TonyRo wrote on 06/15/09 at 01:08:57:

True, and it wouldn't make much sense financially as the DE book has earned 4 times as much as the Najdorf book! 

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I've only just noticed this - isn't 15...Bxd5 16 exd5 e5 a rather obvious improvement here?
No doubt Black can improve earlier too.

Looking at the Naiditsch-Vachier Lagrave game in the June Open Sicilians update, where White (ELO 2700) plays 8 Qd3 and gets crushed, I couldn't resist digging up this old thread!
Maxime, who is himself around the 2700 mark, even thought it was a dubious move!
7...Nc6 seems to be in very good shape at the moment, even White's better lines don't seem to give any advantage! Maybe it is time to update Easy Guide to the Najdorf!!

What '7...Nc6 project'? ???
10 Nb3 is hardly scary for Black - normally he has to expend a tempo to force this knight from the centre! With the queen on d2 instead of d3 10...b5 is normally played here, 11 Bxf6 gxf6 with a typical Rauzer position that offers White an edge, but no more than many other lines. Indeed, the most popular move here (with the queen on d2) is now 12 f5, but with the queen on d3 this is asking for ...Ne5, and as 12 Bd3 is clearly impossible, too, the queen on d3 only seems to offer disadvantages.
Anyway, I suggested at least 4 playable variations for Black in my annotations, and you haven't published the promised refutation of any of them as yet! If 7...Nc6 is so bad, why is it so difficult to demonstrate any real advantage?!

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6.Nbd7 is bad for black. it is not played any more and is talked about in Kasparovs Najdorf DVD. The attacks are to easy to play for white. so e6 is what i recomend. if any one wants the moves jsut respond id be happy to fire up my dvd player and type em in. 

e6 is a great move and the best in the posistion. Nc6 changes the character of the game completly. Like Alumbrado said its a Rauzer. either way they are very similar in character.

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Analyzing the game posted by Kosten there:

"1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 
e6 7. f4 Nc6 8. Qd3 Bd7 9. O-O-O Be7 10. Be2 Qc7 11. Bf3 
Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Bc6 13. e5!?  Bxf3 14. gxf3 dxe5 15. fxe5 Bc5 16. Qa4+ Nd7 is nothing for White" according to Kosten.

The move 13. e5!? is given as a variation. However, Kosten misses a simple tactical move in this variation. Let´s see:

Kosten misses a simple tactical shot here. 14. gxf3? is a mistake, since Black is giving two pieces for a rook:
14. exf6! Bxd1 15. fxe7 Bh5 16. Qxg7 Kd7 17. Ne4 and white are better here. Would you hold the Black position?

Next weekend, I will continue providing new remarks about the Kosten´s Proposal.

Then, Black has more problems that what Kosten can see. Let's see the result of this debate.

Regards, Arturo Ochoa M.

I think 8 Qd2 is actually mistake, what do you propose after 8...h6, isn't 9 Bxf6 forced?
I am annotating a game with 8 Qd3 for the next update, Black just develops normally, and wins easily!
There are only two critical lines aginst 7...Nc6: 8 e5 and 8 Nxc6

"dubious Nc6?! line and the big busts that are possible to just completely crush black." - what big busts, I don't know of any?
"richter rauzer with black 1 tempo down because of playing a dubious a6" I always play the Richter-Rauzer with the 'dubious' ...a6! (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8.O-O-O h6 is probably Black's most popular line!)
"They *did* consider it as a good bust of the 7..Nc6 in the najdorf 6.Bg5" - in my database White scores 18% after 8...Bd7 9 0-0-0 so Black scores pretty well with a 'busted' position!
How about trying some less colourful expressions?