- ECO code
- B90
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 4,731
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1940–2026
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation is the opening filed under ECO code B90, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Najdorf Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 4,731 games on this line — the 30th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1940 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 1,620 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 35% of those games, 33% end in a draw, and Black wins 32%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 4 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 6.Be3, played in 1,297 games, followed by 6.Bg5 (770) and 6.Be2 (747). 6.Be3 leads into Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack. After 6.Be3 White scores 40% and Black 28%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (213 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (380).
6 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack; Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B94); Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 35% (1,679)
- Draws 33% (1,545)
- Black 32% (1,507)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.Be3 | 1,297 | 40/32/28 | Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack |
| 6.Bg5 | 770 | 33/31/36 | Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B94) |
| 6.Be2 | 747 | 33/36/31 | Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation |
| 6.h3 | 455 | 36/33/31 | Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack |
| 6.Bc4 | 267 | 34/27/39 | — |
| 6.f3 | 257 | 36/32/32 | — |
| 6.f4 | 187 | 35/35/30 | — |
| 6.g3 | 183 | 27/37/36 | — |
Variations from this position
- English Attack · 6.Be3 · 1,297 games
- Najdorf Variation (B94) · 6.Bg5 · 770 games
- Opocensky Variation · 6.Be2 · 747 games
- Najdorf Variation (B95) · 6.Bg5 e6 · 595 games
- Najdorf Variation (B96) · 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 · 498 games
- Adams Attack · 6.h3 · 455 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
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 213
- Nepomniachtchi,I 154
- Anand,V 149
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 380
- Nepomniachtchi,I 282
- Grischuk,A 234
Games per decade
- 1940s 10
- 1950s 150
- 1960s 136
- 1970s 119
- 1980s 112
- 1990s 379
- 2000s 959
- 2010s 1,246
- 2020s 1,620
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahdavi,Reza | Grischuk,A | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Kleimenov,Nikolay | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 |
| Van Foreest,Jorden | Carlsen,M | 1-0 | 2026 | 31st Sigeman & Co 2026 |
| Davudov,Tunar | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 5th Feb 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Leiva,G | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 6th Jan 2026 |
| Csonka,B | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 14th Apr 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code B90, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation good for White or for Black?
In 4,731 master games on this line White wins 35%, 33% are drawn and Black wins 32%. 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.Be3 — played in 1,297 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation?
On the White side Shirov,A (213), Nepomniachtchi,I (154), Anand,V (149); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (380), Nepomniachtchi,I (282), Grischuk,A (234).
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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