Najdorf Variation, Yates Variation

The Yates Variation answers the Najdorf with 6. Bd3, a modest development of the king's bishop that sees far less play than 6. Be2 or 6. Bc4. Its drawbacks are structural. On d3 the bishop looks into the e4-pawn rather than along an open diagonal, and it cuts the queen off from the d-file, so White has one fewer piece guarding d5. That is the square Black usually has to worry about after ...e5. The bishop does support e4 and prepares quick kingside castling, but it puts no real pressure on Black.

Black has several good replies. The most common is 6...e5, which drives the d4-knight back and gains central space at a time when White is badly placed to exploit the d5 hole. 6...e6 leads to Scheveningen-style positions, and 6...g6 heads for a Dragon-type fianchetto. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced and favors 6...g6, 6...e5 and 6...Bd7. In Lichess games Black scores better than White, both overall and after each of the main replies.