Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack (5… a6 6. Be3)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 87654321abcdefgh

The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO B90, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 8 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 5,417 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 6… e5 (54% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.25 (Stockfish, depth 65; best line 6… e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. f3)

ECO
B90
Moves
11 plies
FEN
rnbqkb1r/1p2pppp/p2p1n2/8/3NP3/2N1B3/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 1 6
PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average ratingGamesWhite / draw / Black
0-149922647%50%
1500-19992,89548%48%
2000+2,29649%45%
All5,41748%47%

Most played moves

MoveGamesWhite / draw / Black
6… e52,938 (54%)47%48%
6… e61,215 (22%)48%48%
6… Ng4
Najdorf Variation, English Attack, Anti-English		341 (6%)46%49%
6… g6261 (5%)54%41%
6… b5238 (4%)49%48%
6… Nc6205 (4%)54%41%
6… Nbd785 (2%)59%39%
6… Qc781 (1%)52%43%

Master games

7,375 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 23%, Black 38%). The strongest:

Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

Comes from

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (5. Nc3 a6) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6

Continuations

More Sicilian Defense lines (all)

Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.