Answers.Body: <p>Two or three games is very little to say much. You will not even have encountered all of the main lines after ....a6. Generally the Najdorf Sicilian is rather tactical and opening mistakes can quickly lead to a loss. In some lines white has a very straightforward plan of pushing its h and g pawns and checkmating black. </p>
  
  <p>Practising tactics and studying the opening thoroughly is essential. 
  For more useful advice it would help to know your playing strength and to see one of your games </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-13T18:24:03.850Z
Answers.Text: *"In some lines white has a very straightforward plan of pushing its h and g pawns and checkmating black."* that is a bit too much, I would say. Perhaps you refer to the Amsterdam variation 6. f4-e5 7. g4 ?
Answers.UserDisplayName: gented
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-13T22:55:38.973Z
Answers.Text: I was thinking of the English attack (6. Be3 ... 7. f3) which can get quite dangerous if black doesn't know how to respond to it.
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1583209
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-13T08:09:23.267Z
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Answers.LastEditDate: 2016-11-13T08:45:11.463Z
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Answers.Body: <p>My tip would be to study the games of the best specialists of the Najdorf, notably Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov in old times, or Maxime Vachier-Lagrave today. You will improve fast your effectiveness with the Sicilian.</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1004144" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ChessGames.com</a> offers a collection of classical Najdorf games. But I will go for the best: Garry Kasparov on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uii0wOYbYRU" rel="nofollow noreferrer">How to play the Najdorf</a>. Brilliant!</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-17T20:09:46.370Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Kortchnoi
Answers.Body: <p>With the Najdorf, there are A LOT of ideas available to both players. Just after <code>5.. a6</code>, White has a number of main lines: <code>6. Be2, Bc4, Be3, Bg5, f4, g3, Rg1</code>, just to name a few.</p>
  
  <p>The important thing to learn is the themes within the opening itself. What is Black trying to achieve, and what is White trying to achieve? Black aims for a Queenside advance of his <code>a</code> and <code>b</code> pawns (called a Minority attack). A common weakness for White is the c-file, so aiming to place a Rook on <code>c8</code> is very nice.</p>
  
  <p>However, it is important to understand the weaknesses in your own setup. Your <code>d</code>-pawn will be very weak, and you will be aiming to create a breakthrough with <code>d5</code> as soon as possible in order to trade it. Common ways you can support this advance include </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><code>Bb7</code> (after playing <code>b5</code>)</li>
  <li><code>Nbd7-b6</code> (not always. You might want <code>Nc5</code> for your Minority attack.),</li>
  <li><code>Nf6</code> (if it is never booted from this square).</li>
  <li><code>Qd8</code> (on it's home square)</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Remember, in the Najdorf it is Black who has the solid centre with the 2 centre pawns, but you need to flank around the Queenside in order to prove this.</p>
  
  <p>Of course, the best way to practice this is by playing different lines each game! I've never been a fan of memorising opening theory because it makes the game less fun. Many of the ideas are still shared in each setup, but the exact circumstances change. Most of the time, you will still be aiming for a Minority attack, a semi-open <code>c</code>-file, <code>d5</code>-pawn break against the <code>e4</code>-pawn and trying to prove your strong centre makes up for your slower development.</p>
  
  <p>Best of luck :)</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-19T09:04:00.673Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: mojo1mojo2
Body: <p>So in the last 2 or 3 games I've played, I've used the Najdorf variation of the Sicilian. It's worked alright in the games, and I was wondering if you guys have any tips that I could use to improve my effectiveness with the Sicilian.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-11-13T02:43:50.477Z
Comments.Text: You should post a couple of the games for review, or have a program analyze them to see if you're making any tactical errors, or if the problem is elsewhere.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Herb
Tags: <opening><sicilian-defense><najdorf>
Title: Tips for the Najdorf Sicilian?
ThreadText: # Tips for the Najdorf Sicilian?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-12)
  
  So in the last 2 or 3 games I've played, I've used the Najdorf variation of the Sicilian. It's worked alright in the games, and I was wondering if you guys have any tips that I could use to improve my effectiveness with the Sicilian.
  
  **Tags:** opening, sicilian-defense, najdorf
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: You should post a couple of the games for review, or have a program analyze them to see if you're making any tactical errors, or if the problem is elsewhere.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-13. Score: 3
  
  Two or three games is very little to say much. You will not even have encountered all of the main lines after ....a6. Generally the Najdorf Sicilian is rather tactical and opening mistakes can quickly lead to a loss. In some lines white has a very straightforward plan of pushing its h and g pawns and checkmating black.
  
  Practising tactics and studying the opening thoroughly is essential.
  For more useful advice it would help to know your playing strength and to see one of your games
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: *"In some lines white has a very straightforward plan of pushing its h and g pawns and checkmating black."* that is a bit too much, I would say. Perhaps you refer to the Amsterdam variation 6. f4-e5 7. g4 ?  
  > **username_2**: I was thinking of the English attack (6. Be3 ... 7. f3) which can get quite dangerous if black doesn't know how to respond to it.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2016-11-17. Score: 0
  
  My tip would be to study the games of the best specialists of the Najdorf, notably Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov in old times, or Maxime Vachier-Lagrave today. You will improve fast your effectiveness with the Sicilian.
  
  [ChessGames.com](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1004144) offers a collection of classical Najdorf games. But I will go for the best: Garry Kasparov on [How to play the Najdorf](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uii0wOYbYRU). Brilliant!
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2016-11-19. Score: 0
  
  With the Najdorf, there are A LOT of ideas available to both players. Just after `5.. a6`, White has a number of main lines: `6. Be2, Bc4, Be3, Bg5, f4, g3, Rg1`, just to name a few.
  
  The important thing to learn is the themes within the opening itself. What is Black trying to achieve, and what is White trying to achieve? Black aims for a Queenside advance of his `a` and `b` pawns (called a Minority attack). A common weakness for White is the c-file, so aiming to place a Rook on `c8` is very nice.
  
  However, it is important to understand the weaknesses in your own setup. Your `d`-pawn will be very weak, and you will be aiming to create a breakthrough with `d5` as soon as possible in order to trade it. Common ways you can support this advance include
  
  * `Bb7` (after playing `b5`)
  * `Nbd7-b6` (not always. You might want `Nc5` for your Minority attack.),
  * `Nf6` (if it is never booted from this square).
  * `Qd8` (on it's home square)
  
  Remember, in the Najdorf it is Black who has the solid centre with the 2 centre pawns, but you need to flank around the Queenside in order to prove this.
  
  Of course, the best way to practice this is by playing different lines each game! I've never been a fan of memorising opening theory because it makes the game less fun. Many of the ideas are still shared in each setup, but the exact circumstances change. Most of the time, you will still be aiming for a Minority attack, a semi-open `c`-file, `d5`-pawn break against the `e4`-pawn and trying to prove your strong centre makes up for your slower development.
  
  Best of luck :)
  
  
  ---
  
  