chk wrote on 12/04/08 at 10:06:20:

I have been delving a bit into 6.Be2 e6 last years and I found the amount of theory quite intimidating.

The rest and especially the conclusion I agree with.

Re the ultimate advice we want to give to the original poster I disagree with you both, but since most of the things you say are correct let me explain myself with some concrete observations from my experience:

a) It seemed to me that the original poster wanted to avoid lots of theory & maintenance for reasons not given to us (e.g. lack of time to study? other heavily theoretical lines already in the repertoire? etc.). Otherwise, Lou_Cyber has a point indeed. So, Chessmoby please enlighten us on how strict you are on that.

b) From a Black's player point of view, 6. Bg5 is the most dangerous line to face (followed by either 6. Bc4 or 6. Be3 & f3). But White has to do most of the preparation (not Black!) as he has to face many heavily theoretical lines (PP, Classical, R.Rauzer-style, Polu, quick Nbd7) that also lead to positions that are difficult to assess as a human (hint: you'll frequently need to perform some computer analysis). All Black has to do is to book up in one particular response and he/she's almost certain to get it game after game. E.g. I use a decent sideline in the Classical variation (6. Bg5 e6) and my opponents often spend 30' on the clock just to play their first 5 moves after we enter this sideline.

c) Following a comment by Lou_Cyber that the player with the Black pieces apart from the theory to cope has to defend as well: Maybe true for the PP, but e.g. in the Classical lines against 6. Bg5, Black usually counterattacks (a la Dragon).

d) 6. Bg5 e6 could easily become an e5-type of position later on in the game, so a good positional feeling for these positions is still essential.

e) imo theory is not that huge after 6. Be2. You can play it for many years just knowing a couple of the main lines and all the thematic plans. It is mainly a positional struggle. On the contrary 6. Bg5 positions can become very counter-intuitive and you'll need to do some memorisation from day one. So I see a big difference here; but it's ultimately a decision based on taste or style.

f) And a last note: whatever you decide I recommend you follow the same plan against the Classical Sicilian (Nc6) due to the high possibility of transpositions (e.g. Be2 against both or Bc4 against both or Bg5 against both etc.).

chk  

I´ve tried almost every 6. move against the Najdorf in the past few years apart from Be3, as I was too afraid of the assessment of the lines. Imo black was very solid against most of these lines, and the surprise value of 6.Rg1 was only good for a few months, then I got problems.

One year ago I burnt some midnight oil, switched to 6.Bg5 7.f4 and am still happy with it. Why not keep your repertoire and beef up lines that give you trouble?

6.Bg5 has always been one of the main lines against the Najdorf, and not without reason. White has good attacking ideas in most lines. The major snag was the PP variation, as it seemed to lead to a forced draw, but there is trouble in paradise for the PP players since these e5-variations appeared.

It is true, it is a lot of work to maintain the repertoire - but be sure the bloke on the other side of the board has MUCH more theoretical work, and he has to defend. Standard theoretical advice is "Stick to the main lines and follow the masters" - you´re already there, so why move away?

If you really want to play THE best move, then you probably should play 6.Be3. Against 6...e6 I would recommend 7.g4, which is at least very dangerous for black. Of course this could transpose to the Keres attack, too, which is supposed to be the best against the scheveninger system. After 6...e5 7.Nb3 there is a lot of theory but black's life is not easy here. Just study theory and win
6...Ng4 is risky, you shouldnt fear this move. I remember Kasparov said he could beat everybody after Ng4 in no more then 20 moves

if you play 6.Be2 against the najdorf, you must pay special attention to squares d5/e4 and associated ...Rxc3 ideas, White often has to defend against this threat. On the other hand, once you get used to it, you will have an old-fashioned *real chess* game where computer analysis little matters. If you are after this kind of game it's a perfect opening choice, but think twice about playing like this against much stronger players, since they may easily outplay you in this kind of position without risking a preparation.

I would rather pick a move that is consistent with the rest of your repertoire (I suggest 6. Be2 followed by 7. Be3 with a classical approach a la Karpov in your case). In this way you can also easily deal with the various transpositions and cut down on the amount of theory as you say that you essentially mostly need to invest time learning sth against 6. ... e5.

6. Rg1 is certainly interesting however, it leads to a position that has a unique flavour (imo best plan for Black is to transfer all his pieces to the Q-side).

Moreover, imo 6. Be3 Ng5 leads to a position with chances for both sides, but again it is not your usual Sicilian.

6. ... e5 is equally good as 6. ... e6, it just don't provide the Black player with the same variety of positions. I myself play 6. ... e5 against 6. Be2 and do respect White's choice. The only problem I see with 6. Be2 is that it many times leaves both sides without a clear plan - and this was the reason I don't use it for the moment as part of my White repertoire. But if positional chess is your cup of tea imo it is the best choice.

Bad news: The Najdorf requires a lot of work (with each colour). 6.Be3. Bc4 and 6.Bg5 are certainly the most promising lines, but also the ones with most theory. Playing 6.Be2 is more positional but I think nowadays most Najdorf players are happy to face this move - you could try a repertoire in these lines based on a lot of Karpov games. 

I would say the strange 6.Rg1 (!) or 6.a4 followed by Bc4 and Ba2 is worth a try if you go for a surprice shot and dont want to invest too much time - but against strong opposition these moves certainly mean an instantly =.