The Modernized Najdorf First edition 2018 by Thinkers Publishing Copyright © 2018 Milos Pavlovic All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a re- trieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher. All sales or enquiries should be directed to Thinkers Publishing, 9850 Landegem, Belgium. Email: [email protected] Website: www.thinkerspublishing.com Managing Editor: Romain Edouard Assistant Editor: Daniël Vanheirzeele Software: Hub van de Laar Proofreading: Bernard Carpinter Graphic Artist: Philippe Tonnard Cover Design: Iwan Kerkhof Production: BESTinGraphics ISBN: 9789492510389 D/2018/13730/20 The Modernized Najdorf Milos Pavlovic Thinkers Publishing 2018 Table of Contents Key to Symbols ..................................................................................................... 4 Preface ................................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 1 - 6th Move Sidelines .............................................................................. 7 Chapter 2 - The 6.f4 Variation ............................................................................. 41 Chapter 3 - The 6.Bc4 Variation......................................................................... 61 Chapter 4 - The 6.g3 Variation .......................................................................... 101 Chapter 5 - The 6.Be2 Variation....................................................................... 127 Chapter 6 - The 6.h3 Variation .......................................................................... 159 Chapter 7 - The 6.Bg5 Variation....................................................................... 183 Chapter 8 - The 6.Be3 Variation....................................................................... 245 Key to Symbols ! a good move ⩲ White stands slightly better ? a weak move ⩱ Black stands slightly better !! an excellent move ± White has a serious advantage ?? a blunder ∓ Black has a serious advantage !? an interesting move +- White has a decisive advantage ?! a dubious move -+ Black has a decisive advantage □ only move → with an attack N novelty ↑ with an initiative ⟳ Lead in developpment ⇆ with counterplay ⨀ Zugzwang ∆ with the idea of = equality ⌓ better is ∞ unclear position ≤ worse is © with compensation for the + check sacrificed material # mate Preface The Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defence is so popular that the total number of games played in this line exceeds the number of games played in many complete openings! It has been the favourite line of many world champions and grandmas- ters. Famous lines such as the Poisoned Pawn, the Polugaevsky Variation, the Sozin, the English Attack, to name just a few, are known to all chess players as belonging to the Najdorf Sicilian. Championed by young American Bobby Fischer, the Najdorf line gained popularity and with time it became the most popular Sicilian. Even when Fischer lost a game to Spassky in the Poisoned Pawn line during their 1972 world championship match in Reykjavik, somehow the Najdorf didn't lose its popularity. On the contrary, a new generation of players simply continued to work on the line, with Kasparov in first place and followed by many strong grandmasters. Perhaps the secret for such popularity should be sought in the amazing flexibility that the Najdorf offers. Often Black can choose between …e6 setups or …e5; even …g6 is often played. You don't find such a variety of ideas in other Sicilians. It is considered one of the top three best lines against 1.e4, the other two being the Berlin and the Marshall, both belonging to the Ruy Lopez opening. With Black in the Najdorf I have always tried to implement the ...e5 reaction any time I considered it suitable. In Sicilians Black doesn't often have a chance to have a pawn on e5; only in the Najdorf does Black frequently have this possibility at his disposal. From Kotov, Najdorf himself and Bronstein to Polugaevsky, Fischer, Tal, Gligoric, Portisch, Kasparov, Nunn, Ljubojevic, Timman, these and many others have made serious contributions in this line. Among today’s younger generation Vachier Lagrave and Nepomniachtchi head the many standard-bearers of the Najdorf. It is important also to mention players who contributed with the white pieces: Karpov, Geller, Velimirovic, Anand, Short, and even Fischer himself, who often played the Sozin line. Many others too have been trying to find the ultimate weapon against such a strong line. Sometimes it is a new positional idea and sometimes a tactical one, depending on players’ styles, but the Najdorf is very resilient and new efforts by one side are countered by new efforts from the other. It just goes from strength to strength. I used to play it with both colours, and that experience helped me to write this book. Going through an amazing number of complex lines, deciding which line to put in this book and which to leave out is a big job but as I analyzed it often from the White side somehow such decisions came easier to me. Learning the Najdorf will help all players to understand Sicilians in a better way. Different aspects of chess such as defence, attack and sacrifice, positional themes and tactical storms, can be found in my book. Milos Pavlovic Belgrade 2018 7 6th Move Sidelines 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 8 The Modernized Najdorf Chapter Guide Chapter 1 – 6th Move Sidelines 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 a) 6.Rg1 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.g4 d5 9.exd5 .............................................................. 9 b) 6.Rg1 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.g4 d5 9.g5................................................................ 11 c) 6.Bd3............................................................................................................. 13 d) 6.Qd3 Nbd7 7.Be2 g6 8.Bg5 ...................................................................... 18 e) 6.Qd3 Nbd7 7.Be2 g6 8.0-0......................................................................... 20 f) 6.Qe2 ............................................................................................................. 22 g) 6.Qf3 Qb6..................................................................................................... 25 h) 6.Qf3 Nbd7 .................................................................................................. 27 i) 6.a3 ................................................................................................................. 29 j) 6.a4 ................................................................................................................. 33 k) 6.h4 ................................................................................................................ 37 Chapter 1 (6th Move Sidelines) 9 a) 6.Rg1 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.g4 d5 9.exd5 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Rg1 Position after: 14... Rd6 15. g5 Position after: 6. Rg1 A) 15. Bc5 Rd8 16. Bb6 Rd6 leads to I remember that in my youth we wanted a draw. to find new ideas against the Najdorf and this was one of the moves that we B) 15. c4 Be4 16. Rxd6 Bxd6 17. experimented with. Nd2 Bg6 18. a3 Bc7 19. Bxc7 Kxc7 20. Rg3 h5⩱ Black is very active. 0-1 Bobby Fischer had already introduced 6. (38) Bizopoulos, A (2150) – Klimov, A h3, which is now very popular again and (2451) Vung Tau 2008. will be treated as one of the main lines, so 6. Rg1 came as an interesting idea C) 15. Nd2 Nd4 16. Bxd4 exd4 later found also by others. It seems that Black has nothing to fear in the resulting endgames, as we will see. 6... e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. g4 d5 9. exd5 This move leads to a forced endgame. 9… Nxd5 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Be3 Position after: 16... exd4 Nc6 12. Qxd5 Bxd5 13. 0-0-0 0-0-0 14. Bb6 Rd6 17. Nc4 [17. Kb1 Be7 18. Bc4 Rhd8 19. Rge1 Bh4 20. Re2 Bxc4 21. (see diagram next column) Nxc4 Rf6 22. Rf1 d3 23. cxd3 Rxd3 10 The Modernized Najdorf Again Black is fine.] 17... Bxc4 18. Bxc4 F) 15. Rg3!? A clever move. 15... Be7 Rf6 19. Rgf1 Rf4 20. f3 Kc7 21. Kb1 16. g5 [16. Rgd3 Nb4 17. Rc3+ Bc6 is g6 22. Rde1 b5 23. Bd5 Bd6. The very acceptable for Black; 16. h3 Bd8 rook on f4 is standing nicely and we can 17. Bc5 Bg5+ 18. Kb1 Rd7 and Black conclude that Black’s chances in this can also be happy here. 19. Rgd3 endgame are equal. Rhd8 20. Bb6 e4!⇆] 16... Be6 17. Nc5 Bf5! D) 15. a3 In this endgame, one of the ideas for Black is to retreat ...Be6, pro- voking g5 which will give him additional assets for counterplay. 15... Bxb3!? An interesting concept to make a quick draw. [15... Be7 16. g5 Be6! 17. Rxd6 This game ended in an early draw but it illustrates the motif of provoking g5. ½-½ Rosso, P - Myakonikikh, D corr. Position after: 17... Bf5! 2009.] 16. Rxd6 Bxd6 17. cxb3 Bc7 One of the important motifs here. 18. Rxd6 Bxd6 19. Bh3 g6 20. Ne4 Bc7 21. Bxf5+ gxf5 22. Bxc7 Kxc7 23. Nf6 e4 24. Rh3 Kd6! 25. Rxh7 Rxh7 26. Nxh7 Ke5 Again Black enjoys full equality. Active play is an important theme to remember. Position after: 17... Bc7 15... Be6 16. Bg2 Rxd1+ 17. Rxd1 Be7 18. Be3 Nd4 19. Bxd4 ½-½ Van Fo- reest, J (2605) – Sasikiran, K (2661) Sit- ges 2016. For example 19... exd4 20. h4 Bd8 21. h5 Bh4 22. Rg2 Re8 is satis- factory for Black. E) 15. c3 Be7 16. g5 Be6 17. Rxd6 Bxd6 18. h4 h6! 19. g6 f6 20. Bg2 h5 21. Nc5 Bxc5 22. Bxc5 Kc7 Another good endgame for Black. ½-½ (26) Ko- korin, V– Yurov, A corr. 2010. Position after: 17... Be7 Chapter 1 (6th Move Sidelines) 11 One