Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack
The Adams Attack is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3, an odd-looking pawn move against the Najdorf. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
687,242 games: White 49.6% / Draw 5.5% / Black 44.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 338,384338K | ||
| 192,263192K | ||
| 43,52844K | ||
| 43,28943K | ||
| 29,08429K | ||
| 13,27713K | ||
| 9,9089,908 | ||
| 9,2839,283 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.33 White is slightly better
Best play: 6... e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. g4 h6 9. Be3 b5 10. Nd5 Bb7 11. a4
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 better this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 15K | |
| 1400–1799 | 131K | |
| 1800–2199 | 369K | |
| 2200 and up | 227K | |
| Masters, over the board | 11K |
Master games
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Nakamura, H.
- Caruana, F. – Kasparov, G.
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
Description
The Adams Attack is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3, an odd-looking pawn move against the Najdorf. Weaver Adams introduced it in the middle of the 20th century, Bobby Fischer used it several times, and it was long employed mostly as a surprise weapon.
6...e5
If Black continues 6...e5 anyway, White can answer 7.Nde2, followed by g4 and Ng3, and fight for the weak light squares by playing g5. It is therefore recommended that Black stops g4 altogether with 7...h5.
6...e6
Black can also choose a Scheveningen set-up with 6...e6. After 7.g4 b5 8.Bg2 Bb7 White has to lose more time defending e4, since ...b4 is a threat. An answer for White was not found until early 2008: after 9.O-O b4 White has the positional sacrifice 10.Nd5, which leaves Black with long-term weaknesses and gives White an open e-file. Since then the Adams Attack has been popular at all levels of play.
The numbers
On Lichess White wins 49.6% of the 687,242 games and Black 44.9%. From 2200 up White's lead is 50.1% against 43.3%. Masters draw most of their games: in 11,255 games over the board 57.2% were drawn, White won 24.4% and Black 18.4%.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack
6…e6 scores best for Black: 49.6%, with Black winning 46.9% and White 47.8% of 192K games. The most played answer, 6…e5, scores lowest: 46.6% in 338K games. Stockfish's first choice is 6…e5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack has lost ground since 2016: 0.024% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.029% (its peak: 0.033% in 2019).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.029% | 10,349 |
| 2017 | 0.032% | 17,535 |
| 2018 | 0.033% | 25,670 |
| 2019 | 0.033% | 41,423 |
| 2020 | 0.033% | 96,934 |
| 2021 | 0.028% | 111,175 |
| 2022 | 0.024% | 91,114 |
| 2023 | 0.023% | 86,026 |
| 2024 | 0.024% | 86,226 |
| 2025 | 0.024% | 83,226 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.024% | 26,602 |
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
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, version of 3 November 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Fischer and 6.h3: adapted from the Wikipedia article Sicilian Defence, version of 27 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack (B90)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-najdorf-variation-adams-attack