Miniatures

in the

Sicilian Najdorf

By
Carsten Hansen

Russell Enterprises 2016 Milford, CT USA

Miniatures in the Sicilian Najdorf

© Copyright 2016

Carsten Hansen

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-1-941270-47-9 (eBook)

No part of this book may be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any manner or form whatsoever or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Published by:

Russell Enterprises, Inc.

P.O. Box 3131

Milford, CT 06460 USA

http://www.russell-enterprises.com

info@russell-enterprises.com

Table of Contents

Series Introduction

Miniatures in the Sicilian Najdorf Introduction

Chapter 1: Minor Lines 6 h3, 6 a4, 6 g3 [B90] & [B91]

Chapter 2: 6 Be3 The Byrne Variation [B90]

Chapter 3: 6 Be2 The Classical Variation [B92]

Chapter 4: 6 f4 [B93]

Chapter 5: 6 Bg5 Minor Lines [B94-B96]

Chapter 6: Poisoned Pawn 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Qb6 [B97]

Chapter 7: 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Be7 Main Lines [B98-B99]

Upcoming Volumes: A Sampler

Russell Enterprises eBook List

“Miniatures in the …” Series Introduction

Welcome to the “Miniatures in the…” series. Each eBook will be devoted to one opening or major variation. The idea is to present a mix of interesting miniatures, combinations, instructive mistakes along with some accompanying opening theory putting everything into context.

For the purpose of this series, we are defining miniatures as games lasting 25 moves or less with a decisive result.

In the past, collections of miniatures typically have presented games spanning a large variety of openings, with lines which often are rarely used or irrelevant. In addition, many of the games are between weak players or players with a substantial difference in playing strength.

This series will focus on games between stronger players, a minimum of ELO 2350, thus making the games much more relevant, as they are less marred by obvious blunders, dropping pieces or missing simple mates. Although mistakes or blunders will have to occur to have a game finish decisively in 25 moves or less, the mistakes are more likely to be more instructive. In addition, by only covering a single opening or opening variation, the reader gets better and deeper coverage, as well as an overview of the particular opening’s features and characteristics.

You can use this book as an idea catalogue of tricky and interesting lines or to check your tactical skills. The many diagrams will help you sort out issues, calculate or find a winning continuation. Of course, you can simply enjoy these games which are, by and large, all quite entertaining. Finally, there is a treasure trove of opening theory included, and not just existing theory, but also numerous new ideas and improvements.

Enjoy!

Carsten Hansen
Bayonne 2016

Introduction
Miniatures in the Sicilian Najdorf

The purpose of the book is to entertain and educate you. The entertainment consists of 100 main games all of which are 25 moves or less. In addition to the main games, you will find miniatures included in the notes, along with many other complete games.

The education part involves solving tactical puzzles, reasoning your way to the right move, spotting combinations and studying the theory associated with these lines. While the theoretical coverage may not necessarily be as deep as in opening monographs or repertoire books, there’s usually more than enough to give you a good understanding of the particular line, making it easier for you to incorporate it into your opening repertoire. We have also tried to include some key alternatives with analysis to give you an idea of other possibilities for both sides.

As for the games, they are typically between players with a rating of at least 2350 and in fact are often stronger. However, I have made some exceptions to this guiding principle when a lower-rated player beats a player rated above the magical 2350 number. So that the performances of the players may be evaluated better, I have included their ELO ratings.

The subject of this book is the Najdorf Sicilian, which arises after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6. (D)

The Najdorf has been and continues to be a tremendously popular opening at all levels. It is sharp, unbalanced, with many theory-laden lines – and fun. The main lines after 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 are steeped in theory, making them tricky to play, especially for players with limited time to study. That being said, I have presented a number of games in sidelines which will offer both sides the opportunity to play this opening without having to worry about studying sufficient amount of theory. Please note, however, that if you plan to make any of these lines part of your repertoire permanently, studying them in greater detail is recommended.

The material has been divided into seven chapters, not all equal in length. This is of course because some lines are played far more frequently than others and therefore should be represented accordingly, but I think you will find a decent representation of all relevant lines.

One final note – I have refrained from covering lines which start with a Najdorf move order [B90-B99], but then merge with lines which fall in the Scheveningen Sicilian [B80-B89] classification. This means that neither the main lines of the English Attack, 6 Be3 e6 7 f3, nor the Fischer Attack, 6 Bc4 e6, are covered in this volume. These lines will be featured in a future volume on the Scheveningen.

Comments? Please do not hesitate to send them to carstenchess@gmail.com.

Good luck and enjoy!

Carsten Hansen
Bayonne, NJ
February 2016