MARK RUBERY CHESS

‘The Najdorf. The very name is enough to fill 1 e4 players with fear, for this is the most uncompromising, yet sound, variations in the whole spectrum of chess openings’. Thus spake grandmaster Daniel King in his book ‘Winning with the Najdorf’. The list of devotees who play this variation is lengthy but would be headed by both Fischer and Kasparov who honed it into a devastating weapon. Miguel Najdorf popularised the opening that begins 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 with the original idea being to answer 6 Be2 with 6…e5 and thus avoid the annoying Bb5+. While playing such an uncompromising system can yield many wins for Black, such is the nature of this double-edged line that the smallest inaccuracy can lead to a devastating defeat.

Here are two games that demonstrate the ideal scenarios for both Black and White.

Ermenkov,Evgenij (2495) - Portisch,Lajos (2655) [B86]

EU-chT (Men) Skara (3), 1980

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6

5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.a3 (Although popular in the 1950s and 60s this move is now deemed too slow)…Be7 8.Ba2 0–0 9.f4 b5 10.f5 e5 11.Nde2 Bb7 12.Ng3 Nbd7 13.Bg5 Rc8 14.0–0 Rxc3! (This thematic exchange sacrifice is even given the nod from our more materialist silicon friends) 15.bxc3 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Bxe4 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.c4 Rc8 19.Qe2 Nf6 20.Rac1 h5! (A wonderful move. White is getting hit with everything-D King) 21.cxb5 axb5 22.Qxb5 Qa7+ 23.Kh1 h4 24.Qb3 Ng4 25.h3 Ne3 26.Rg1 Nxf5 27.Kh2 d5 28.c4 Rb8 29.Qc3 Qf2 30.Qxe5 Rb2 31.cxd5 Qxg2+ 32.Rxg2 Rxg2+ 33.Kh1 Ng3+ 0–1

Anand,V (2804) - Vachier Lagrave,M (2723) [B90]

3rd Norway Chess 2015 Stavanger NOR 2015

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 e6 7.g4 h6 8.Bg2 Nc6 9.Be3 Be7 10.f4 Nd7 11.0–0 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 0–0 13.Qd2 Rb8 14.Ne2 b5 15.Rad1 Qc7 16.f5 Nf6 17.Ng3 Bb7 18.Kh1 Rbd8? (18…Kh7 had to be played to avoid the coming onslaught) 19.Bxh6! gxh6 20.Qxh6 d5 21.g5 Qxg3 22.Rd3 Nh5 23.g6! fxg6 24.fxg6 Rxf1+ 25.Bxf1 Nf6 26.Rxg3 dxe4 27.Be2 e3+ 28.Kg1 Bc5 29.Kf1 1–0