Answers.Body: <p>6...Ng4 doesn't look good at all.</p>
  <p><strong>Tactical flaw:</strong></p>
  <p>Black is behind in development, so White should aim for direct play with 7.Bg5 and then:</p>
  <ul>
  <li><p>7...f6 8.Bc1 [8.Bh4] Be6 9.h3 Nh6 10.Bxh6 gh6 11.Nh4 [11.Be2] and Black has huge weaknesses on the light squares.</p>
  </li>
  <li><p>7...Be7 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Nd5 [9.Qd2, 9.Bc4] Qd8 10.Bc4 with a nice bind is probably the lesser evil for Black.</p>
  </li>
  <li><p>7...Qb6 8.Qd2 [or 8.Bh4 Qxb2? 9.Nd5 and Black cannot block Nc7+] Qxb2 is too greedy: 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.Nd5 Qc5 11.h3, or 11.Be3 and 12.Nb6 winning material, or 11.Rb3 with a huge attack.</p>
  </li>
  </ul>
  <p><strong>Strategic reason:</strong></p>
  <p>It the structure with a hole on d5, the fight for this white square is essential and probably more important than the bishop pair. White often plays Bg5xf6 in Boleslavsky, Najdorf and Svechnikov variations. Thus trading the knight for the Be3 is not a big achievement, especiallly at the cost of two tempi, even if White plays the simple 7.Qd2 Nxe3 8.Qxe3 Be6 9.0-0-0 or 9.Ng5.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-08T18:07:20.097Z
Answers.Text: Shabalov vs. Vitolinsh 1989 went 7...Be7 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 and ended ½-½ https://chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/1537016/ply/15  It seems White can't maintain a piece on d5.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ywapom
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-08T18:48:15.203Z
Answers.Text: In that Latvian game, with just a cursory look, it's not obvious to me why Shabalov didn't grab a pawn with 12.h3 Nf6 13.Qxd6.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-08T09:12:36.500Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-11-07T09:08:03.760Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2023-11-07T09:08:03.760Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Answers.Body: <p>If black wants to play Ng4 he could do this one move earlier (which is the normal way to do it), when after 6 .. Ng4, white has only two options to prevent his bishop from being exchanged:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>7 Bc1 which can lead to a repetition 7 ... Nf6 8. Be3 Ng4 ....</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>or </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>7 Bg5 which is usually answered by 7... h6 8 Bh4 g5 9 Bg3 Bg7 and black gains a very nice bishop on g7 and some space on the kingside</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Playing 7... Ng4 (after 6 ... e5 7 Nf3) could be answered by 8 Bg5 attacking the queen which was not possible before and also playing h6-g5 does not make sense anymore since the long diagonal is blocked. With the hole on d5 and the misplaced knight on g4, black's position</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-07T23:14:02.743Z
Answers.Text: It seems that you posted the answer without completely finishing it.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Pablo S. Ocal
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-08T08:46:27.467Z
Answers.Text: @PabloS.Ocal : So what? Are we really supposed to finish our
Answers.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-07T22:53:03.497Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-11-07T22:53:03.497Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1583209
Body: <p>After</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  
  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nf3
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>(which is trendy at top level in 2017) I am wondering why Black doesn't play 7...Ng4.   I only found a couple old games with 7...Ng4, and both ended in a draw.</p>
  
Tags: <opening><najdorf>
Title: Why not Ng4 in Sicilian after Nf3?
ThreadText: # Why not Ng4 in Sicilian after Nf3?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-07)
  
  After
  [FEN ""]
  
  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nf3
  
  (which is trendy at top level in 2017) I am wondering why Black doesn't play 7...Ng4.   I only found a couple old games with 7...Ng4, and both ended in a draw.
  
  **Tags:** opening, najdorf
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-08. Score: 3
  
  6...Ng4 doesn't look good at all.
  
  **Tactical flaw:**
  
  Black is behind in development, so White should aim for direct play with 7.Bg5 and then:
  
  * 7...f6 8.Bc1 [8.Bh4] Be6 9.h3 Nh6 10.Bxh6 gh6 11.Nh4 [11.Be2] and Black has huge weaknesses on the light squares.
  * 7...Be7 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Nd5 [9.Qd2, 9.Bc4] Qd8 10.Bc4 with a nice bind is probably the lesser evil for Black.
  * 7...Qb6 8.Qd2 [or 8.Bh4 Qxb2? 9.Nd5 and Black cannot block Nc7+] Qxb2 is too greedy: 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.Nd5 Qc5 11.h3, or 11.Be3 and 12.Nb6 winning material, or 11.Rb3 with a huge attack.
  
  **Strategic reason:**
  
  It the structure with a hole on d5, the fight for this white square is essential and probably more important than the bishop pair. White often plays Bg5xf6 in Boleslavsky, Najdorf and Svechnikov variations. Thus trading the knight for the Be3 is not a big achievement, especiallly at the cost of two tempi, even if White plays the simple 7.Qd2 Nxe3 8.Qxe3 Be6 9.0-0-0 or 9.Ng5.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Shabalov vs. Vitolinsh 1989 went 7...Be7 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 and ended ½-½ https://chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/1537016/ply/15  It seems White can't maintain a piece on d5.  
  > **username_1**: In that Latvian game, with just a cursory look, it's not obvious to me why Shabalov didn't grab a pawn with 12.h3 Nf6 13.Qxd6.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-11-07. Score: -1
  
  If black wants to play Ng4 he could do this one move earlier (which is the normal way to do it), when after 6 .. Ng4, white has only two options to prevent his bishop from being exchanged:
  
  * 7 Bc1 which can lead to a repetition 7 ... Nf6 8. Be3 Ng4 ....
  
  or
  
  * 7 Bg5 which is usually answered by 7... h6 8 Bh4 g5 9 Bg3 Bg7 and black gains a very nice bishop on g7 and some space on the kingside
  
  Playing 7... Ng4 (after 6 ... e5 7 Nf3) could be answered by 8 Bg5 attacking the queen which was not possible before and also playing h6-g5 does not make sense anymore since the long diagonal is blocked. With the hole on d5 and the misplaced knight on g4, black's position
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: It seems that you posted the answer without completely finishing it.  
  > **username_1**: @PabloS.Ocal : So what? Are we really supposed to finish our  
  
  ---
  
  