Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Amsterdam Variation
The Amsterdam Variation is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4, one of the many sixth moves against the Najdorf. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
405,165 games: White 50.0% / Draw 4.8% / Black 45.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 135,731136K | ||
| 134,157134K | ||
| 32,42132K | ||
| 24,62925K | ||
| 24,15224K | ||
| 21,53322K | ||
| 17,71018K | ||
| 9,0939,093 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.08 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... e5 7. Nf3 Qc7 8. a4 Be7 9. Bd3 O-O 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Kh1
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, 56% at 2200 and up and 51% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 18K | |
| 1400–1799 | 125K | |
| 1800–2199 | 224K | |
| 2200 and up | 96K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,469 |
Master games
- Ivanchuk, V. – Dominguez Perez, L.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Kasparov, G.
- Leko, P. – Kasparov, G.
- Nakamura, H. – Giri, A.
- Dubov, D. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
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 Amsterdam Variation is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4, one of the many sixth moves against the Najdorf.
Main replies
- 6...e5 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.a4 Be7 9.Bd3 O-O
- 6...Qc7 7.Bd3
- 6...e6 7.Be2
6...g6
Grandmaster Daniel King recommends 6...g6, which gives Black a more defensive kingside pawn structure. The idea is to counterattack later on the g1–a7 diagonal with a move like ...Qb6, preventing White from castling. An example line is 6...g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.a4 Nc6 9.Bd3 Qb6. The knight goes to c6 rather than the usual Najdorf square d7, because c6 is a more flexible square for it with the queen on b6.
The numbers
On Lichess White wins 50.0% of the 405,165 games and Black 45.1%. Black is slightly ahead below 1800, while from 2200 up White's lead grows to 52.5% against 41.4%. In 4,469 master games over the board 38.0% were drawn, White won 32.4% and Black 29.7%.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Amsterdam Variation
6…g6 scores best for Black: 49.6%, with Black winning 47.3% and White 48.1% of 24K games. The most played, 6…e5, scores 47.8% in 136K games, and 6…Nc6 scores lowest: 45.8%. 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, Amsterdam Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.011% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.016% (its peak: 0.023% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.016% | 5,893 |
| 2017 | 0.021% | 11,751 |
| 2018 | 0.023% | 18,115 |
| 2019 | 0.021% | 25,959 |
| 2020 | 0.022% | 63,318 |
| 2021 | 0.018% | 71,887 |
| 2022 | 0.016% | 58,290 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 49,430 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 43,514 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 38,677 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,383 |
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 (1)
Sources
- Theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, version of 3 November 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, Amsterdam Variation (B93)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-najdorf-variation-amsterdam-variation