The Najdorf Variation arises after 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. . The a6 pawn keeps the d4 knight and the f1 bishop off b5 and gets your b7 pawn ready to advance to b5. Across 21,789 Lichess games between 900 and 1700 (September 2026 data), your opponent scores 49.6% against it, so the fight is even.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
24 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
At your level, after , 25 of every 100 opponents play 6., 17 go for 6. and 15 choose 6., about as many as pick 6.. Among online players rated over 2200, 6. climbs to 25 of every 100, level with 6.. Against 6., 59 of every 100 players at your level answer and 23 try ; strong players pick 72 times in 100, with next at 22. After the paths split: strong players push 7. in 78 of every 100 games, but only 21 do at your level, where 7. leads with 24.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.8% | 49.9% | 25.3% | 15.6% | |
| 16.9% | 49.4% | 9.5% | no data | |
| 15.4% | 49.5% | no data | 6.1% | |
| 15.2% | 52.2% | 24.8% | 21.7% | |
| 8.8% | 50.2% | 10.0% | 15.9% | |
| 4.9% | 51.9% | 8.0% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 7.8% | 9.6% | |
| no data | no data | no data | 5.1% |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59.1% | 49.5% | 72.5% | 58.7% | |
| 22.6% | 51.0% | 3.1% | no data | |
| 9.0% | 46.0% | 22.0% | 41.3% | |
| 3.3% | 44.4% | no data | no data | |
| 2.1% | 64.4% | 0.7% | no data | |
| 2.0% | 51.0% | 0.3% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 1.0% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.4% | 50.8% | no data | no data | |
| 20.9% | 55.1% | 77.9% | 70.3% | |
| 15.4% | 46.0% | 1.2% | no data | |
| 9.4% | 50.0% | 4.0% | no data | |
| 9.2% | 47.4% | 6.8% | 23.1% | |
| 8.7% | 46.3% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 4.6% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 3.4% | 6.6% |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76.2% | 55.5% | 42.1% | 18.3% | |
| 10.4% | 46.2% | 22.9% | 23.3% | |
| 6.8% | 61.8% | 15.2% | 38.3% | |
| 6.6% | 51.5% | 10.5% | 20.0% | |
| no data | no data | 4.0% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 3.9% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62.9% | 57.8% | 92.5% | 100.0% | |
| 15.4% | 54.1% | 0.9% | no data | |
| 11.0% | 62.9% | 1.3% | no data | |
| 10.7% | 41.2% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 4.2% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 1.1% | no data |
The strong-player line is 6. 7. 8. 9. . It all turns on the e5 square. Your opponent wants to push the e4 pawn there and kick your f6 knight, the piece that watches d5 and guards your kingside. You answer by covering e5 and f6 with pieces.
Before any of that, is already working. With a pawn on a6, neither the d4 knight nor the f1 bishop can land on b5, and later your b7 pawn can advance to b5 with support.
6. hits the f6 knight. covers d5 and f5 and opens e7 for your f8 bishop. The cost is that, with e7 empty, the g5 bishop pins your knight to your queen. That is why 7. comes: the pawn backs up a push to e5, which would hit a pinned knight. breaks the pin before the blow lands, so the knight can move again without leaving your queen to the bishop.
8. guards e4 alongside the c3 knight and clears d1 for queenside castling. protects d6, eyes the c3 knight down the open c-file and frees d8. 9. puts a rook on d1, behind the d4 knight and facing your d6 pawn. completes the setup. The knight covers e5, so you now have two defenders there, the d6 pawn and the knight, against the f4 pawn. It also protects f6: if the bishop takes there, you recapture with a piece and keep your pawns intact.
At your level you will rarely see this line. After , opponents prefer 7., and 15 of every 100 play 7.. Against both, does the same job: it breaks the pin and clears f8 so you can castle. Against 7., keep an eye on e6. The bishop aims at it from c4, and your c8 bishop defends it through d7. Put a knight on d7 too early and e6 is left with a single defender.
Against 6., the a6 pawn pays off again: kicks the d4 knight, and it cannot jump to b5 because your pawn covers that square.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 29,278 | 25.0% | |
| 7,266 | 72.2% | |
| 5,208 | 77.8% | |
| 3,989 | 41.7% | |
| 1,645 | 92.6% | |
| 1,480 | 67.4% | |
| 1,003 | 98.7% | |
| 971 | 76.4% |
kicks the knight, which goes to f5 and eyes d6 and g7. Play goes 7. 8. 9. : without your knight, d5 belongs to the c3 knight. Better is . 23 of every 100 play it, and it is rarely punished at your level: you score 49 of every 100 with it, against 50.5 with .
23 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.3 pawns of advantage. It scores 49.0%; scores 50.5%.
leaves f6 guarded only by the e7 pawn. Play goes 7. 8. 9. : your f-pawns are doubled and the d6 pawn is isolated. Better is . 3 of every 100 play it, and it is rarely punished at your level: you score 55.6 of every 100 with it, against 50.5 with .
3 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.2 pawns of advantage. It scores 55.6%; scores 50.5%.
Against 6., does nothing for d5. Play goes 7. 8. 9. : your f6 knight is traded and your queen comes out before your bishops. Better is , hitting the bishop. It costs you a little at your level: you score 50.8 of every 100 after and 56.2 after .
6 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 50.8%; scores 56.2%.
Against 6., hands d5 to the c3 knight. Play goes 7. 8. 9. : your opponent castles while you still cannot. Better is , which kicks the d4 knight. It goes unpunished at your level: you score 56.5 of every 100 after and 49.7 after .
6 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 56.5%; scores 49.7%.
After 7. 8., your c8 bishop guards e6 through d7. blocks that line, leaving e6 with one defender, the f7 pawn, against the c4 bishop and the d4 knight. Play goes 9. 10. 11. : your opponent is a pawn up. Better is , which kicks the c4 bishop. 7 of every 100 play it.
7 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2.6 pawns of advantage.
After 7. 8., creates a target. Play goes 9. 10. 11. : your queen guards b4, and the e3 bishop, lined up behind the d4 knight, drives her off. Better is : your e7 bishop then hits the undefended g5 bishop. 9 of every 100 play it and you score 59.7: rarely punished.
9 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 11,757 | ||
| 3,818 | ||
| Not castled | 2,175 | |
| Not castled | 1,568 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 1,256 |
| Not castled | 772 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 429 | ||
| 302 | ||
| Not castled | 152 | |
| Not castled | 53 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 50 |
| Not castled | 45 |
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · 4,023 amateur games · 46 over the board
6. aims at f7 through d5 and e6. Your opponent scores 49.3 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B90
2,911 amateur games · White's score: 52.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B92
1,509 amateur games · White's score: 50.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B90
550 amateur games · White's score: 48.5%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B93
443 amateur games · White's score: 52.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B91
263 amateur games · White's score: 52.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B90
125 amateur games · White's score: 42.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · B92
72 amateur games · White's score: 55.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · B92
54 amateur games · White's score: 52.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · B99
53 amateur games · White's score: 56.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · B84
39 amateur games · White's score: 48.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · B98
33 amateur games · White's score: 47.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · B97
32 amateur games · White's score: 51.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · B97
25 amateur games · White's score: 46.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · B96
12 amateur games · White's score: 54.2%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B90
11 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · B96
8 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · B98
3 amateur games · White's score: 66.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · B98
1 amateur game · White's score: 0.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. · B94
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B90
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. · B96
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B90
It is the Sicilian Defense with , after , the trade on d4 and 5.. The a6 pawn develops nothing, but it shuts your opponent's pieces out of b5 and lets you choose later between and , depending on their move. Between 900 and 1700, the Lichess sample holds 21,789 games with it.
It holds up well in your games: your opponent scores 49.6 of every 100 against it. Between 900 and 1100 they do worse, at 46.5, and between 1500 and 1700 they sit at 49.6. You do need a plan against each bishop move, because after opponents spread their choices across 6., 6., 6. and 6..
Among strong players, the most played is 6. 7. 8. 9. . Your opponent prepares to push a pawn to e5 and castles queenside. You break the pin on the f6 knight with your bishop and cover e5 with the d6 pawn and the d7 knight.