[Event "Mastering the Najdorf: 6.Bg5 Najdorf (Mainline)"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/iMl0Hn1x/n5jj7Tqw"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B99"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Main Line"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/RandomBean"] [FEN "rnbqkb1r/1p2pppp/p2p1n2/8/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [UTCDate "2016.05.27"] [UTCTime "03:58:08"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/iMl0Hn1x/n5jj7Tqw"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Bg5 { The Mainline Najdorf. The idea with Bg5 is to gain control over d5 by exchanging black's f6 knight. It also gets the bishop out to the most agressive square before playing f4. This line is probably the most agressive one to play and a lot of ideas have arised from this position. } { [%csl Rd5][%cal Rg5f6,Rf6d5] } 1... e6 { Controlling d5 and opening way for Be7, breaking the pin. } { [%csl Bd5][%cal Be6d5] } 2. f4 { Going for e5. Black already has many options. } { [%cal Re4e5,Rg5d8] } 2... Be7 { Mainline, unpinning the knight. } (2... Qb6 { Poisoned Pawn variation. Fischer's favorite. I think I will maybe dedicate a whole chapter to it later, but as of now I will only cover it a little bit. } { [%cal Gd4b3,Gd1d2,Ga2a3] } 3. Qd2 (3. Nb3) (3. a3 Nc6 (3... Qxb2?? 4. Na4 $18)) 3... Qxb2 4. Rb1 Qa3 $36) (2... Nbd7 { Can tranpose into the mainline, but usually black doesnt touch his f8 bishop here. } 3. Qf3 Qc7 4. O-O-O b5) (2... h6 3. Bh4 Qb6 { Delayed poisoned pawn. }) (2... b5 { Polugaevsky Variation. Tactical and Razor Sharp. } 3. e5 dxe5 4. fxe5 Qc7 5. exf6 Qe5+ 6. Qe2 Qxg5) 3. Qf3 { Developing the Queen to an active square. At this point Black has an interesting try called the Argentinian Variation with some historical background and positional arguments to defend it. } (3. e5 dxe5 4. fxe5 Nd5 5. Bxe7 Qxe7 $15) 3... Qc7 { Further controlling e5 and stopping Bc4 to be played after which there would be some unpleasant pressure on e6. } { [%csl Be5,Rc4][%cal Bc7e5,Rc7c4,Rf1c4] } (3... Nbd7 4. Bc4 { Altough not played as much as 0-0-0 this scores pretty well. Now there are some sacrificing ideas on e6 as the knight blocks the c8 bishop. Something like the Fischer Sozin variation. 78% for white according to Chess365 database which contains 64 games with this position. } 4... h6 (4... Qc7 5. Bxe6! O-O $16 (5... fxe6 6. Nxe6 Qc4 7. Nxg7+ Kf8 8. Nf5 $18)) 5. Bxf6 Bxf6 6. O-O-O Qb6 7. Nxe6 fxe6 8. Bxe6 Nf8 9. Bb3 { Giles - Browne U.S Open 1988. White has a very strong attack and compensation for the piece. Hard to hold it, specially OTB. Just one of many reasons to play 8...Qc7. }) (3... h6 4. Bh4 Qb6 (4... g5!? { The ideas with this move are the following ones: a) Get control over the e5 square, which would allow to post a knight on e5. A great defender for the black's position and also a great piece in general. b) Get an active rook after recapturing. This was played in the 50s and it was supposed to be the final refutation to the f4 Najdorf, the story is too large so I will leave this Kasparov's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNTI4pO7Ib0 } 5. fxg5 Nfd7 6. Nxe6 fxe6 7. Qh5+ Kf8 8. Bb5! Rh7 9. O-O+ Kg8 10. g6 Rg7 { Also considered as a "drawing" line in modern days. })) 4. O-O-O Nbd7 { This is called the Old Mainline. And what I play. } 5. g4 { Whites intentions are clear. Going for the mate. } (5. Bd3 { Another possible approach. } 5... b5 (5... h6 { A sharp line, typical Najdorf stuff. I may implement this one. I like it. } 6. Bh4 g5 7. fxg5 Ne5 8. Qe2 Nfg4 9. Nf3 hxg5 10. Bg3 Nxf3 11. gxf3 Ne5 12. Qf2 b5) 6. Rhe1 Bb7 7. Qg3 b4 8. Nd5 exd5 9. e5 dxe5 10. fxe5 Nh5 11. Qh4 Bxg5+ 12. Qxg5 g6) (5. Qg3 { With Sacrificing ideas on b5 and x-raying the g pawn. It also helps control e5. } 5... b5 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. Bxb5! O-O! (7... axb5 8. Ndxb5 Qd8 9. Nxd6+ $44 { With great compensation and a winning endgame with 3 passed pawns. } 9... Kf8) 8. Bxd7 Bxd7 9. e5 dxe5 10. Ne4 exd4 11. Nxf6+ Kh8) 5... b5 6. Bxf6 { Making way for the pawn storm. Here black has a few ways of recapturing. Nxf6 being the main move. } 6... Nxf6 (6... gxf6 { Played by Fischer once against Gligorich and mentioned in his book my 60 Memorable games. }) (6... Bxf6?! { This allows for a great piece sacrifice. Breaking black's position and giving white 3 passed pawns with a Juicy endgame. } 7. Bxb5 axb5 8. Ndxb5 Qc6 9. Rxd6 { And white gets a winning endgame. }) 7. g5 Nd7 8. f5 (8. a3 Rb8 { The sharpest reply. } 9. h4 b4 10. axb4 Rxb4 11. Bh3 Qc5 12. Nb3 Qb6) 8... Nc5 (8... Bxg5+ { Another line but White wins the pawn at the end. } 9. Kb1 Ne5 10. Qh5 Qe7 11. Nxe6 Bxe6 12. fxe6 g6) 9. f6 gxf6 10. gxf6 Bf8 11. Rg1 h5 { The idea of this move is to avoid the dangerous Qh5 as Rg7 with a queen there would be killing. The rook is inmune as we shall see. } 12. Rg7 { Rook is inmune. The Bishop needs to defend d6. } 12... b4 $10 { And Black, is fine... Lol! Amazing, I love the Najdorf Variation } (12... Bxg7 13. fxg7 Rg8 14. Ndxb5 axb5 15. Nxb5 Qe7 16. Nxd6+) 13. Nce2 (13. Nd5 exd5 14. exd5 Nd7 15. Nc6 Bb7 16. Bh3 Bxc6 17. dxc6 Ne5) *