Miniatures in the Sicilian Najdorf

Spice up your chess opening repertoire and sharpen your chess tactics "An opening book based only on miniatures? Perhaps it sounds odd at first, but it works well in the sharp Najdorf. As usual Carsten's theoretical coverage is thorough, and the books are not repertoire based but give a full examination of these topical openings. Is it limiting only to show miniatures? Maybe, but one somehow get the purified version of a successful strategy, when the games are not complex battles, but a slam-dunk!" - Grandmaster Peter Heine Nielsen, Coach & Second to World Champion Magnus Carlsen

The Najdorf Sicilian arises after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6. The Najdorf has been and continues to be a tremendously popular opening at all levels. It is sharp, unbalanced, with many theory-laden lines - and fun. The main lines after 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 are steeped in theory, making them tricky to play, especially for players with limited time to study.
This book will entertain you. Exactly 100 main games all of which are 25 moves or less is the foundation. In addition to the main games, you will find numerous miniatures and part games included in the notes, along with many other complete games. The main games are all between players of least a rating of 2350, except when somebody strong falls victim to a sharp lower-rated opponent.

You will encounter numerous tactical puzzles along the way, along with tests to reason your way to the right move, spotting combinations as well as studying the theory associated with these lines. While the theoretical coverage may not necessarily be as deep as in opening monographs or repertoire books, there's usually more than enough to give you a good understanding of the particular line, making it easier for you to incorporate it into your opening repertoire. We have also tried to include some key alternatives with analysis to give you an idea of other possibilities for both sides.