B98

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation 7. f4 Be7

Also known as Najdorf Sicilian

Chess diagram: Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation after 7…Be7

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Statistics from Lichess

1,004,792 games: White 51.6% / Draw 4.4% / Black 44.0%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next move	Games	White / Draw / BlackW / D / B
	832,317832K
	33,98034K
	31,61232K
	25,42025K
	24,18024K
	22,10622K
	18,86719K
	3,2933,293

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.29 The position is about equal

Best play: 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O h6 10. Bh4 Nbd7 11. Bd3 g5 12. fxg5 Ne5

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

By rating

The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 50% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up and 42% in master games (wins plus half the draws).

Players	Games	White / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400	7,037
1400–1799	149K
1800–2199	647K
2200 and up	241K
Masters, over the board	3,332

Master games

Ivanchuk, V. – Topalov, V. 0–1, 2009
Leko, P. – Morozevich, A. 1–0, 2001
Karjakin, S. – Ivanchuk, V. ½–½, 2015
Grischuk, A. – Aronian, L. 0–1, 2023
Grischuk, A. – Dominguez Perez, L. 1–0, 2010

Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026

Overview

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (ECO B98, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 (7 moves).

In 1,004,792 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.6%, Black 44.0% and 4.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Qf3, in 83% of those games.

It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Traditional Line and Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Browne Variation. In all, 4 named lines continue from it.

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Description

Popularity by year

This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.029% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.04% (its peak: 0.055% in 2018).

0.04%0.029%0.055%

Numbers by year

Year	Share of games	Games
2016	0.04%	14,430
2017	0.053%	29,430
2018	0.055%	43,424
2019	0.049%	60,577
2020	0.05%	145,177
2021	0.045%	175,068
2022	0.039%	147,232
2023	0.034%	127,955
2024	0.032%	114,706
2025	0.029%	101,376
2026 (Jan–Apr)	0.028%	31,201

Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling

Variations (3)

All 4 named lines that continue from here

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B98)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-najdorf-variation-5