When it's possible I always play the black side of the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation.

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When it's possible I always play the black side of the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation.

The best advice about chess I ever had was to keep playing the Najdorf no matter how many times I get killed with it. These days I still get killed about half the time but the games are always very interesting. If I survive the middle game I usually have a good chance to win the endgame.

I only play the black side of this opening. Bobby Fischer played both sides of the Najdorf and he virtually always won with it.

Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. Many consider him to be the greatest chess player of all time.

The Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defence is one of the most respected and deeply studied of all chess openings. Modern Chess Openings calls it the "Cadillac" or "Rolls Royce" of chess openings. The opening is named after the Polish-Argentine grandmaster Miguel Najdorf. Many players have lived by the Najdorf (notably Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov, although Kasparov would often transpose into a Scheveningen).

The Najdorf begins:1. e4 c5 Nf3 d6 d4 cxd4 Nxd4 Nf6. Nc3 a6

Black's 5...a6 aims to deny the b5-square to White's knights and light-square bishop while maintaining flexible development. If Black plays 5...e5?! immediately, then after 6.Bb5+! Bd7 (or 6...Nbd7 7.Nf5) 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 8.Nf5 and the knight on f5 is difficult to dislodge without concessions.

Black's plan is usually to start a minority attack on the queenside and exert pressure on White's e4-pawn. This is often carried out by means of ...b5, ...Bb7, and placing a knight on c5, or c4 via b6.

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