Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Ivkov Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code B94, part of the Sicilian Defense family. It goes 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qa5 8. Qd2 e6 9. O-O-O b5 10. Bb3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Nc5 12. e5. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... c5. After 23 moves it is Black to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... c5 – Black plays the pawn to c5
2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
2... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
3. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
3... cxd4 – Black captures on d4 with the c-pawn
4. Nxd4 – White takes on d4 with the knight
4... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
5. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
5... a6 – Black plays the pawn to a6
6. Bg5 – White plays the bishop to g5
6... Nbd7 – Black plays the knight to d7
The line goes on for 11 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the Sicilian Defense
Black answers 1.e4 with 1...c5, fighting for the d4 square from the side. The game becomes unbalanced and sharp, with chances for both sides.
After d4 and ...cxd4, Black trades a side pawn for White's centre pawn and gets an extra centre pawn.
Black uses the half-open c-file: a rook on c8 and pressure on c3 and c2.
Kings often castle on opposite sides, so both players race to attack; every tempo counts.
chessGM