Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack

The English Attack against the Najdorf Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3) is the modern main line of the Najdorf. White follows 6.Be3 with f3, g4, Qd2 and long castling in some order, and play often turns into a race of pawn storms on opposite wings.

Origins

In the 1980s and 1990s the English players John Nunn, Nigel Short and Murray Chandler began using against the Najdorf an approach already tried against other Sicilians such as the Dragon, and the attack is named after them. Since the early 1990s it has been extremely popular, has been intensively analysed, and is seen regularly at the highest level.

Main lines

• 6...e5, the classical reply. After 7.Nb3 Black usually plays 7...Be6 to fight for d5, and the most common move is then 8.f3, preparing Qd2; the immediate 8.Qd2 allows 8...Ng4. After 7.Nf3 Black's main choices are 7...Be7 and 7...Qc7.
• 6...e6, transposing to a Scheveningen. White can play the standard English Attack with 7.f3 or the even sharper 7.g4, the Hungarian or Perenyi Attack (Delayed Keres Attack in this database). Black can answer 7...e5, and after 8.Nf5 g6 9.g5 (Perenyi Gambit) the game is dynamically balanced.
• 6...Ng4, the Anti-English: 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 gives a position of quite a different nature. Some White players avoid it with 6.f3 instead of 6.Be3, but that gives Black other options such as 6...Qb6 and 6...b5.
• 6...Nbd7 aims for the English Attack while avoiding the Perenyi Attack. Here 7.g4 is less dangerous, because the c8-bishop can hit g4 and the d7-knight can jump to useful squares.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• White has a clear attacking plan that is used at the highest level.
• Both sides get sharp positions with chances to attack the enemy king.

Weaknesses

• The line has been analysed in great depth, so both sides need a lot of preparation.
• 6...Ng4 changes the character of the game and requires separate preparation.

Who should play it

The English Attack suits White players who want to meet the Najdorf head-on with opposite-side castling. Najdorf players must be ready for it, since it is White's main try.

The numbers

On Lichess White is ahead under 1400, 50.5% against 46.3%, and at 1400–1799, 49.3% against 46.9%; Black is slightly ahead at 1800–2199, 47.7% against 47.6%, and White leads again from 2200 up, 48.4% against 45.4%. In about 43,000 master games White won 24.6%, Black 16.9%, and 58.5% were drawn.