Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Main Line
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Statistics from Lichess
347,417 games: White 51.8% / Draw 4.6% / Black 43.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 198,189198K | ||
| 93,24193K | ||
| 19,06719K | ||
| 12,76513K | ||
| 6,9496,949 | ||
| 3,6913,691 | ||
| 2,9972,997 | ||
| 2,0812,081 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.52 White is slightly better
Best play: 10. g4 h6 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. h4 Nb6 13. g5 Bxd4 14. Rxd4 Qc5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 385 | |
| 1400–1799 | 15K | |
| 1800–2199 | 205K | |
| 2200 and up | 129K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,693 |
Master games
- Ivanchuk, V. – Topalov, V.
- Karjakin, S. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Grischuk, A. – Aronian, L.
- Grischuk, A. – Dominguez Perez, L.
- Wang, H. – Dominguez Perez, L.
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, Main Line (ECO B99, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Traditional Line, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 (9 moves).
In 347,417 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.8%, Black 43.6% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. g4, in 57% of those games.
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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Main Line
10. Bd3 scores best for White: 57.6%, with White winning 55.4% and Black 40.1% of 93K games. The most played, 10. g4, scores 53.7% in 198K games, and 10. Kb1 scores lowest: 47.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 10. g4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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, Main Line peaked in 2018 at 0.018% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.011% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.013% | 4,540 |
| 2017 | 0.016% | 8,770 |
| 2018 | 0.018% | 14,217 |
| 2019 | 0.015% | 18,895 |
| 2020 | 0.016% | 46,658 |
| 2021 | 0.015% | 56,980 |
| 2022 | 0.014% | 51,588 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 46,646 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 43,068 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 38,930 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,082 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Main Line (B99)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-najdorf-variation-main-line