Scheveningen Variation

Black's pawns on d6 and e6 form a compact small center that covers d5 and e5 and keeps both ...d5 and ...e5 in reserve as later breaks. The cost is time spent on pawn moves, so White typically aims for a kingside initiative before Black completes development. The name comes from the 1923 tournament at Scheveningen, where Euwe used it against Maróczy, and Kasparov was among its leading advocates. The structure is reached by many move orders, including the Najdorf with 5...a6 followed by ...e6.

The Keres Attack, 6. g4, is regarded as White's most dangerous try. Because ...e6 has shut the c8-bishop off from g4, White can push g4-g5 to dislodge the f6-knight; Black usually answers 6...h6, and 7. h4 is the main reply. The Classical Variation, 6. Be2, favored by Karpov, leads to slower buildups with castling, f4 and a kingside attack against Black's c-file play. The English Attack with Be3, f3, Qd2 and O-O-O usually arises via the Najdorf order, which many players adopt to sidestep the Keres. On Lichess, 6. Bc4, the Sozin, is the most common reply. The engine gives White a slight edge.