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Sicilian Defense

Najdorf Variation, Polugaevsky Variation, Simagin Line

B96tacticalaggressiveoffbeat

  1. 1.e4c5
  2. 2.Nf3d6
  3. 3.d4cxd4
  4. 4.Nxd4Nf6
  5. 5.Nc3a6
  6. 6.Bg5e6
  7. 7.f4b5
  8. 8.e5dxe5
  9. 9.fxe5Qc7
  10. 10.Qe2
32 games44%50%

A sharp Najdorf Polugaevsky sideline in which White plays 10. Qe2, keeping the e5-pawn's threat alive while defusing Black's ...Qe5+ resource.

Train it in Theoria

About the Simagin Line

Instead of taking at once with 10. exf6, White plays 10. Qe2, putting the queen on the e-file. A later exf6 then no longer allows Black to recover the piece with ...Qe5+ check. The f6-knight remains attacked, and Black almost always answers 10...Nfd7, which is also the engine's first choice, while 10...b4 is a rare alternative. The engine gives White a slight edge, and the line is seldom played.

Popular continuations