[Event "The Sicilian Najdorf: The English Attack 6.Be3"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/JM9AjCVp/3NSUlhzV"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/LeninPerez"]
[ECO "B90"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.11.08"]
[UTCTime "15:51:41"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Let's see the most popular variation today: } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 { We arrived at the Sicilian Najdorf!
As you know, white has many options to play now... } 6. Be3 { The English Attack. One of the most popular variations nowadays. This variation got its name thanks to the effort of the leading English Grand Masters on the 90s, but this variation became very popular in Spain as well, thanks to the Grand Masters Jesús de la Villa and Jordi Magem. This line was tought to me by my coach Marcial García Carbó, one of my coaches during my childhood. The idea of 6.Be3 is to be one move closer to the long castle without defining the pawn play on the kingside. White sometimes plays f3, sometimes f4, sometimes g4 supported by either Be2 or f3...there are many options! It is a powerful weapon against the Sicilian Najdorf and involves castling on opposite flanks and pawn attacks on both sides of the board.
White will think of castling on the queenside to attack on the kingside with his pawns. } 6... e5 { This is considered to be the main line, disturbing knight's comfortable central position. You should know that e5 is a very common move in the Sicilian Najdorf. } ( 6... Ng4 { This is one of the main lines, attacking the bishop as soon as possible. The game normally goes on with } 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 { the position is double edged and both sides have options. } ) ( 6... e6 { This is the Scheveningen variation in the Najdorf, Kasparov's and Topalov's favourite weapon against. The positions are extremely complicated. Normally, White attacks on the kingside while Black attacks on the queenside. One possible variation could be } 7. f3 b5 8. g4 b4 9. Nce2 h6 { A theoretical position with many games. } ) 7. Nb3 { This is the standard withdrawal of the knight. } ( 7. Nf3 { This is a more positional line which I've played a lot with both colours. The idea is to castle short and try to get the control of the d5 square. } 7... Be7 8. Bc4 O-O 9. O-O Be6 10. Bb3 Qc7 { with a balanced position. } ) 7... Be6 { The bishop from here controls the d5 square which was weakened when Black played e5. } 8. f3 { One of the key ideas in the English Attack. White is planning to play g4. This move has two fundamental ideas:
a) Attack on the kingside
b) Play g5, so the knight on f6 cannot control the d5 square. The f3 move is necessary to keep the black knight away from the g4 square, preventing the knight from being exchanged for the bishop, which is unfavorable for White. [%cal Gg2g4,Rf6g4,Rf3g4] } 8... Be7 { Black is trying to accelerate the development on the kingside as fast as possible. } ( 8... h5 { This is the new trend nowadays. Black's idea is to avoid g4, so the knight on f6 can control the d5 square comfortably. } 9. Nd5 Bxd5 10. exd5 Nbd7 { This is the main position played among the elite. White has the pair of bishops, but the position is kind a closed, which allows Black to get a good blockade on the dark squares. The game just started! } ) 9. Qd2 { White plans to queen side castling and then advance the kingside pawns to expose the black king. [%csl Gc1][%cal Gg2g4,Gh2h4,Gg4g5,Ge1c1] } ( 9. g4 $2 { This is a common mistake. Black has a tactical/positional trick. } 9... d5 10. g5 d4 $1 { The key move for Black and afterr } 11. gxf6 Bxf6 $1 { The bishop on f6 helps to defend the d4 pawn. Black gets back the sacrificed piece and gets the advantage thanks to a better pawn structure. } ) 9... O-O 10. O-O-O { Both kings castle on opposite side, which indicates that we will see attacks from both side.
White can now create an avalanche of pawns on the kingside with g2-g4 followed by g5, and Black will attack on the queenside with b5 followed by b6. [%cal Gg2g4,Gg4g5,Gb7b5,Gb5b4] } ( 10. g4 $2 d5 $1 { White falls once again under the same trap commented earlier. } 11. g5 d4 12. gxf6 Bxf6 { and Black has the advantage. } ) 10... Nbd7 11. g4 $1 { The key moment to play g4, just when Black cannot play the liberating move d5. } 11... b5 { Black continues the offensive on the queenside. Of course, Black is not planning to wait! Otherwise, the initiative would be taken by White. } 12. g5 ( 12. a3 { This move, taking under control the pawns on the queenside is a more positional line, but is considered that after } 12... Nb6 { Black is doing fine. } ) 12... b4 { Black is not planning to give the control of the d5 square so easily. We achieve a very theoretical line with many options for White: 13 Ne2, 13.Na4, 13.gxf6...In all these case, both chances have options and the position is considerd to be equal. This is a very sharp double-edged position, where both knowledge of theory, precise calculation and intuition play a large role in the outcome of the game. } *