.th4 2 0 .tbe4 tbcS 2 1 .l::rx a8 .txa8
2 2 .'i:Vxb4 .txdS 2 3 . tbf6 + .txf6
24 . .txdS led to a draw in Nestorovic�
Ivanov, Plovdiv Ech 2 0 1 2 .
I t was also possible not to hurry with the
exchange of pawns and play 1 7 . 'tt>h2 ! ,
since in any case, it is unfavourable for
Black to take on a3 , whilst White himself
may take later. Now f2-f4 is threatened,
to open the f-file, whilst the main thing
is that White has control of the square
f8 . Moreover, if Black exchanges dark­
squared bishops, all the dark squares in
his camp will be weak. For example:
1 7 . . . r1c8 1 8 .axb4 (now it is possible to
exchange pawns, as the rook has left the
open a-file) 1 8 . . . axb4 1 9 .f4 �h4
2 0 . .tgs �xgS (20 . . . .txg3+ 2 1 .'tt>x g3
f6 2 2 .�h6t) 2 1 .fxgS tbcs 2 2.'i:Vxb4
'ifxg5 2 3 .l:i.a7t.
1 5.axb4 axb4 1 6 .tbf5 i
•••
•••
212
This position i s better for White.
B22) 1 0 ... g6 1 1 ..th6
C h a p t e r 1 3 - The P o i s onous 6 . h 3
1 1 . .. �fs Less good is 1 1 . . . tll c 6 ?
1 2 .tll d S tll x dS 1 3 .exdS tll b 8 1 4.iVd2
and White was slightly better in
Rotstein-Marcks , Cologne
1 998.
1 4.0-0 ! ? also gives White an edge.
Now: 1 2.'tWd2 (or 1 2 .�xf8 <>t>xf8
1 3 .iVd2;!;; if 1 2 .�e3 iVc7) 1 2 ...�xh6
1 3.iVxh6 tllc 6 1 4.tll dS tllxdS 1 S.exdS
iVas + 1 6.c3 tll e 7 1 7.0-0 0-0-0 1 8.a4�.
B3) After 1 0 ... 0-0, White begins at­
tacking operations on the king, and it is
very hard for Black to meet this attack:
1 1 .gS tll fd7 1 2.tll fs tll b 6 1 2 . . . .ixgS
1 3 .iVg4 h6 1 4 . .!d.g l g6 1 5 .tll xh6+
.ixh6 1 6 .�xh6 tll f6 1 7 .iVh4 b4
1 8 .�gS tll b d7 1 9 .tll d l l::!. e 8
Black wants to develop some sort of
counterplay on the queen's wing, but
he is clearly too late. 1 O.tlldS tll xdS
1 1 .exdS and now 1 1 ... tll d 7 On
1 1 . . . .ie7 1 2 .tll g 3 tll d 7 1 3 .tll fS ;!; is an­
other way of obtaining the advantage.
1 2.0-0 �e7 1 3.a3 as 1 4.tll g 3 �a6
l S.tll fS 1 S .axb4 ! ? . l S ... 0-0 1 6 . .!d.el g6
1 7 .tllxe7 + �xe7 1 8.�e3 with an edge
for White.
D) 9 ... tll b d7 1 0.gS tll g 8 1 1 .h4
1 l . tll g 3 h6 1 2 .h4 hxgS 1 3 .hxg S
�xh l + 1 4.�xh l . 1 1 . ..h6
1 2.�e3 and White holds the initiative.
2 0 .�f3 .!d.e6 2 1 .tll e 3±. White is attacking with all his pieces, and his position
is close to winning, as Black is in a
deadly pin. 1 3 .h4 b4 1 4.tll dS tllxdS
l S.exdS g6 1 6.tllh 6+ \tlg7 1 7.iVg4
'ii°c 8 1 8.'ii°xb4 as 1 9.'ii°a4 tll a 6 20.c3
tll c s 2 1 .'ii°c 2 ..ta6 22.c4 fs 23.�d2;!;;
C) With 9 ...b4
Finally, back to the main line.
8.�g5 �e7
The alternative is 8 ...�e6 ! ? . After this
move, we reach different positions
from those after 8 . . . �e7 . I have tried
both and can say that in each case, Black
213
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
gets a position with no problems at all.
It is just a matter of taste which one
prefers.
A) Let's see what happens if White at­
tacks this bishop immediately: 9.f4
tllb d7 1 O.fS .ic4 and now:
2 1 .'ii'xcS .!:i.xcS 22.b4 .bl.cs 23.bs White
has excellent compensation for the sac­
rificed pawn, but in my opinion, it is
only enough for equality.
A 2) If White keeps the knight on the
board with 1 l .tllg 3 :
A2 1 ) Not so good is 1 1 . .. jLxfl ? !
1 2.tllxfl
A 1 ) l 1 .b3 .ixe2 1 2.'ii'xe2N It was es­
sential to take some action to defend the
e4-pawn, since the move 1 2 .�xe2 fails
to a concrete response, after which the
advantage goes to Black, who took over
after 1 2 . . . .ie7 1 3 . .if3 J:tc8 l 4.�xf6
tllxf6 1 5 .tll d S tllx dS 1 6 .'ii'x dS .l:Ixc2
1 7 .'ii'xb7 'ii'a S + 1 8 .b4 �h4+ in Zhang
Pengxiang-Zhou Jianchao, Hefei rapid
2 0 1 O . 1 2 ... .!:i.cs 1 3.tll ds 'ii'as + 1 4..id2
'ii'a 3 1 S.'ii'd 3 tllxdS 1 6 .'ii'xdS 'ii'b 2
1 7.J:tdl .l:!.c7 1 8.a4 If 1 8 .�c4 tll b 6
1 9 .'ii'a s 'ii'd4 20.Wfl
A2 1 1 ) 1 2 ... jLe7 l J ,jLxf6 tllxf6
1 4.'ii'd 3 .!:i.c8 1 5.0-0-0 h4 1 5 . . . J:txc3
1 6 .'ii'x c3 ( 1 6.bxc3 ? dS 1 7 .exdS �a3 +
1 8 .Wd2 e4 1 9 .'ii' d4 'ii'd 6-+) 1 6 . . . tllxe4
1 7 .�f3 ± . Strategically, Black's position
becomes hopeless after the retreat of
the knight. 1 6.tll e 3 tllhS 1 7 .tlledS l:th6
1 8.Wb l @f8 1 9.'ii'e 3 �gs 20.'ii'a 7 l:tb8
2 l .�d3 Wg8 22.J:thdl tllg 3 23.tllb 6
'ii' e 8 24.tll c4 l:tc8 2 S .tllx d6 l:txd6
26.l:txd6
Black gets good play with the exchange
sacrifice 20 . . . .l:!.xc4 2 1 . bxc4 �e7 + .
1 s ... tllf6 1 9.'ii'as o 'ii'xc2 20.�d3 'ii'c s
Black has to sacrifice a second ex­
change, in order to obtain any sort of
play, although after this, I think it will
214
C h a p t e r 1 3 - The P o i s o n o u s 6 . h 3
be very hard for White to find a path to
an advantage, over the board: 26 ... l:l'.xc3
2 7.bxc3 tl:lxe4 28.l:i:6d3 'i¥c8 29.@b2
tLlcS 3 0.@b l tl:le4 3 1 .'i¥b6 tl:lxc 3 +
32.laxc3 'i¥xc3 3 3.�xb7 e4 34.�bS+
@h7�;
A2 l 2 ) 1 2 ... �b6 !N If the light­
squared bishop is to be exchanged, it is
important to get some sort of compen­
sation in return, and the queen move
gives that. 1 3.tl:le3 �xb2 1 4.tl:ledS
tl:lxdS 1 S .tl:lxdS J:l'.c8 1 6.0-0! 'i¥d4+
1 7.�xd4 exd4 1 8.J:l'.fb l b6 1 9.l:i:b4
.l:!:xc2 20 ..t:!.xd4 f6 2 1 .�f4 .a:b2 22 . ..tcl
.l:!:c2 23.tl:lb4 l:rc7 24...tf4�.
Al 2) Stronger than taking on fl is
1 1 ...l:i:cS!
1 2.�f3 This is an improvement on
1 2 .�xc4? ! l:i:xc4 1 3 .WW'd3 l:rd4! 1 4.�f3
WW'c7 1 5 . 0-0 l:tc4 1 6.@hl h4 1 7 .tl:lge2
�el 1 8 . .l:!.ac l bS 1 9 .b3 .i:rcs 20 .a3 with
a draw in the game Vallejo Pons-Lopez
Martinez, Palma de Mallorca 2 0 0 9 .
Now:
A22 1 ) 1 2 ... �aS !?N 1 3.�xc4 l:i:xc4
1 4...td2 h4 1 S.tl:lge2 �e7 1 6.�d3 .lks
1 7.a3 'i¥c7 with equal chances, for ex­
ample: 1 8 ...te3 tl:lcS 1 9 ...txcS 'iVxcS
20.0-0-0 bS with the initiative for
Black;
A222) The inferior 1 2 ... h4?! runs
into 1 3 .�xc4! l'.hc4 1 4.tLlfl �c7
1 s ...txf6 tl:lxf6 1 6.0-0-0
1 6 ...dS ! Only this, as other moves lead
to a positionally lost game. 1 7.tl:ld2 d4
1 8.tl:lxc4 �xc4 1 9.'i¥e2 WW'xe2 20.tl:lxe2
tl:lxe4 2 1 .tl:lxd4 tl:lf2 22 . .l:thel tl:lxdl
23.l:txeS+ @d7 24.@xdl White has an
extra pawn, but Black retains chances to
save the game, Naiditsch-Olszewski,
Trzcianka 2 0 1 2 ;
A3 ) 1 2 ...�e7 1 3 .0-0-0 �as In case
of l 3 . . . 'i¥c7 1 4.�xc4 WW'xc4 1 s .�xf6
tl:lxf6 1 6 .tl:lfl bS 1 7 .tl:le3 'iUc6 1 8 .h4
�d8 1 9 .tl:lcdS tl:lxdS 2 0 .l:f.xdS �b6
2 l .l:l'.d2 �xe3 2 2 . 'i¥xe3 WW'c4 2 3 .b3
'iWc6 2 4 . l:lh3 Naiditsch-Spoelman,
Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 9 / 1 0 . White
has a clear advantage, on account of his
more active pieces and the very weak
black king, which has nowhere to hide
from the numerous white threats.
1 4.�xc4 l:txc4 1 S .�xf6 tl:lxf6
1 6.tl:lge2 0-0 1 7.@b l 'iYc7?? It was es­
sential to play 1 7 . . . b S , with mutual
chances. 1 8.g4 'iYc6 Now White could
have gained a winning advantage with
1 9 . b3 ! , but instead he played 1 9 . tl:lds ?
and later lost in Zhou-Gabuzyan,
Maribor 2 0 1 2 .
B) Taking on f6 does not give White
the advantage, so only the move
9.tl:lg3 remains as a means to fight for
an advantage: 9 ... g6! A strong move,
dominating the white knight at g3
and also defending the hS -pawn.
9 ... WW'b6 ! ?
215
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
1 O.f4!N A sharp move, after which
Black has to react very precisely, in or­
der not to get into a bad position.
1 O ... exf4 1 1 .eS ! fxg3 1 2.�xf6 'i¥b6
1 3.'iVf3 'i¥f2+ 14.'iVxf2 gxf2+ 1 5.@xf2
.ld:g8=;
C) 9.g3? ! ii..e 7 1 0.�g2
C l ) 1 O ... tll c 6 1 1 .'i¥d2 tllh 7 1 2 .ii..xe?
'i¥xe7 1 3.0-0-0 .ld:d8 1 4.f4 bS 1 S.tll dS
'i¥b7 1 6.g4 h4 1 7.g5± ;
C2) I believe that in such positions
the knight stands better on d7 than c6,
because from d 7 , it has many possibili­
ties - if necessary, it can replace its col­
league on f6 , or it can come via b6 to
c4. 1 O ... tllb d7 and now:
C2 l ) 1 1 .'i¥d2 If l l .f4 �c4; after
l l .a4 0-0 1 2 . 0-0 bS 1 3 .�xf6 tll xf6
1 4.axbS axbS 1 5 .l:rxa8 'i¥xa8 1 6 .tll x bS
'i¥b8 1 7 .'i¥d3 'i¥c8 1 8 .b3 �xh3 1 9 .c4
h4 (Naiditsch-Urkedal, Stockholm
2 0 1 1 ) White has achieved a great deal
on the queenside, but in that time,
Black has not been sleeping and has cre­
ated interesting counterplay on the
other wing. Chances are about equal.
1 1 . ..bs 1 1 . . . .ld:c8 1 2 .f4 bS 1 3 .a3 'iVb6
1 4.b3 tll c s 1 5 . .ld:dl b4 1 6.axb4 'i¥xb4
1 7 . 0-0 h4 1 8 .�xh4 exf4 1 9 .'i¥xf4
tll c d7 2 0 .tll dS �xdS 2 1 .exdS 'i¥xf4
22 . .ld:xf4 l:rxc2 2 3 .tll d4 and White has a
virtually winning position, on account
of his active pieces and the black king
being stuck in the centre, Movsesian-
216
Arkady Naiditsch
Swiercz, 1 st rapid match game,
Wroclaw 2 0 1 0 . 1 2.a3 0-0 1 3.0-0 .ld:c8
9.tll g 3!?
9.�xf6 9 .'i¥d2 ? ! 9 . . . bS ! 1 0 .a3 tll b d7 oo .
9. . .�xf6 1 O.tll dS �gs Black has a
choice. He can give White the possibil­
ity of exchanging his knight for the
black bishop, or Black can immediately
move the bishop away and then play
. . . h5 -h4 and strengthen the dark
squares. 1 O . . . tll c 6 ! ? l 1 . tll e c3 g 6
1 2 .tll xf6+ 'i¥xf6 1 3 .tll d s 'i¥d8 1 4.'i¥d2
�e6 1 5 .c 3 l::t c 8 1 6 .�e2 tll e 7 =
Kalashian-Andriasyan, Jermuk 2 0 1 0 .
1 1 .tll e c3 l 1 .h4 �h6 1 2 . g 3 �e6
1 3 .�h3 tll c 6 is equal. 1 1 ... �e6
l 1 . . .tll c 6 1 2 .tll a4 tll e 7 . 1 2.�e2
Chap t e r 1 3 - The P o i s o n o u s 6 . h 3
he will have excellent compensation.
1 1 .exf5 and now:
B 1 ) 1 1 ... tlJbd7 1 2 ..ic4
1 2 ...h4! By fixing the white pawns and
seizing the dark squares, Black achieves
an equal position and after kingside
castling, he can play . . . g 7 -g6, with the
idea of . . . f7-f5 . 1 3.0-0 tlJc6=
9 . .g6!
.
The knight should not be allowed into
fS , where it stands superbly, whilst giv­
ing up the light-squared bishop for the
knight is also not good, because it
leaves Black with too many weak light
squares in his camp. Therefore.the
move 9 . . . g6 meets all the requirements
of the position. 9 ...h4? ! 1 O.tlJf5 ! �xf5
A) 1 1 .�xf6 �e6 ! 1 2 .�xe7 �xe7
1 3 .tlJdS �xdS 1 4.�xdS 0-0 1 5 .�e2
.!:f.c8 1 6.c3 tlJd7 1 7 . .!:f.d l 1:1c6=;
B) Black has given up his light­
squared bishop, hoping for quick de­
velopment and the chance to exploit
the temporarily weak pawn on fS .
However, even if White loses this pawn,
B l 1 ) After 1 2 ... b 5 ? it has been
proved that 1 3 .�b3 gives White an
edge: 1 3 . . Jk8 1 4.'tllfe 2 b4 1 5 .tlJa4
'iVas 1 6 .0-0 'tWbs 1 7 .°iYd l .!:f.hS 1 8 .c4
°iYc6 1 9.�e3 .!:f.xfS 2 0 .a3 aS 2 1 .axb4
axb4
22 .tLlb 6 ! tlJxb6 2 3 .l::t a 6t Drozdowski­
Havlikova, Olomouc 2 0 1 0 .
B 1 2) 1 2 ... .!:f.cS !N It is important to
pose White as many problems as possi­
ble, while he has not yet developed all
his pieces or castled. 1 3 . .itb3 l:!:h5
1 4.°iYd2 b5 1 5 .0-0 ltJc5 1 6.�xf6
1 6 . .!:f.ad l b4 1 7 .�xf6 bxc3 1 8 .�xe7
cxd2 1 9 . .itxd8 .!:f.xd8 20 . .!:f.xd2 .ld.xfS = .
1 6 ...�xf6 1 7.a4 b4 and now 1 8.tlJd5
.!:!:xf5 1 9.'iVxb4 gives White an edge.
1 8 .tlJe4 is equal, see for example
1 8 . . . tLixe4 1 9 .'tllf e 2 l:!:xfS 2 0 .'l!Vxe4
217
Winning w i t h t h e Najdorf S i c i l i an
'iYd7 2 1 .'iYxb4 d5 2 2 .a5 l:rf4 2 3 .c4
�e 7 24.'iYe l 'iYd6 2 5 . cxdS l:!'.b4
2 6 .�a4+ Wf8 2 7 .�c6
2 7 . . . e4! Black breaks his bonds and
himself takes over the initiative. The
bishop on c6 does not take part in the
game, and the presence of opposite­
coloured bishops gives Black a signifi­
cant advantage. It seems to me that his
attack will become irresistible, starting
with the move . . . l:rcb8 and the transfer
of the bishop to the h2-b8 diagonal.
B2) 1 I . .. tlJc6 1 2.�c4 tlJd4 1 3.�xf6
.txf6
White has succeeded in blockading the
black central pawns, and soon he will
complete his development by castling
kingside, and begin to occupy the
blockading squares d5 and e4. 1 4.0-0
1 4.�dS ! ? tlJxf5 1 5 .tlJe4@g 'iYc7 1 6.c3
�e7 1 7 .�f3 g6 1 8 . 0-0-0 Wf8 1 9 .g4
tlJh6 2 0 .'iYe3 and White is winning,
218
Howell-Van Wely, Amsterdam 2 0 1 0 .
1 4 ... l:rcS 1 4 . . . tlJxfS 1 5 .'iYdS 'iYd7
1 6 .l:!'.fd l 0-0 1 7 .tlJe4 'iYe7 1 8 .a4 l:tac8
1 9 .a5 .ll c 6 2 0.c3 �g5 2 1 .b4 �f4 2 2 .b5
axb5 2 3 .'iYxbS l:!'.c7 24.�ds t RYBKA­
HIARCS, Leiden 2 0 1 0 . 1 5.�dS 'iYd7
1 6 .�e4 tlJxfS 1 7.�xfS 'iVxfS 1 8.'iYxd6
1:1'.dS 1 9.'iYa3 �e7 2 0.'iYb3 l:td7
2 1 .l:tadl 0-0 22.l:txd7 "lWxd7 2 3 . .l::.d l
"lWc6 24.ti'idS;!; White has a strong
knight which occupies the central
square and dominates, whilst Black's
light squares are weak, which White
can exploit by placing all of his pieces
on light squares.
1 o.�c4 .te6 1 1 .�b3
Instead, l l .�xe 6 ! ?N fxe 6 1 2 .'iYd2
tlJbd7 1 3 . 0-0 ( 1 3 .f4 "lWa5oo) 1 3 . . . 'iYc7
looks unclear. Black has achieved the
main thing, in exchanging the light­
squared bishops on e6, after which this
square is occupied by a pawn, control­
ling the only weakness in the black
camp, the square d5 .
1 1 tbc6!N
...
The square c6 is probably the only place
where the knight stands well, but first
we will examine what happens if it
develops elsewhere, such as with
1 l . . . tlJbd7 , and then we will see how
White is able to achieve all he wants af-
C h a p t e r 1 3 - T h e Poisonous 6 . h 3
ter 1 1 . . .tt:Jfd 7 . Strategically, the move is
good, but it fails for a specific reason,
involving the weakness of the pawn on
d6. But the new move has various
pluses, the most decisive being the
chance of occupying d4.
A) 1 I . .. tlJbd7 1 2.0-0 1 2 .'iYf3 l::r c 8
1 3 .1:1'.d l ( 1 3 .tt:Jfl tlJb6 1 4.tlJe3 tlJh7
I S .�xe 7 �xe 7 1 6 .tlJcdS tLlxdS
1 7 .�xdS tlJf6 l 8 .�b3 '>t>f8 and
l 9 . . . '>t>g7 with an equal position.
Kryvoruchko-Ftacnik,
Czech
tt
2 0 1 2/ 1 3) 1 3 . . . tt:Jcs 1 4.0-0 and after
1 4 . . . 0-0 I S .l:l'.d2 gives White some­
thing. Instead, in Vallejo Pons­
Rytshagov, Istanbul Olympiad 2 0 0 0 ,
there followed 1 4 . . . tt:Jxb3 I S .axb3 h4
1 6 .tlJge2 tlJhS 1 7 .�xe7 'iYxe7 1 8 .'iVd3
.l:!.c6 1 9 .f4 exf4 2 0 .'iVd4 0-0 2 1 .tLlxf4
tlJxf4 22 . .l:!.xf4. Here White is better, as
his pieces are more active, and there are
various weaknesses in the black posi­
tion, which White will soon exploit.
1 2 ... tt:Jcs 1 3 .�xe6 tt:Jxe6 1 3 . . . fxe 6
1 4.�xf6 �xf6 I S .b4;!;; . 1 4.�xf6 ..txf6
1 5.tt:Jds ;t White has managed to ex­
change the two defenders of dS and left
Black with his bad bishop, and for this
reason, he has the advantage.
B) 1 1 ... tlJfd7N 1 2.�xe 7 'iYxe 7
1 3.'iVd2 tt:Jc6 1 4.0-0-0
Here Black faces a choice. Firstly, he can
defend the d6-pawn for now with
l 4 . . . tlJd4, but then White will prepare
the exchange of this knight and Black's
position will be bad. The second idea is
to castle queenside and abandon the
d6-pawn, with the idea of trying to
catch the rook on d6, although this
does not work, due to concrete action
by White. The third and strongest op­
tion is to play 1 4 . . . I:!.d8 , also sacrificing
the d6-pawn, with the same idea, but
with the nuance that the black king re-
mains in the centre where i t is better
placed.
B l ) 1 4 ... :lds 1 4 . . . tt:Jd4 I S .�xe6
'&'xe6 1 6 . '>t>b I ;!;; . 1 S .'&'xd6 'iVxd6
16 ..l:txd6 tlJd4 1 7 .�xe6 fxe6 l 8.f4 exf4
There is no reason not to take the pawn.
1 9.tt:Jxhs gxhS 1 9 . . . .l:txhS 2 0 . .laxd4
.l:tgS 2 I ..t!.d2 tlJf6 2 2 .:l:rfl . 20 . .l:txd4
.l:tg8 2 0 . . . eS 2 I ..l:td6 .l:tg8 (2 1 . . .tlJcS
22 . .l:tg6 '>t>f7 23 . .l:f.b6;t) 22 . .l:t g I ! f3
2 3 . .l:tfl ! ;!;; . 2 1 .eS ! lhg2 22 . .l:!.xf4 We7
23 . .l:th4 .l:tf8 ! 24.'>t>b l .l:tgf2!�
C) 1 4 ... 0 - 0 - 0
1 S . 'iYxd6
'&'xd6
1 6 ..l:!.xd6 tlJd4 1 7 .�xe6 fxe6 1 8.f4 exf4
Here, as in the position above, the pawn
should be taken. 1 9.tlJxhS gxhS
20 ..l:txd4 tlJb6 2 0 . . . eS 2 I .!!d6 .l:!.hg8
2 2 . tt:Jds .!:rxg2 2 3 .l:rd l l:!.g7 24 . .l:th6;!;; .
2 1 ..l:!.xd8+ Wxd8 White has the advan­
tage, with his extra pawn, though to be
fair, one should say that it very hard to
realise such a pawn.
219
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i an
1 2.tLlge2 0-0 1 3.'ifd3
1 3 .�h6 l:le8 1 4.0-0 bS 1 5 .'ifd3 ;t .
1 3 ...tLlh7
1 3 ... tLld7 l 4 . .2.xe 7 'ii'x e7 1 5 . 0-0-0
.ixb3 l 6 . axb3 'if g S + 1 7 .'i¥d2 ! ;t
White has coped with all that Black has
asked of him. Now Black loses the d6pawn, without any compensation at all.
1 4.�h6
1 4...t2lb41
14... .l::t e S 1 5.�xe6 fxe6 1 6.0-0-0 �gs+
1 7 ..ixgS 'iYxgS + 1 8.@b 1 .i::r ad8 A
strong move, preparing active opera­
tions. Black has managed to exchange
the two bishops, and in exchanging
light-squared bishops , he has suc­
ceeded in forcing White to exchange
on e6, so the f7-pawn occupies that
square. But even so, it is not all so sim­
ple: Black has a major problem, in that
his king is very weak, whilst the enemy
king is located on the other flank. This
allows White to develop an attack with
tempi, and it is very hard for Black to
defend against this. 1 9 . .l::!: hfl .!:i.f8
20.g3;t
1 5 .WW'd1 .i::r ea 1 6.a3 t2lc6 1 7.�xe6
fxe6 1 8.Wid3 .ig5 1 9..ixg5
'iWxg5=
1/2- 1/2
Conclusion
In this chapter, we have looked at the relatively new and interesting move
6.h3, which has become popular and has been seen frequently in recent
years. This is because in the main lines, White has no clear path to an ad­
vantage, whereas 6.h3 , as we have seen, leads to complicated and fresh
positions
Looking at the move 6 . . . eS, which is a very common reply to 6 .h3 , we
can see that in all lines, Black has a good position, and in general he re­
tains counter-chances, which is a very important factor in preparing the
opening in our day.
In my opinion, our move is more subtle than 6 . . . e6. After the latter
move, in many variations Black is only fighting for a draw because the re­
sulting positions are roughly equal, but White always has some pressure.
Black can neutralise this, but he has insufficient resources to take the ini­
tiative himself Of course, this is not suitable for a stronger player, playing
a weaker opponent.
220
Chapter 14
Exercises
After examining the Najdorf Variation for Black and familiarising ourselves with
the main ideas of this very interesting line, which contains many new ideas, I
would like to give you the chance to test yourself
Solving these exercises will strengthen your knowledge and help you to revise
the material you have seen above, but this time in the form of tests.
Such exercises are extremely useful from the practical viewpoint, because all of
the positions are taken from games played in various tournaments and the players
themselves had to solve the same problems at the board.
By solving these, you will be better prepared for practical play.
Good luck!
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
•
•
Exercise 4
Exercise 3
•
•
22 1
Wi nning w i t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
Exercise 5
•
Exercise 6
•
Exercise 8
Exercise 7
•
•
Exercise 1 0
Exercise 9
•
•
222
Chapter 1 4
Exercise
11
•
Exercises
Exercise
12
Exercise
14
Exercise
16
•
Exercise
13
•
•
Exercise
•
-
15
•
223
Winning wi th t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
Exercise 1 8
Exercise 1 7
•
•
Exercise 20
Exercise 1 9
•
•
Exercise 22
Exercise 21
•
•
224
Cha p t e r 1 4Exercise 23
-
Exercises
Exercise 24
•
K
Exercise 26
Exercise 25
0
Exercise 27
Exercise 28
•
225
Winn i n g w i t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
Exercise 29
Exercise 30
D
Exercise 31
D
Exercise 32
•
Exercise 33
•
Exercise 34
•
226
C ha p t e r 1 4
-
E x e r c i s es
Exercise 36
Exercise 35
.
·�
Exercise 37
Exercise 38
Exercise 39
Exercise 40
D
•
227
Wi n n i n g wi th t h e N a j d o r f S i c i l i an
•
.I
•
228
Exercise 41
Exercise 42
Exercise 43
Exercise 44
Exercise 45
Exercise 46
•
Chapter 1 4
-
Exerci ses
Exercise 47
Exercise 48
Exercise 49
Exercise 50
•
D
•
� .i.
Exercise 51
D
229
Solutions
•
Kiprian Berbatov
Sa.IIlvel Ter Sahakyan
Solution 1
Aix-les-Bains Ech 2 0 1 1 ( 6)
20... .!:rxd4 21 .cxd4
2 1 .'tWe3 ! ? tlJf2 + ! (2 1 . . .tlJxeS ! ? 2 2 .�xd4D tlJf2 +
2 3 .'it>g l tlJh3 + ! 24.'it>fl (24.'it>h l ? �xd4 2 5 .cxd4
tlJd3 :+) 24 . . . �bs + 2 5 .l:!e2 .txe2+ 2 6 .'it>xe2 'tWc6 !
2 7 . 'it>fl (2 7 .gxh3 ? 'iVf3 + 2 8 .'it>e l 'tWxh5-+)
27 . . . f6 +) 2 2 . 'it>g l ( 2 2 .'i¥xf2 .!::l. b 4 2 3 .'tWxb6
.!::l.xb6+) 2 2 ... tlJd3 2 3 .cxd4 tl:ixe l 24 . .!d:xe l .!::!. d 8
2 5 .l:!'.d l aS !:+.
21 ...'tWxd4 22.'tWe3 'tWxb2 23.l:!.ab1 'tWxe5+
Dimitri Reinderman
Viswanathan Anand
Solution 2
Wijk aan Zee 1 99 9 ( 1 )
24 ... h5!!-+ 25.tl:ib6
27. .ld:f3 h3-+
•
h4
26.�d5
Nigel Short
Garry Kasparov
�g5!
Solution 3
Amsterdam VSB Euwe-mem 1 9 9 6 (4)
31 ...tt:Jxc3! 32.�xc3 'i¥b6+ 33.'it>g2 .!:rc7
34..taa .!:rc41 35.'tWb7 'tWxb7
3 5 . . . 'iVd8 ! + .
36 ...ixb7 .ld.b8 3 7...ia6 .ld.b6 38..!:ra1 llcc6
39 . ..ixb5 .!:rxb5 40. .!:iaS+ 'it>g7 41 ..ld.a7 @f8
1/2-1/2
42 . .!:ra8+ @g7 43 . .ld:a7 Wf8
23 1
Winn i n g w i t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i an
•
Arkady Naiditsch
Viswanathan Anand
Solution 4
Dortmund 2 0 0 3 (5)
1 6 ... e51 1 7.tbf5?1
1 7 .tbde2 b4 l 8 .axb4 tbxb3 1 9 .cxb3 l:td8+ .
1 7...�xf5 1 8.exfS t2Jxb3 1 9.cxb3
20.axb4 J::t x b4-+
•
Michael Feygin
Alexey Shirov
b4
Solution 5
Germany Bundesliga 2008/09 ( 1 2)
1 3 ...t2Jxe4! 1 4.t2Jxe61
1 4.�xe7 tbxc3 1 5 .�xd8 tbxe2+.
14 ...fxe6 1 5.�xe7 �xe7 1 6.tbxe4
l 6 . fxe4 tbd7 +.
1 6 ...dS!+
•
Hichem Hamdouchi
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Solution 6
Pau ch-FRA 20 1 2 (2)
1 4... b4
1 4 . . . �h4! 1 5 .�g4 �f6 1 6 .l:tfe l ( 1 6 . .l:rd3 aS ! =F)
1 6 . . . �c7 =F; 1 4 . . . �f6 1 5 . .i:ife l �c7 1 6 .�gS oo .
1 5.axb4 J::t b8 1 6.�c4
1 6.bS ! axbS 1 7 .e S --+ .
1 6 ... l:txb4 1 7.b3oo
Jud.it Polgar
Boris Gelfand
Solution 7
Dos Hermanas 1 994 (9)
1 4...tbhS! 1 5.�h3 gxh6 1 6.�xhS �a7!
1 7.l:tad1 es-+
•
Santiago Gonzalez de la Torre
Evgeny Naer
Solution 8
Kallithea tt 2008 (5)
28...aSI 29.l:tb6 l:tc7=F 30.l:ta6?1 a4 31 .�a2
d5 32.eS t2Jd7+
232
Thal Abergel
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Pau ch-FRA
Solution 9
2008 ( 1 0)
26_. d7! 27.l:txg7? 'i'd3+!
2 7 . . . d l ? 2 8 .'iit> a 2 tll d 5 2 9 .tll g S ! tll c 3 + 3 0 .bxc3
hxg5 3 1 .\WxgS 'iic 2+ 3 2 .'.t>a l 'i'xc3 + 3 3 .'iit> a 2
'iic 2+ = .
28.'iit> a 2 tll d 5! 29.l:tg4 tll c3+ 30.bxc3 'i'c2+
31 .'iit> a 1 "irxc3+ 32.'iit>a 2 'i'c2+ 33.'iit> a 1
0-1
"irc1 + 34.'iit> a 2 l:tc8
Jacek Tomczak
Andrey Volokitin
Solution 1 0
Lublintt 2009 ( 1 )
2 6... tll xf3+! 27.l:txf3 �xe4 28.l:td3 �xd3
29.cxd3 �f6=F
•
Michail Kostromin
Alexander Areschenko
Solution 1 1
Rogaska Slatina tt 2 0 1 1 ( 1 )
1 8...l:txc3! 1 9.bxc3 tt:Jxe4 20.�e1 l:tc8
2 0 . . . aS ! ?t.
21 .�d5 tt:Jxc3 22.�xb7 tll x d1 23.�xcS
�xc8 24.�d2 f6!=F
•
Atousa Pourkashiyan
Wesley So
Solution 1 2
Jakarta 20 1 1 (3)
29...l:txd1 I 30.l:txd1
32.'it>e2 �g5t
Rustam Ponomariov
Arkady Naiditsch
g6! 31 .l:txd6 l:tc1 +
Solution 1 3
Porto Carras Ech-tt 2 0 1 1 (4)
1 8...'iWc51 1 9.tll xe6 fxe6 !
1 9 . . . l:txe6 2 0 .tll dS tll f2 + 2 1 . l:txf2
2 2 .tll e 7 + = .
20.hxg4 tll x d3 21 .'i'xc5 tt:Jxc5=F
'i'xf2
233
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o r f S i c i l i a n
•
Gata Kamsky
Vassily Ivanchuk
Solution 14
Lucerne Wch-tt 1 993 (2)
1 7... d51? 1 8.tll x d5 tlixd5 1 9.exd5 �f6
20.�e5! �xe5 21 .tlixe5 Wfxd5 22.h3 .!::!:fear
•
Heiko Mertens
Ivan Cheparinov
Solution 1 5
Reykjavik 2 0 1 2 (2)
28...f51t 29.exf5 Wfxf5 30.�xb7 tllf4 31 .�e4
�es�
•
Juan Manuel Bellon Lopez
Lajos Portisch
Solution 1 6
Linares 1 9 8 1 ( 7 )
22 ...�bSI 23 ..!::!:d 3 �a7+ 24.@h2 .!::!:x d3
25.cxd3 .!::!: d 8 26 ..!::!: d 1 h5 27.g3 h4! 28.g4
tlih7+
•
Michael Rahal Vives
Alexander Areschenko
Solution 1 7
Zurich 2 0 0 9 (2)
1 4...d5! 1 5.tll x d5
1 5 .exdS tll x dS 1 6.tll x dS �xd2+ 1 7 .tll xd2 �xdS
l 8.�xe7 @xe 7 1 .
1 5 ...�xd2+ 1 6.tlixd2 �xd51 1 7.exd5 tlixd5
1 8.�xe7 @xe7=F
•
Jovita Ziogaite
Natalia Zdebskaja
Solution 1 8
Dresden ol-W 2008 (4)
1 2 ... d51 1 3.�xb6 �xb6 14.tll x d5?
1 4.exdS �cS !=F.
1 4...�xd5 1 5.exd5 �c5-+
234
•
Kazim Gulamali
Matthew Herman
Solution 1 9
ICC INT US Chess League 2 0 1 2 ( 3)
23 ... dS! 24.lll b4
2 4 . exdS .l::!. x dS ! ( 2 4 . . . lll x dS ? 2 5 .�e4 ! +- )
2 5 .lll xdS �xdS 2 6.�h 7 + ? <;tixh7 2 7 . .l::!.xdS e4!
2 8 .�fs + <;tig8-+.
24....l::!. x c3! 25.bxc3 dxe4 26.�xe4 hxg4
27.hxg4 lll xe4 28..l::!.xe4 �xe4 29.�xe4
.l::!. c4-+
•
Alyona Goreskul
Vassily Nedilko
Solution 20
Odessa 2009 ( 6)
1 7...dS! 1 8.fxeS
1 8 .fs �xfS ! 1 9 . .l::!.xfS d4:f.
1 8...lllxe4 1 9.lllxe4 dxe4 20.lllf4 lll d 5+
•
Dario Dutina
Miroslav Zufic
Solution 21
Sibenik tt 20 1 2 (7)
1 9...�h4!=F 20. .l::!. g 1 ?
2 0 . gxhS ? ! lll g S ! 2 1 .�g2 (2 1 .�f6 + ? <;tih?:+)
2 1 . . . lll xe4:f.
20...�xe3=F
2 0 . . . lll g S ! ?:f .
•
Gennady Ageichenko
David Navara
Solution 22
Pardubice 2 0 1 0 (2)
25 ....l::!. b S! 26.lll d 2 b6 27.axb6 .l::!.x b6 28.�a3
.l::!.fb8 29.b4 e4=F
235
Winning w i t h t h e Naj dorf S i c i l i a n
Zaven Andriasyan
Andreas Skytte Hagen
Solution 23
Plovdiv Ech 2 0 1 2 (8)
1 1 .g4 d5?! 1 2.exd5 tll x d5 1 3.tll x d5 exd5
14.tllf5i
•
Zaven Andriasyan
Tobiasz Smal
Solution 24
Warsaw rapid 2 0 1 1 ( 1 )
1 1 ...tll b d7? 1 2.�xe6 fxe6 1 3.tll g 5±
Zaven Andriasyan
Semen Dvoirys
Solution 25
Magnitogorsk 2 0 1 1 ( 1 )
9.l:ta31 tll b d7 1 0..ib5 'V/ic7 1 1 .�xd7+ �xd7
1 2.�g5 J:tc8 1 3.kxf6 gxf6 1 4.0-0i
Zaven Andriasyan
Shamil Arslanov
Solution 26
St Petersburg 20 1 1 (3)
30.g41+-
•
Zaven Andriasyan
Mohamad Al Sayed
Solution 27
Dubai 20 1 1 (6)
18 ... 0-0! 1 9.'lWa4 exf3 20.l:tf1 f2+
20 . eS ! -+ .
21 .@e2 e5 22.�g3 kd4 23.'V/ic6 'lWxb2
24.tll d 1 'Vlib8 25.'V/ic4 'lWb7 26.�c6 'lWb8
27.�c4 tll c 5? 28.l:txf61 gxf6 29.'l!Vxd4!=F
. .
236
Zaven Andriasyan
Tigras Kotanjian
Solution 28
Yerevan ch-ARM 20 1 1 (3)
21 . .l:!.a1 !? °i¥b3 22 . .l:!.fd1 �e6 23.g4! g6
24.ll'ie7+ j)_xe7 25.f5 �e5 26.dxe7 .l:!.xe7
27...td4;;!;
Zaven Andriasyan
Daniel Naroditsky
Solution 29
Groningen 2 0 1 0 (2)
46.l:ta7+ @g8 47.ll'ie6! h5
47 .. Jhc6 48 . .l:!.a8 + @f7 49.ll'id8 ++- .
48.c7 j;,,xc7 49.ll'ixc7 +-
D
Zaven Andriasyan
Vugar Gashimov
Solution 30
Warsaw Ech blitz 2 0 1 0 ( 1 1 )
1 5.tl'ie6! �b6 1 6.ll'id5
1 6.ll'ixg 7 + ! @f8 1 7 .tl'ie6 + ! fxe6 1 8 .�h3 ± .
1 6 ...ll'ixd5 1 7.exd5 ll'if6t
Zaven Andriasyan
Alexander Raykhman
Solution 31
Kalamaria Open 2 0 1 0 ( 4)
1 9.ll'ie4!1 �f8 20 . .l:!.xf7! �xf7 21 .ll'id6+!
Anatoly Donskov
Zaven Andriasyan
1 -0
Solution 32
St Petersburg 2 0 1 2 ( 7 )
21 ....l:!.c41 22 ...te6+ .l:!.xe6! 23.dxe6 ll'if8
24. .l:!.he1 ..te4! 25.jLc5 ll'ixe6-+
237
Winning w i t h t h e Najdorf S i c i l i an
•
Nils Grandelius
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution 33
Plovdiv Ech 20 1 2 (9)
34...�b71 35.�c3 .i::!. e6 36 ..l::!.xf4 �xb6+
37.'it>h2 .l::!. h 6+ 38.'it>g3 .i::!.g 6+ 39.'it>h2 d4-+
•
Bosko Tomic
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution 34
Plovdiv Ech 20 1 2 (3)
1 2 ... �h4! 1 3.�g4 �f6 14."tWe2 b5t
•
Marcin Tazbir
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution 35
Cappelle la Grande 2 0 1 2 ( S )
15 ...g5! 1 6.�e2 h5 1 7.g3 h4!?
1 7 . . . dS!=F.
1 8.g4 tt:Jd7t
•
Evandro Amorim Barbosa
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution 36
Cappelle la Grande 2 0 1 2 ( 1 )
1 9...'itid7!!-+ 20.tt:le2 �xb2+! 21 .'it>xb2
.l::!. b8+ 22.'it>a2 tt:lb4+ 23.�xb4 .i::!.xb4
24.�d2 .i::!. h b8
0-1
D
Robin van Kampen
Zaven Andriasyan
Sol ution 37
Groningen 2 0 1 0 (9)
1 6.e5! dxe5 1 7.tt:le4 �c7 1 8.tll d 6+ 'it>f8
1 9.fxe5 �g5 20.�f2 bxc4 21 .h4!+-
238
Antonios Pavlidis
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution 38
Kalamaria Open 20 I 0 (5)
13 ...g5! 1 4.ltJf3?!
1 4.eS ! ? dxeS I S .fxeS �xeSoo.
14...gxf4 1 5.'ifxf4 �xc3=i=
•
Eltaj Safarli
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution 39
Moscow 2 0 1 0 (6)
45 ...f5! 46.gxf5 'ifxe4 47.ttJe3 @h8 48.'iig 3
'iie 5
1/2· 1/2
Artur Gabrielian
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution 40
St Petersburg 2009 (7)
31 ...f5! 32.exf5 .l:i.xc21 33.'ii b 3D .l:i.c4-+
•
Alvaro Tejeda Meneses
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution
41
Benasque Open 2009 ( ! )
2 6 ... e51 27.f5 f6 28..l:i.g3 @f8 2 9. .l:i.h3 h6
30. .l:i.e3 d5!=i=
D
Dmitry Chuprov
Zaven Andriasyan
Solution 42
Moscow 2008 (2)
1 7.hxg61 exd4 1 8.g7
l 8 .gxf7 + ! ?-+
1 8 ... .l:i.gS 1 9.�xd4 0-0-0oo
239
Winn i n g w i t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
Nigel Short
Garry Kasparov
Solution
43
Riga Tal-mem 1 99 5 (9)
21 ...'iYxb1 +! 22.tll x b1 fxg4 23.hxg4 h3
23 .. Jhc2 ! =F .
24Jk3 hxg2+ 25.'it>xg2 l:rg8 26.l:rxca+
�xc8 27.'it>f1 l:rxg4 28.tll 1 d2 e5 29.'iYc3
�b7 30.'iYc7
112- 112
Vugar Gashimov
Alexander Grischuk
Solution
44
Bursa Wch-tt 2 0 1 0 (4)
22 ... l:rhS! 23.�f4 ?! �b4+ 24.c3 tt::Jxc3
25.�d2 'iYd5 26.l:rf7+ 'it>c6 27.l:rc1 'it>b6
28.�e3+ 'it>a5! 29.a3 'it>a4 30.axb4 �xd3
31 .iVa5+ 'it>b3 32.l:rxc3+ 'i¥xc3+ 33.�d2
b6! 34.�xb6 'iWe5+ 35.'it>d1 �b7 36.�xb7
l:rhd8 37.l:rf3+ 'it>a2 38.l:rf2 'it>b1 39.'iWf3
l:rac8 40.'iWb3+ 'li'b2 41 .'li'xb2+ 'it>xb2 0-1
•
Ilya Smirin
Alexander Grischuk
Solution
45
Kallithea tt 2008 ( 6)
1 6 ... d5! 1 7.�xc4 �xc4 1 8.�g5 d4 1 9.�xf6
�xf6 20.tll d 5 'li'xc2 21 .tll xf6+ gxf6 22.'ti'h4
'it>g7 23.'ti'g4+ 'it>h8 24.'ti'h4 'it>g7 25.'ti'g4+
'it>h8 26.'li'h4 l:rg8! 27.'lWxf6+ ng7 28.l:rg1
l:re8t
•
Alexander Motylev
Alexander Grischuk
Solution
46
Moscow ch-RUS 2004 ( 1 )
1 5 ... l:rxc3!? 1 6.�xc3 'i¥xc3 1 7.bxc3 l:rxh2
1 8.�f4 l:rh5 1 9.l:rg5 l:rxg5 20.�xg5 tllf d7 oo
240
i.
i i.
•
'iV
•
'
i,a,�
'''
Sergey Karjakin
Alexander Grischuk
fj, £3,
fj, 'ii
Odessa 20 I 0 (3)
Solution 47
33 ...ld.xc2! 34.g6 f5!=F
Peter Leko
Alexander Grischuk
Solution 48
London 2 0 1 2 (8)
1 6 ..Jixh2! 1 7.l:!.xh2 exd4 1 8.l:!.h4+:t
D
Vladimir Akopian
Alexander Khalifman
Solution 49
Plovdiv Ech 20 1 2 ( 1 1 )
26.ttJbS+! axb5 27.'{;}fxd7 'ifxf4+ 28.Wb1
'{;}fxg5
28 Wa6 2 9 .l:!.ee l ! !+ - .
1 -0
29.'ifc 7 wa6 30.l:!.xfS!
. . .
D
Alexey Shirov
Alexander Grischuk
Solution
50
Wijk aan Zee 20 1 1 (8)
D
21 .h4! gxh3 22.l:!.xh3 b5 23.we2
24.l:!.bh1 t2Jc6 25.l:!.h8 l:!.a7 26.f4!;;!;
f6
Vassily Ivanchuk
Alexander Grischuk
51
Solution
Sochi tt 20 I 0 (7)
28.ttJxdS! cxd5 29.'tWxdS+ We8 30.l:!.d1 !+­
l:!.c7 31 .'{;}faS+ Wf7 32.l:!.f1 + we6 33.'ifxa6+
Wd7 34.l:!.d1 + We8 35.e6! .1d8 36.'{;}fbS+
we7 37.'{;}fb4+
1 -0
241
Explanation of Symbols
�
The chess board
with its coordinates:
White stands slightly better
Black stands slightly better
± White stands better
+ Black stands better
+- White has a decisive advantage
-+ Black has a decisive advantage
balanced position
00
unclear position
QQ
compensation for the material
> strong (sufficient)
<
weak (insufficient)
� better is
s weaker is
good move
!!
excellent move
bad move
??
blunder
!?
interesting move
?!
dubious move
0
only move
/::,.
with the idea
--+
attack
t initiative
tt lead in development
�
counterplay
# mate
corr.
correspondence
=F
8
7
6
=
5
•
4
3
2
a
0
b
c
d
e
f
White to move
Black to move
Good move
! ! Excellent move
Bad move
??
Blunder
!?
Interesting move
? ! Dubious move
� King
'iiY Queen
.:a Rook
� Bishop
tt.J Knight
•
242
g
h
Genera l Concl usion
I hope that, in reading this book, you have found many interesting new opening
ideas and have learnt to understand the positions arising in the NajdorfVariation.
Even players who have never played the Najdorf in their lives, after reading this
book, can undoubtedly start to play this most fascinating and fairly sharp variation
of the Sicilian Defence, because we have tried to present all the main ideas of the
line, including all the main moves for White and the corresponding defences for
Black, which allow him to achieve satisfactory play.
In many variations, we have tried to sidestep the most popular lines and instead,
in quite a few cases, have tried to find new moves, which give the possibility of
reaching fresh, sharp positions that have not yet been tested. In addition, we have
also analysed quite deeply some relatively rare continuations, but ones which are
quite poisonous and contain much of interest.
In many variations, we have not tried to analyse everything out to a bare draw, or
to find every way of obtaining equality, but have instead tried to obtain complica­
tions, and play with mutual chances, where, of course, there is an element of risk,
but where there is scope to play for a win. It should be noted that in order to ob­
tains such positions as Black, one needs to employ rare or new continuations, or
non-standard ideas, which will change the course of the game.
But of course, there are some variations where even with the computer's help it is
very difficult to enliven the position, and in these situations, one has to keep oneself
in hand and not take unfounded risks, which can just lead to the ruin of one's posi­
tion. In such dry positions, one must adopt a pragmatic approach and console oneself
with the thought that in modern-day chess, a draw as Black is a satisfactory result.
After studying this book, to learn the nuances of the opening, I would advise you
to look further at those games which are quoted only in part in the book. To im­
prove your play and master the intricacies of the opening, I recommend that you
play training games against a player of similar strength, which will deepen your
knowledge of the subtleties, and after the games, analyse them and try to find the
typical mistakes which you are making.
Having played quite a few different openings as Black, I have come to the conclu­
sion that the Najdorf is the best way for Black to play for a win. Without risking
ending up in a rather unpleasant position, he can often reach a really very promis­
ing position. In open tournaments, where it is essential to play for a win in every
game, the Najdorfhas been my best and most trusted friend, which has enabled me
to achieve some highly important victories, often in the middle of the tournament,
against players of varying strengths.
PLAY THE NAJDORF AND WIN ! ! !
243
I ndex of Variations
1 .e4 c5 2.tt:Jf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tt:Jxd4 tt:Jf6 5.tt:Jc3 a6
6.�g5 e6 7.f4 'iVb6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8 .°iVd2 'i¥xb2 9 .tlJb3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4
9 . .l:!.b l 'i¥a3 I O .i.xf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8
1 0 .f5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2
1 O.e5 h 6 1 1 .i.h4 . . . . . . . 2 6
8 .°iVd3 �xb2 9 . .l:!.b l 'i¥a3 1 0 .f5 't!Va5 . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1
1 O . . . t2Jc6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
I O ... ..ie7 l 1 .i.e2 . . . . . . . 50
8 .t2Jb3 t2Jbd7 9 .'i¥f3 ..ie7 1 0 .0-0-0 't!Vc7 1 1 ...id3 . . 66
6.�c4 e6
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69
7 .�b3 t2Jbd7 8 . 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 0
8 .i.xe6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2
8 .�e3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2
8 .'i¥f3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3
8 . g4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4
8 .f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4
8 .�e2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8
8 .i.g5 t2Jc5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8
7 . 0-0 b 5 8 . ..ib3 i.b7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3
8 . . .b 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5
8 . . . �e7 9.f4 0 - 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5
9 .'\lk'f3 �b6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2
9 . . . V/!ic7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 2
7 . ..ie3 b5 8 .�b3 ..ib7 9 . f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 2
7 .i.g5 ..ie7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 2
7 .a3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 3
245
Winning w i t h t h e Naj d o rf S i c i l i a n
6 .Jile3 e 5
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119
7 .ttJf3 'fk'c7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 0
7 . . . §l.e7 8 .§l.c4 0-0 9 . 0-0 §l.e6 1 0 .'ife2 . . . . . . . 1 2 7
1 0 .§l.xe6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 3
1 0 .§l.b3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 5
7 .ltJb3 §l.e7 8 .'fk'd2 0-0 9 . 0-0-0 as 1 0 .a4 . . . . . . . . 1 4 1
1 0 .§l.bs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 1
1 0 .@b l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 1
8.f3 §l.e6 9.'fk'd2 0-0 1 0.0-0-0 aS 1 1 .'fk'e l . . . 1 42
1 1 .@b l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 49
1 l .a4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 1
l 1 .ltJa4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 4
l 1 .'fk'f2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 5
1 1 .§l.bs ttJa6 . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 6
6 .Jile2 e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 67
7 .tt:Jf3 h6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 7
7 .ltJb3 §l.e7 8 .§l.gs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 7
8 . g4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 69
8 .0-0 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 1
6.f4 e5
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1 81
7 .ltJb3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 1
7 .tt:Jfs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 1
7 .ltJf3 'fk'c7 8 .§l.d3 §l.e7 9 . 0-0 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 2
8 . . . bS 9 . 0-0 ltJbd7 1 0 .'fk'e l §l.b7 1 1 .@h l . . . . . . . 1 84
8 . . . ttJbd7 9 . 0-0 §l.e 7 1 0 .@h l 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 5
9 .a4 §l.e7 1 0 . 0-0 0-0 1 1 .'fk'e l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 6
1 1 .@h l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 8
246
I n d ex of Vari a t i ons
6.a4 e5
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1 92
7 .tll b 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 2
7 .tll d e2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 2
7 .tll f3 h6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 94
7 . . . JJ..e 7 8 .JJ..c 4 �e6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 94
8 .�gS JJ.. e 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 6
6.g3 e5
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1 98
7 . tll d e2 �e7 8 .�g2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 99
8 .a4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 1
8 .h3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 2
7 .tll b 3 il.e7 8 .a4 tll c 6 9 .JJ..g 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 2
8 .�g2 bS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 4
6.h3 e5
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209
7 .tll f3 tll b d7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 0
7 . . . Wfc7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 0
7 .tll d e2 bS 8.g4 b4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 1
8 . . . JJ..b 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 2
7 . . . hs 8 .JJ.. g s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 3
247
Index of Players
Numbers refer to pages.
A
Adams
1 3 4, 1 9 5 , 2 0 5
1 05
Adelberg
50
Adhiban
1 75
Adly
1 00
Agrest
88
Aguilar Sevilla
1 75
Ahmad
68, 79, 1 3 2, 1 3 6,
Akopian
1 50, 1 78
73
Akylbekov
1 34
Aldokhin
1 74, 2 0 2 , 2 0 5
Alexeev
1 33
Aliavdin
1 3 6- 1 3 7
Almasi
73
Amanov
I 97
Amonatov
8 6 , 1 2 8 , 1 3 6- 1 3 7 ,
Anand
1 69 , 1 7 3 , 1 7 6- 1 7 7
Anastasian
73
I 07
Andreasen
Andriasyan 3 8 , 43, 74, 1 24,
1 2 7 , 1 3 0- 1 3 1 , 1 3 3 ,
1 3 7 - 1 3 8 , 1 42 , 1 7 7 , 1 7 9 ,
1 83 , 187, 1 9 1 , 1 95 ,
1 9 7 - 1 9 8 , 20 1 , 2 1 6
1 58
Anisimov
24
Antipov
50
Apryshko
116
Arancibia Guzman
Areschenko 1 6 , 3 0 , 5 1 , 8 0 ,
1 1 5 , 1 3 6 , 1 6 8 , 1 74, 1 7 9 ,
206
76
Armanda
111
Arnason
1 30
Arslanov
141
Ashwin
1 7 1 , 1 79
Asrian
90, 1 32, 1 90
Aveskulov
1 6, 2 5
Azarov
B
Babula
Backlund
Bakre
Balogh
91
1 87
1 32
1 38
Banikas
1 04
36
Baron
Bej tovic
76
Berbatov
80
79
Berndt
5 6 , 1 68
Bezgodov
97
Biriukov
Blanco Gramajo
22
Bok
36
Bologan I 5 7 , I 7 0 , I 7 5 , 1 84
Boruchovsky
20 I
Bosch
107
Brandenburg
5I
25
Brinck Claussen
Brkic
36, 62, 13 7 - 1 38,
1 45 , 1 9 3
30
Bromberger
I 70
Bruzon Batista
Bu Xiangzhi 1 1 1 , 1 2 3 , 1 3 0 ,
1 3 6 , 1 3 8 , 1 7 2- 1 7 3
Bushill
1 06
c
Carlsen
Carlsson
Cernousek
Cheparinov
Chernobay
Claros Egea
Coleman
Colovic
Cossin
Csiba
Czakon
Czarnota
1 35 - 1 36, 1 68
3 8 , 48, 5 3
58
77, 1 1 5
1 85
48, 5 3
1 00, 1 05 - 1 06
203
132
1 22
83
1 26
D
Damaso
Darrin
Dauletova
De Firmian
De Jongh
Deepan
Degraeve
Del Rio Angelis
Delchev
111
24, 9 6
98
48, 7 3
1 26
206
1 08
27
95
75
Dembo
I 03
Dgebuadze
Dominguez Perez
9 9- 1 0 0 ,
1 48 , 1 6 8 , 202-203
Donchenko
96
217
Drozdowski
50
Duistermaat
1 56
Durarbeyli
Dvoirys 84, 1 2 7 , 1 60 , 1 6 8,
1 98 , 206
E
EQUINOX
Eames
Eberth
Edvardsen
Efimenko
Ehlvest
Eklund
Elent
Eliseev
Emelin
Enklaar
Eriksson
Ermenkov
Ernst
1 32
1 05
1 14
72
1 97
84, I 03
90
22
1 50
1 77
1 85
48
1 14
26
F
1 84
Fedorchuk
Fedorov
1 1 3 , 1 83
117
Feletar
1 68 , 1 94
Felgaer
58
Fercec
177
Fernandez Garcia
22
Figlio
204
Filipenko
15, 17
Fischer
37
Forsaa
157
Freitag
95, 1 0 1 , 219
Ftacnik
Fuderer
26
G
Gabuzyan
Gallegos
Ganguly
50, 2 1 5
1 02, 1 05
1 73
249
Winning w i t h t h e N a j d o r f S i c i l i an
43 , S O
Gao Rui
Gashimov S l , S 7- S 9 , 6 2 , 64
S2, 97
Gavrikov
Gdanski
73
Gelfand 1 00 , 1 0 2 , 1 09- 1 1 1 ,
1 1 6 , 1 3 S , 1 68 , 1 7 8 , 2 0 0 ,
202
1 7 , 2S, 1 08
Georgiev,Kir
116
Georgiev,Kr
202
Ghaem Maghami
1S3
Gharamian
16
Gheorghiu
1 6, 1 32
Giri
101
Gobet
43
Goh Weiming
84, 96-97
Golubev
90
Goncharov
93. 1 63
Gopal
l SO
Grigoryan
Grischuk 1 7 , S 7- S 9 , 64, l S l ,
1 62 , 1 9 7
1 08
Guidarelli
1 03
Gurevich,V
S8
Guseinov
117
Gutman
Gunther
80
H
1 08, 2 1 8
HIARCS
1 13
Hamdouchi
1 94
Hansen,SuBe
217
Havlikova
191
Hayrapetian
181
Hebert
1 14
Herczeg
1 89
Hjartarson
2S
Holst
S2
Horrocks
Hort
so
1 78
Horvath.]
Hou Yifan 3 9 , 9 8 , 1 3 1 , 1 69 ,
1 78, 1 83 , 1 9 7
Hovhannisyan 2 0 , 1 7 7 , 1 9 7
218
Howell
9S
Hiinerkopf
I
Idani
Ikonomopoulou
Inarkiev
Iruzubieta Villaluenga
250
1 23
l lS
1 4S
94
79
Istratescu
1 00
Iturrizaga Bonelli
7 3 , 8 6 , 93 ,
Ivanchuk
1 0 7 - 1 0 8. 1 1 1 . 1 3 4- 1 3 s .
1 4 1 , 1 7 8- 1 7 9
212
Ivanov
J
Jadoul
Jakubiec
Jaracz
Jasnikowski
Jedlicka
Jobava
Ju Wenjun 3 0 ,
so.
42
211
96, 1 1 3
73
86
171
1 69 , 1 9 7
K
123
216
1 87
200,
202
90
Karhunen
Karjakin
1 7 , 6 2 , 1 04, 1 3 S ,
l S l , 1 62 , 1 6 8 , 1 7 0 , 1 7 4,
1 7 8 , 1 99 , 204-20S
1 7S - 1 76, 1 79
Karpov
Kasimdzhanov l S , 204-20S
Kasparov 1 7 , 2 S , S 3 , 6 S , 7 S ,
7 7 , 8 8 , 1 0 2 , 1 09- 1 1 0 ,
1 29 , 1 7 3
Kempinski 9 6 , 1 3 8 , 1 89 - 1 9 0 ,
1 96
26
Keres
134
Khairullin
1 72
Khalifman
210
Khismatullin
1 87
Kindermann
so
Kiran
36
Kiuttu
1 63
Klein
83
Klima
121
Kobalia
l l S- 1 1 6
Kobese
Sl
Kodentsov
s 1 , 203
Kokarev
96
Konguvel
1 70
Korbut
1 S8
Kornev
22
Korosec
19
Kortchnoi
Kadric
Kalashian
Kaminski
Kamsky 6 7 , 1 3 S , 1 9 6 ,
39
37, 1 3 1
1 7, 30
S8
1 68
Sl
76
1 79
63
1 29
97
S2
200, 2 1 9
96
212
63, 80
1 34
71
1 68
Kosintseva,N
Kosintseva, T
Kosteniuk
Kotanjian
Kozlitin
Kozlowicz
Kozul
Kramnik
Krivoborodov
Kroeze
Kruppa
Krush
Kryvoruchko
Kudrin
Kupreichik
Kurnosov
Kurukin
Kuzubov
Kiilaots
L
Lambert
!'Ami
Sl,
Las tin
Lautier
Lazic
Le Quang Liem
Lefebvre
Leitao
1 3S-1 36,
Leko
Li Chao
Li Shilong
Lie
Likavsky
Lintchevski
Liu Guanchu
Ljubojevic
Loginov
Lopez Martinez
Lu Yijie
Lupulescu
Luther
Lutz
97
72
1 60 , 2 1 0
1 7 8 , 202
89
93
80
1 34
1 43 , 1 74
1 4 1 , 1 90
1 93
l lS
7S
1 33
1 42
67
1 72
203, 2 1 S
43
1 83
1 7, 2S
1 7S
M
Magnusson
MakoIi
Mallahi
Mamedov,N
Mamedov,R
Mamedyarov
2S
1 7S
187
S7
2S, 37, S8
1 10
Index o f P l a yers
Mamikonian
Marcks
Marcotulli
Marjanovic
Markgraf
Markovic
Matikozian
Matlakov
Mecking
Melkumyan
Micheli
Michiels
Minasian
Minic
Morozevich
Motylev
Moulin
Movsesian
Movsziszian
Mozharov
Mukhutdinov
Myakutin
101
213
Onischuk,A
Onischuk,V
1 90
1 2 1 , 1 68
SI
SI
p
1 29
PAKman
Palac
91
24
62, 80 , 1 0 9 , 1 1 7 ,
1 02
1 70
16
1 34
206
1 1 1
1 02 , 1 0 7
19
1 1 0, 1 32 , 1 S 2
36
96
203, 2 1 6
1 00
1 34
1 0 6, 2 1 2
Sl
1 93
Palkovi
Palliser
Panarin
Pap
Papaioannou
Papp
Paulet
Petr
Petrik
Petrosian,D
Petrosian,TL
Petrov
Pigusov
Platonov
Folgar I S , 9 9 ,
2S
36
1 73
so
I S6
77
!IS
IS7
1 22 , I 3 6
1 23 , 1 3S , 1 3 8
1 2 6 , 1 3 6- 1 3 7
1 83
16
1 28, 1 3 1 , 1 3 7 ,
Naer
S6, 9 7 , 1 3 1 , 142, 1 S 8,
171
94
Nagy
1 7 8 , 2 1 S -2 1 6
Naiditsch
1 7S
Najdorf
2 1 , 92, 2 1 0
Nakamura
S3
Nakamura,T
107
Nalbandian
1 3 3 , 1 74
Naroditsky
S1
Nataf
Negi
71
Nepomniachtchi
63, 1 3 1 ,
1 7 4, 2 0 S , 2 1 0
Nestorovic
Nezhmetdinov
Nijboer
Nikolov
Nisipeanu
212
14
! S3
9S, 1 3 2
3 1 , 1 0 0 , 1 04 ,
1 70
Novikov
Nunn
Nyzhnyk
21
4 2 , S 3 , 9 S , 1 84
126
0
Oakley
Olsson
Olszewski
S2
206
2IS
Polgar,Zsu
Polugaevsky
Ponomariov
Portisch I 6,
Shmuter
Shneider
Short
I 76
S3
3 7 , S 7 , 1 23
1 83
1 77
SI
80
1 73
! 8S
14
36
I S8
116
S 2 , 9 2 , 1 74
132
77
1 89
1 4 1 , I S i , 1 68 ,
l 7S
19
I 06
1 7 , 7 S , 7 7 , 8 8 , 1 03 ,
1 29, 1 73 , 1 78, 202
SI
I 07
1 32
1 70,
1 78
1 70
N
s
SHREDDER
Safarian
Safarli
Saigin
Sakaev
Sambuev
Sandipan
Saravanan
Savchenko
Scherbakov,V
Schut
Sebag
Seretakis
Shabalov
Shaposhnikov
Sharbaf
Sherzer
Shirov 1 3 S ,
Shytaj
Sjugirov
I S7
1 23 , 1 36, 1 38,
I 1 4, I I 7 , I 8 I ,
206
1 84
7 6, 1 6 8
Smeets
18S
Smejkal
7 S , I S4
Smirnov
1 1 1
Sokolov,A
1 04
Solak
49
Solodovnichenko
Sophistry
24
IS, 17
Spassky
21S
Spoelman
86
Stehno
1 72
Stellwagen
2S
Strati!
1 09
Stupavski
116
Suba
1 73
Suetin
IS2
Sukandar
36, 38, 78
Sutovsky
Svidler I 3 6 , 1 4 3 , I S 8 , I 7 0 ,
Post!
Predojevic
Prentos
Pyha!a
Q
Quinteros
187
138
7S
S2
16
R
REBEL
RYBKA
Radjabov
Ramnath
Repkova
Robson
Rodriguez Cespedes
Rodshtein
Rogers
Rohit
Rotstein
Rowson
Rublevsky
Rytshagov
1 08
218
S 7 , 1 68
80
80
48
26, I 0 2
20 I
197
1 89
101
Swiercz
216
213
S7
78, 1 1 1
219
T
Tai
Tatar Kis
I S- 1 6 , 1 8 3 , 1 8 S
7S
251
Winning w i t h t h e N a j d o r f S i c i l i an
Tella
Ter Sahakyan
52
1 62 - 1 6 3 , 20 1 , 204
Timman
Timofeev
40
1 3 0- 1 3 1 , 1 99 ,
210
Timoshenko
Tischbierek
Tisdall
Tissir
Tiviakov
Todorovic
Tomczak
Tomic
Topalov
19
95
1 00
73
157
89
71
74
6 5 , 7 5 , 94, 1 3 4 ,
1 48 , 1 6 9 , 1 9 6
Tosic
Tukmakov
50
1 85
25, 27, 152,
Wyss
216
v
Vachier-Lagrave
7 1 , 1 1 3,
1 32, 1 38, 1 58, 202
93
2 1 5, 219
Van Wely 6 8 , 1 3 6 ,
Van der Linde
Van der Ploeg
Van der Tuuk
Van der Wiel
Vasquez Schroeder
Velasco
Velimirovic
Vishnu
Visser
Vitiugov
Voboril
Vogt
Voitsekhovsky
1 6,
Volokitin
Vydeslaver
1 70, 2 1 8
51
x
Xiu Deshun
Wang Hao
Werner
Wojtaszek
Wojtkiewicz
Womacka
1 34, 1 5 0 , 1 5 2
51
40
52, 1 93
1 1 5-1 1 6
y
Yakovenko
Yilmaz
1 23, 1 7 1
1 62
88
1 1 6-1 1 7
75
1 63
1 5 4, 1 9 9
211
1 73
z
Zagorskis
Zaid
Zakhartsov
Zhang Pengxiang
Zherebukh
203
84
15
49, 1 5 7
1 99 , 2 1 4
1 24 , 1 3 1 ,
1 42 , 2 0 4
204
1 3 1 , 1 74
Zhigalko
Zhou
Zhou Jianchao
w
u
Urkedal
252
Vallejo Pons
2 0 , 1 3 5 , 1 45 ,
7 7 , 200
215
1 36, 1 83 ,
214
38
94
3 1 , 1 5 1 , 1 75
189
63
Zinchenko
Zivkovic
Zolotukhin
Zubarev
Zubov
197
58
132
1 79, 1 9 7
97
Biography
Zaven Andriasian was born on 1 1 March 1 9 8 9
in Erevan. He has been playing chess since the
age of five. He was Armenian under- I 0 cham­
pion and went on to win many other Armenian
championships at various junior categories. At
1 5 , he became Armenian rapid champion, and
he repeated this success the following year. He
became an International Master in 2 0 0 5 by
winning the B-Group at the Aeroflot Open, and
the same year became European under- 1 6
Champion. In 2 0 0 6 , he became European un­
der- 1 8 Champion and World under-2 0 Cham­
pion, the latter success also bringing him the
grandmaster title.
Since the end of 2 0 0 7 , he has written regularly for New In Chess Yearbook.
Starting that same year, he has won many European open tournaments and in 2 0 1 0
he won the Russian Cup. A three-time bronze medallist in the Armenian Champi­
onship ( 2 0 0 9 . 2 0 1 0 . 2 0 1 1 ) , he also won a silver medal in the European Club Cham­
pionship, with the MIKA team. His most recent tournament win came at
Groningen 2 0 1 2 .
253
Winning w i t h t h e N a j d o r f S i c i l i an
Bi bl iogra phy
Books
The Sicilian Sozin Mikhail Golubev, Gambit 2 0 0 1
Opening for White according to Anand 1 .e4 - Alexander Khalifman, Chess Stars 2 0 1 2
The Complete Najdorf: 6. Bg5 John Nunn, Batsford 1 9 9 6
The Sharpest Sicilian - Kiril Georgiev, Atanas Kolev, Chess Stars 2 0 1 2
The Complete Najdorf- John Nunn, Joe Gallagher, Batsford 1 99 8
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Journals and Magazines
Yearbooks 9 7 ( 2 0 1 0) , 9 8 , 9 9 , 1 0 0 , 1 0 1 ( 2 0 1 1 ) , 1 0 2 , 1 0 3 ( 2 0 1 2) , 1 0 6 ( 2 0 1 3)
New in Chess Magazine nos. 2 (2 0 1 2) 1 , 2 (20 1 3 ) .
Databases
Mega Database 2 0 1 3
254
ISBN 9789056914295
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