Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Goteborg Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 h6 9. Bh4 g5
The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Goteborg Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B98, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 h6 9. Bh4 g5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 13 times by this move order. White won 38%, 0% were drawn and Black won 62%. The most popular continuation is 10. fxg5 (92% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.53 (Stockfish, depth 32; best line 10. fxg5 hxg5 11. Bxg5 Nbd7 12. O-O-O Ne5)
- ECO
- B98
- Moves
- 18 plies
- FEN
rnbqk2r/1p2bp2/p2ppn1p/6p1/3NPP1B/2N2Q2/PPP3PP/R3KB1R w KQkq - 0 10- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 h6 9. Bh4 g5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 2 | |
| 2000+ | 11 | |
| All | 13 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 10. fxg5 | 12 (92%) | |
| 10. Bf2 | 1 (8%) |
Master games
107 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 21%, Black 34%). The strongest:
- rofChade 3.0 (3486) – Ethereal 13.89_NNUE (3515) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- Ethereal 13.89_NNUE (3515) – rofChade 3.0 (3486) 1-0 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- SlowChess Blitz 2.9 avx2 (3418) – Ethereal 14.24 (3535) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
- Ethereal 14.24 (3535) – SlowChess Blitz 2.9 avx2 (3418) 1-0 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
- GM Sergei Azarov (2627) – IM Daniel Eduardo Pulvett Marin (2385) 1-0 · 29th Open · 2013-02-23
Highest-rated Lichess games
- igor_karban (2346) – CM Waseem_akram (2467) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- GodInTheEndgame (2351) – AHMEDELNEMS (2338) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
- Iqaluit (2336) – Calapenos (2333) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (7. f4 Be7) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
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.