[Event "The Sicilian Najdorf: The Positional Variation: 6.Be2"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/JM9AjCVp/CAREqc1h"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/LeninPerez"]
[ECO "B92"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation, Traditional Line"]
[UTCDate "2021.11.08"]
[UTCTime "15:51:41"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ White doesn't always have to play aggressively: } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 { This was Karpov's favourite lien for many years, trying to achieve calmer and positional games. This variation for White is a way of avoiding the very complicated positions that the variations that we have reviewed previously entail.
White can play solidly, where he plays 6.Be2, the Positional Variation, where the white bishop on e2 can control the g4 square, with the intention of castleing short and thus have a calmer game. } 6... e5 { As you know, you will almost always respond with e5 to any of White's options, but not every time. } ( 6... e6 { In this case we would have again a position Scheveningen style. One of the main lines is } 7. O-O Nc6 8. Be3 Be7 9. f4 O-O 10. Qe1 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 b5 { with a complex position with chances for both sides. } ) 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O O-O { It is very important to develop first the kingside, because like this Black keeps the flexibility of the bishop on c8. Sometimes Black will place the bishop on e6, sometimes on b7. The kingside is usually the first thing to develop. [%csl Ge7,Gf6,Gf8,Gg8] } 9. Be3 { White can freely position his bishop on e3 without having to play f3 first, because the black knight cannot think of going to g4 because this square is highly controlled. [%csl Rg4,Be3][%cal Rf6g4,Gd1g4] } ( 9. f4 $6 { This move would be innacurate because Black would continue } 9... b5 { Followed by Bb7 and the pawn on e4 would be difficult to defend. White only plays f4 onces the bishop is on e6. } ) 9... Be6 ( 9... b5 $2 { This is the move Black would love to play but the problem is that White continues with } 10. a4 b4 11. Nd5 { White threatens Bb6 and Black cannot play } 11... Nxd5 { because after } 12. Qxd5 { Black would lose the rook. } ) 10. Qd3 { This is the modern way of playing. The idea is to protect the e4 square in order to be able to jump on the next move with the knight to d5. } ( 10. Qd2 { This is the classical approach, but Black has proved that it is possible to equalize playing } 10... Nbd7 11. a4 Nb6 $1 ( 11... Qc7 12. a5 $1 { Black has some difficulties to activate the d7 knight. } ) 12. a5 Nc4 13. Bxc4 Bxc4 14. Rfd1 Rc8 { and the position is balanced. } ) 10... Nbd7 11. Nd5 { White is planning to play c4 on the next move, so Black is forced to capture on d5. Another reason for White to place the queen on d3 is because the queen controls the f5 square, so Black cannot take on d5 with the knight and play Bf5 afterwards. The d5 square is very important in the Sicilian Najdorf.
By playing e5, the d5 square is weakened and the white knight may think about positioning himself on that square and, among other things, the queen cannot go to its standard c7 square. [%csl Bd5] } 11... Bxd5 { Now black loses the bishop pair but,
You can't let the annoying knight stay on d5! } 12. exd5 Ne8 { The last move 12.Ne8 may seem strange but it is very logical, the plan is to free the g5 square for the bishop on e7, which will be exchanged for the white bishop on e3 and thus get rid of White's bishop pair .
This is the most solid way to fight the Najdorf with the white pieces, as you can see, this variant is much calmer and more positional than the others. [%cal Ge7g5] } *