Open Sicilian - Najdorf and Dragon Variations (5...a6, 5...g6)
Meet ...e5 and ...Be6 with the English Attack. Play Nb3, f3, Qd2, O-O-O, then g4 and g5 to gain space. Watch for ...b5, which stops your knight from landing on a4. Aim for a queenside majority, with Black's backward d6 pawn a target on the half-open d-file.
Let's learn the Najdorf and Dragon Variations! Black plays 2...d6 to support a future ...e5. We answer with 3.d4, offering a trade to open the Sicilian fight. Let's begin with 1.e4.
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Scroll the moves: the board follows.
Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Main Line
… 9... O-O 10. O-O-O Nbd7 11. g4 b5 12. g5
- 5...g6
… 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6
- 5...g6
… 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O Bd7 10. g4 Rc8 11. Be2
- 5...g6
… 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Be6 11. Kb1 Qc7 12. h4
- 5...g6
… 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. Qe1 e5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. exd5 cxd5 13. Bg5 d4 14. Qxe5 dxc3 15. Rxd8 cxb2+ 16. Kb1
- 5...g6
… 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. Qe1 e5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Bc4
- 6...e6
… 6. Be3 e6 7. a3 b5 8. g4 Bb7 9. Bg2
- 6...e6
… 6. Be3 e6 7. a3 Be7 8. f3 Qc7 9. g4 Nc6 10. g5 Nd7 11. h4 b5 12. Nxc6 Qxc6 13. Qd4
- 6...e6
… 6. Be3 e6 7. a3 Be7 8. f3 O-O 9. h4
- 7...Be7
… 7. Nb3 Be7 8. f3 O-O 9. a3 Be6 10. Qd2 Nbd7 11. g4
- 7...Be7
… 7. Nb3 Be7 8. f3 Be6 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O Nbd7 11. g4 b5 12. g5
- 8...Nbd7
… 8. f3 Nbd7 9. g4 Be7 10. Qd2 b5 11. g5 Nh5 12. O-O-O
- 8...Nbd7
… 8. f3 Nbd7 9. g4 b5 10. a4
- 8...Nbd7
… 8. f3 Nbd7 9. g4 h6 10. Qd2 b5 11. O-O-O
- 9...Nbd7
… 9. Qd2 Nbd7 10. g4 b5 11. g5 Nh5 12. O-O-O
- 9...h5
… 9. Qd2 h5 10. Nd5 Nxd5 11. exd5 Bf5 12. Be2
Other chapters
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 a6 7. N5c3 Nf6 8. Bd3 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Be3 Be6 11. Nd5
4th moves after 2...Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 (4...e5, 4...Nf6, 4...g6, 4...d6)
Black pushes 4...e5 and settles with 5...d6, reaching the Kalashnikov Variation. Reroute with 5.Nb5, play 6.c4, retreat 7.N5c3, then castle and develop with Bd3 and Be3. Finish with 11.Nd5, offering a knight trade while sitting on a safe outpost. Aim for a queenside majority with Black's backward d6 pawn as your target.
17 lines1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. Qe2 d6 8. f4 Nbd7 9. g4 Nc5 10. g5 Nfd7 11. Be3 b5 12. a3
Open (3...cxd4)
Your opponent plays ...cxd4, entering the Open Sicilian, then follows up with ...a6, ...Qc7 and ...b5 in Kan style. Develop with Nxd4, Nc3, Bd3 and Qe2, then expand with f4, g4 and g5. Defend with Be3, meet ...b5 with a3, and prepare f5 and castling. Aim for a position with a queenside pawn majority.
11 lines
Learn Najdorf and Dragon Variations (5...a6, 5...g6) on the board
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