Sicilian Najdorf: Poisoned Pawn Variation
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 · B97
Part of Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation
Starting positionWhite to move
0 / 18
A queen expedition costs developing tempi
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The idea
Black grabs the b2 pawn with the queen and wanders around the white position for several moves while White builds a huge attack — the sharpest line in modern chess.
Main line: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3
What White wants
- Ignore the material and attack with f5, e5 and Bd3 as fast as possible
- Keep the king safe in the centre for now — long castling is dangerous
- Trade queens if Black ever offers, then win the endgame with the centre
What Black wants
- Keep the queen alive and escape after grabbing the pawn
- Trade pieces on the kingside to blunt the attack
- Return the pawn at the right moment to reach a defensible endgame
Key idea
Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.
A queen expedition costs developing tempi
Black uses ...Qb6, ...Qxb2 and ...Qa3 to win a pawn, while White develops threats with Qd2 and Rb1. Those three queen moves create a balance between material and activity. White must keep developing; Black must escape the attack without falling behind indefinitely.
Common mistake
Chasing the queen without developing the remaining pieces. White needs concrete threats from f5 or e5 as well as piece coordination; repeated queen attacks can run out of useful targets while Black consolidates the extra pawn.
Mistake example: Nc6.
Representative position
The position this opening is aiming at. Copy the FEN, or open it in the analysis board and let the engine tell you what it is worth.
rnb1kb1r/1p3ppp/p2ppn2/6B1/3NPP2/q1N5/P1PQ2PP/1R2KB1R w Kkq - 2 10
Analyze this position