- ECO code
- B94
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 770
- Average game length
- 41 moves
- Years covered
- 1952–2026
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation is the opening filed under ECO code B94, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Najdorf Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 770 games on this line — the 139th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1952 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 222 games. An average game here lasts 41 moves.
White wins 33% of those games, 31% end in a draw, and Black wins 36%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 8 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 6...e6, played in 595 games, followed by 6...Nbd7 (161) and 6...Nc6 (9). 6...e6 leads into Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B95). After 6...e6 White scores 33% and Black 35%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Tal, Mihail (34 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (64).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B95); Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B96).
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Results in master games
- White 33% (253)
- Draws 31% (241)
- Black 36% (276)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6...e6 | 595 | 33/32/35 | Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B95) |
| 6...Nbd7 | 161 | 35/25/40 | — |
| 6...Nc6 | 9 | 11/67/22 | — |
| 6...e5 | 4 | 0/25/75 | — |
| 6...g6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Najdorf Variation (B95) · 6...e6 · 595 games
- Najdorf Variation (B96) · 6...e6 7.f4 · 498 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 · 21,789 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 · 18,942 games
- Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 · 9,282 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 · 6,995 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 · 6,811 games
- Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 6,441 games
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 · 4,731 games
Played most often by
As White
- Tal, Mihail 34
- Firouzja,Alireza 27
- Nepomniachtchi,I 26
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 64
- Grischuk,A 44
- Nepomniachtchi,I 41
Games per decade
- 1950s 85
- 1960s 59
- 1970s 38
- 1980s 24
- 1990s 27
- 2000s 125
- 2010s 190
- 2020s 222
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davudov,Tunar | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 5th Feb 2026 |
| Csonka,B | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 14th Apr 2026 |
| Movahed,Sina | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
| Duda,J | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Poland |
| Liu,Casper | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 |
| Parpiev,Isaak | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 22nd Jan 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code B94, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation good for White or for Black?
In 770 master games on this line White wins 33%, 31% are drawn and Black wins 36%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation?
6...e6 — played in 595 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B95).
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation?
On the White side Tal, Mihail (34), Firouzja,Alireza (27), Nepomniachtchi,I (26); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (64), Grischuk,A (44), Nepomniachtchi,I (41).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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