B90 Sicilian, Najdorf, Byrne (English) attack

Stockfish vs Stockfish

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 Be7 9. Qd2 h5 10. Be2 Qc7 11. Nd5 Bxd5 12. exd5 Nbd7 13. Na5 e4 14. c4 O-O 15. O-O Ne5 16. Bd4 Rfe8 17. Rac1 Bd8 18. b4 Qd7 19. fxe4 Nxe4 20. Qc2 Nf6 21. Kh1 Rc8 22. Qb1 b6 23. Nc6 Nxc6 24. dxc6 Rxc6 25. Bf3 d5 26. cxd5 Rd6 27. Rcd1 Nxd5 28. Bc5 bxc5 29. bxc5 Nc3 30. Rxd6 Qxd6 31. cxd6 Nxb1 32. Rxb1 g6 33. g3 Re6 34. Rd1 Kg7 35. h4 f5 36. Rd2 Kf6 37. Rd3 Bb6 38. Kg2 Re3 39. Rd1 Rc3 40. Bd5 Rc2+ 41. Kh3 Rc3 42. Kh2 a5 43. Bb3 Re3 44. Bc4 Rc3 45. Bb3 1/2-1/2

Jonas Buhl Bjerre (2549) vs Tor Fredrik Kaasen (2394)
Event: Offerspill Nordic Inv
Site: Oslo NOR Date: 08/23/2020
Round: 3.2 Score: 1-0
ECO: B90 Sicilian, Najdorf
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3 Be6 9.Qd2 h5 10.Be2 Qc7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5 Bf5 13.c4 Bh4+ 14.g3 Be7 15.O-O Bh3 16.Rfd1 b6 17.c5 bxc5 18.Nxc5 dxc5 19.d6 Bxd6 20.Qxd6 Qxd6 21.Rxd6 Nd7 22.Rad1 Ke7 23.g4 Ra7 24.Kf2 hxg4 25.fxg4 f5 26.Bg5+ Nf6 27.Bc4 Rb8 28.Bxf6+ gxf6 29.Re6+ Kf8 30.Rxf6+ Ke8 31.Rxf5 Bxg4 32.Rxe5+ Kf8 33.Rg1 Rg7 34.Ke3 Bh3 35.Rxg7 Kxg7 36.b3 Rc8 37.Re7+ Kf6 38.Ra7 Kf5 39.Rxa6 Re8+ 40.Kd2 Ke4 41.Rh6 Bg4 42.h3 Bd7 43.Rh5 Rf8 44.a4 Rf2+ 45.Kc3 Rf3+ 46.Kb2 Bf5 47.a5 Kd4 48.a6 Be4 49.Rh4 Rf8 50.Bb5 Rf2+ 51.Ka3 c4 52.a7 cxb3 53.Rxe4+ Kd5 1-0
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?back=1&gid=4269318&m=21

Play the Sicilian: Najdorf #2 | Chess and Psychology – IM Dorsa Derakhshani

Seventh Move Novelty In The Najdorf

‘Back in the day’ I was known for playing The Najdorf. It was my main defense to the king pawn move because the opening was played by Bobby Fischer. With this in mind it will come as no surprise to learn I have been a fan of the Frenchman, MVL, aka Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, because he has been todaze leading exponent of The Najdorf. It was surprising to learn the “M” did not stand for “Miguel.”

For some time consideration has been given to imputing each opening move versus The Najdorf into the Stockfish program at lichess.com in order to learn how the program replies to each of the over two dozen different opening moves that have been attempted. ‘Back in the day’ it was de rigueur to reach the Najdorf by playing 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6. Stockfish differs when playing 3 Nc3, as can be seen below. The Stockfish program at lichess.com preferred 6 f3, so it was the first move put into the machine…

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. f3 e6 (The most often played move has been 6…e5, but the Fish prefers moving the pawn only one square) 7. a3

Position after 7 a3

According to 365Chess.com a dozen different seventh moves have been played here, none of which is the move produced by Stockfish! This makes the seventh move a theoretical novelty, which can only be described as amazing…

7…Nc6 8. Be3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Qd2 Bd6 12. O-O-O O-O 13. g4 Re8 14. Kb1 Qf6 15. g5 Qe5 16. Bf2 Qf4 17. Qxf4 Bxf4 18. h4 Be3 19. Re1 Nxd4 20. Rxe3 Rxe3 21. Bxe3 Nc6 22. Rh2 d4 23. Bf4 Bf5 24. b3 d3 25. cxd3 Nd4 26. Kb2 Be6 27. Rf2 Nxb3 28. Rc2 Nd4 29. Rc7 b5 30. h5 Bf5 31. Be3 Nxf3 32. h6 Rc8 33. Ra7 gxh6 34. gxh6 f6 35. Rxa6 Kf7 36. Ra7+ Ke6 37. d4 Kd5 38. Bxb5 Rc2+ 39. Kb3 Nxd4+ 40. Bxd4 Kxd4 41. a4 Rh2 42. Kb4 Rxh6 43. a5 Rh2 44. a6 Bc8 45. Rf7 Bxa6 46. Bxa6 Rb2+ 47. Ka3 Rb6 48. Bc8 h5 49. Ka4 Rc6 50. Bh3 Rc4+ 51. Kb5 Rc3 52. Bd7 Rf3 53. Kb6 f5 54. Rxf5 Rxf5 55. Bxf5 h4 and I called it a draw.