Black's most ambitious answer to 1.e4: after 5...a6 Black keeps every option open, controlling b5 and preparing ...e5 or ...e6 and ...b5. This course covers White's five main tries — the English Attack, 6.Bg5, 6.Be2, the Fischer-Sozin 6.Bc4 and 6.h3 — and the traps you must know in each. This is a advanced opening course for Black (ECO B90) with 5 variations and 2 traps, written for players rated around 2100. Each move is explained and then drilled on a board; it is free.
Key ideas of Sicilian Najdorf
The little move ...a6 takes b5 from White's knights and bishop and prepares ...b5 to expand on the queenside.
Choose your centre: ...e5 grabs space and gains time on the d4 knight but leaves a hole on d5; ...e6 keeps a flexible, solid 'small centre' with ...d6 and ...e6.
When White castles long, counterattack at once on the queenside with ...b5-b4, ...Rc8 and ...Qc7 — in opposite-side castling, speed matters more than material.
Watch the d5 square: if White gets a knight to d5 that you cannot exchange, you are worse. Keep a minor piece (often the bishop on e6 or a knight) ready to take on d5.
The half-open c-file is Black's highway; an exchange sacrifice ...Rxc3 to wreck White's king is a typical Najdorf idea.
Be careful with ...Nxe4 and ...d5 tricks: they only work when White's pieces are loose; checked in the lines below.
Variations you learn
English Attack 6.Be3 e5 – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 …. White plays Be3, f3, Qd2, O-O-O and storms with g4-g5. Black answers with ...e5, ...Be6 and a fast queenside pawn storm with ...b5-b4. Both kings are attacked, so every tempo counts.
6.Bg5 main line – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 …. White pins the f6 knight, plays f4, Qf3 and O-O-O, and then pushes g4-g5 and f5. Black develops solidly with ...e6, ...Be7, ...Qc7 and ...Nbd7 and counterattacks with ...b5. The position is sharp and very well tested.
6.Be2 classical – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 …. White develops calmly with Be2, O-O and Be3 and plays for control of d5. Black takes space with ...e5, develops with ...Be7, ...Be6 and ...Nbd7, and later aims at ...b5 or ...d5.
Fischer-Sozin 6.Bc4 – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 …. White aims the bishop at e6 and f7, ready for sacrifices there. Black answers with ...e6 and ...b5 to kick the bishop, castles, and meets Qf3-g3 and Bh6 with the calm ...Ne8.
6.h3 with 6...e5 – 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 …. White prepares g4 to kick the f6 knight. Black answers with ...e5 and ...h5, stopping g4 for good, and develops with ...Be6, ...Nbd7 and ...Be7.
Traps
Sozin: ...Nbd7? walks into e5! – A warning for Black. In the Sozin, White's queen on f3 points along the long diagonal at the rook on a8, blocked only by the e4 pawn. If Black plays the natural ...Nbd7, White pushes e5 and opens the diagonal with gain of time.
English Attack: ...Nc6?? after ...b5 – A warning for Black. Once Black has played ...b5, nothing defends the c6 square. Putting a knight there in front of White's d4 knight just loses it to Nxc6, which also attacks the queen.
The line trainer
The line trainer for Sicilian Najdorf has 50 lines that grow out of 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6, learned a few new ones a day with spaced-repetition review.
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