Theoria
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Sicilian Defense

Najdorf Variation, Poisoned Pawn Accepted

B97tacticalgambitaggressive

  1. 1.e4c5
  2. 2.Nf3d6
  3. 3.d4cxd4
  4. 4.Nxd4Nf6
  5. 5.Nc3a6
  6. 6.Bg5e6
  7. 7.f4Qb6
  8. 8.Qd2Qxb2
  9. 9.Rb1Qa3
574 games44%15%41%

Najdorf line where Black keeps the b2-pawn with 9...Qa3 and faces White's lead in development; one of the most deeply analyzed Sicilian lines.

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About the Poisoned Pawn Accepted

After 8...Qxb2 9. Rb1 the queen's only retreat is 9...Qa3, leaving Black a pawn up but behind in development, with the queen far from the kingside. White chooses between 10. f5, the most popular, which strikes at e6; the central thrust 10. e5; and 10. Bxf6. Fischer took the pawn twice against Spassky in their 1972 World Championship match. The line is exhaustively analyzed, and the engine rates it as balanced.

Popular continuations