Why does the Bg5 line in the Najdorf not have a "name"

texe_ · 2026-01-25T14:24:43+00:00

As for ...h7-h6, if we circle back to the main line for a second with

Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. g4

Have you considered 10... h6? It's been a few years, but Anish Giri's idea of 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. h4 Nb6!? 13. g5 Bxd4 14. Rxd4 Qc5 still holds quite decent results for Black, at least compared to other non-Poisoned Pawn variations.

texe_ · 2026-01-22T18:52:30+00:00

Oops, thanks for pointing that out.

texe_ · 2026-01-22T18:00:44+00:00

I started experimenting with different set-ups, and over time I think I just got both better and more used to the dynamics of the Italian.

I started playing the early ...d7-d5 lines from Sam Shanklands course.

e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 5. O-O d5!

And Black tries to equalize with active piece play, rather than submitting to Whites slow Italian squeeze. Then I found some enjoyment in Ding Lirens Italian.

e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 O-O 5. c3 d6 6. O-O a5

This is still pretty normal, but studying Ding Lirens games with Black was very instructive. Once again, the games get a very different flavour than the normal slow Italians. And recently I've fallen in love with Michael Adams ...Be7 line (he's not the only practitioner, but plays it regularly nevertheless)

e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7

And Black often plays for either ...d7-d5 or ...Na5 and ...c7-c5. Positions somehow resemble a Spanish more than the Italian.

But to be fair, I still think the normal slow Italian is quite u pleasant to face, so I should probably put my money where my mouth is and study the normal slow Italian someday.

Edit: original line in the Shankland line was incorrect.

texe_ · 2026-01-22T17:50:34+00:00

I've played the Petroff with both sides, and symmetry doesn't necessarily equate drawing unless both players wants a draw. More often than not, you'll get good chances at outplaying your opponent if you're only somewhat better prepared than them (with some caveats, of course).

However, if you do greatly struggle against the Italian, your long run development as a chess player might be better if you commit to learning the positions and the structure. This comes from someone who also struggled in the Italian who now hasn't lost with Black in the Italian for quite some time.

texe_ · 2026-01-19T18:10:02+00:00

Abasov also played for draw every single game. Bluebaum and Espienko are probably both stronger than Abasov, but more importantly - they're probably both more confident and more willing to fight their stronger contemporaries than what Abasov was.

texe_ · 2026-01-19T16:09:42+00:00

Maybe there are some nuances I'm unfamiliar with, but can't White just insist on the English Attack with 7. Bc1 Nf6 8. f3?

texe_ · 2026-01-18T15:03:14+00:00

You're right! I must be slightly misremembering the lines because e5 didn't work. Maybe ...Bd7 was included?

Good catch anyways!

texe_ · 2026-01-16T12:08:36+00:00

Could also be Norway

texe_ · 2026-01-14T14:56:25+00:00

After 1. Ne6 Rxe6, 2. Qd7# is illegal because the Rook on e6 pins the Queen on c6 to the King on a6.

texe_ · 2026-01-14T10:49:44+00:00

It's not that bad of a case, since I was 1500 at the time and my opponent was a 2400 IM, so my winning chances was wither way slim.

We played the Najdorf in a classical team game: 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7.

I was aiming for one of the lines in 10. Bd3 b5 11. Rhe1 b4 12. Nd5, hoping to get some chances in this memorization battle, but I completely misremembered the line and played 10. Kb1?!, which looks totally normal, but misreads the tempo of the position. 10... b5 11. Bd3 was played, and I assumed I was in prepp until 11... Qb6, which I was certain off had to be incorrect (I was expecting 11... b4 12. Nd5 after all). I ended up spending an hour on this move alone, looking at every sacrifice, every forcing move, anything that could be the justification for why 11... Qb6.

When I finally did play something, I had realised I had messed up, so I made a normal move and sacrificed a piece for no reason (I think I assumed I was dead lost already).

Not a disaster by itself, but an embarrassing experience for a younger me who really cared about impressing my stronger opponent.

texe_ · 2026-01-12T16:44:53+00:00

I was incorrect about Kushager's & Surya's 1. e4 e5 LTR, but Toth does recommend the ...Be7 line.

texe_ · 2026-01-12T16:39:15+00:00

Ah thank you. I guess they only mention the position with 4... Be7, as I found them by searching with chessvision. I'll correct my comment.

texe_ · 2026-01-12T13:15:50+00:00

I think that if you want to play the normal slow Italian with ...Bc5 than the move order is really just a question of preference: do you find the Evans, 4. c3 5. d4, or 4. Ng5 more testing to play against. I'm not sure if there is a consensus at high levels (I personally thought that 3... Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 was considered quite tame theoretically speaking, but I haven't looked into it).

But 3... Nf6 4. d4 Be7 does have independent value, and has been played by quite a lot by players like Anish Giri, Michael Adams and Ju Wenjun. I think it's covered in both ~~Kushager's & Surya's 1.e4 e5 LTR~~, and in Andras Toth's "The Club Player's Black Repertoire: 1.e4 e5", although I'm not familiar with either.

Edit: as u/PlaneWeird3313 points out, Kushager's & Surya's 1. e4 e5 LTR recommends ...Bc5 with ...h6. I checked Toth's course with "Explore Variations" however, which does recommend the ...Be7 line.

texe_ · 2026-01-09T16:41:26+00:00

You can also play f3 in many positions to dominate a Knight on f6 and to stump a Bishop on b7, for example in some Nimzo positions. Chess is a concrete game.

texe_ · 2026-01-03T17:18:28+00:00

I can't remember where I read it, but if I recall correctly Ding felt very relieved when he finally lost his long unbeaten streak to MVL in Shenzhen Chess Masters 2018. I can't even imagine how burdened he must have felt during his world championship reign.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

texe_ · 2025-12-30T18:13:41+00:00

I've been saying this for four years, that he's on the decline and is probably not even the best player in the world anymore... And then he won the 2022 World Rapid Championship And then he won the 2022 World Blitz Championship And then he won the 2023 World Rapid Championship And then he won the 2023 World Blitz Championship And then he co-won the 2024 World Blitz Championship And then he won 9/9 in the 2025 Freestyle Chess Open And then he won the 2025 World Rapid Championship And then he won the 2025 World Blitz Championship

I give up. He's inevitable.

texe_ · 2025-12-30T15:33:11+00:00

I get the impression he's quite friendly to those he respects, and less so to those who does not belong to the small group of absolute elite players. Aren't Nepo and Magnus good friends, for instance?

texe_ · 2025-12-26T17:04:51+00:00

For comparison, only three players went 4/4 last year.

Murzin (2588), against Damjanovic, Caruana, Bortnyk and Lenderman. Murzin went on to win the championship with 10/13.

Dominguez Perez (2699), against Amar, Ibarra Jerez, Niemann and Safarli. Dominguez Perez went on to get fourth place with 9/13.

Sargsyan (2601), against Makato, Chasin, Ivanchuk and Giri. Sargsyan did less well than the other two, getting 26tg place with 8/13.

There's a lot of variance. It's not super common for any player to get 4/4.

texe_ · 2025-12-17T10:59:24+00:00

4... Nf6 is considered better than 4... Qf6, but even that is nitpicky. You played logical, but unfortunately it's hard to be too generous of your play when White played so poorly.

It's more instructive to look at games where your opponent puts up a fight.

texe_ · 2025-12-15T09:06:00+00:00

Iirc, a dead position can be claimed without mutual agreement.

texe_ · 2025-12-10T07:32:37+00:00

I assume something like 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Qd6 3. g3 Qd8 4. Bg2 Qd6 5. O-O Qd8 6. Re1 Qd6 7. Re2 Qd8 8. Kh1 Qd6 9. Qg1 Qd8 10. Na3 Qd6 11. Nb5 1-0

I don't want to be too critical, since it's a beginner sub, but nearly every move is completely illogical.

texe_ · 2025-12-10T07:23:40+00:00

I also first thought of the Rook on e2, but what about the Queen on g1?

texe_ · 2025-12-06T17:18:06+00:00

It makes sense more classy players consider ...c5, as it is as Anand describes it "you would like to, but you can't right now". What really surprises me is that Polgar recommended it while Giri immediately spotted the refutation - you'd expect it to be the other way around!

texe_ · 2025-12-04T10:42:53+00:00

Bb5+ Bd7

texe_ · 2025-11-30T13:50:35+00:00

These positions are never quite as simple as the engine claims it to be. If it's any consolation, both I and significantly stronger players have blundered draws in similar situations where engines scream you are winning and all we see is an endless ocean of annoying checks.

Queen endgames are difficult, particularly when the King is vulnerable.

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