Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. Nf3/2...d6/3. d4/3...cxd4/4. Nxd4/4...Nf6/5. Nc3/5...a6/6. Be3/6...e5/7. Nb3

English attack English attack 7. Nb3 White saves their knight. Black now needs to develop their pieces. They usually begin 7...Be6, which increases their control of the d5 square, a potential outpost for White, while eyeing White's queenside (where Black anticipates White may castle). White continues 8. f3, preventing ...Ng4 and preparing to attack on the kingside with a brute-force pawn storm and long castling. This might take the form 8...Be7 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O Nbd7 11. g4. If Black obstructs those plans, as with 8...h5 to prevent g4, White switches tack to prioritise the skirmish for d5 and fight in the centre instead. 7...Be7 is another move-order, and is good as long as Black intends to follow up with ...Be6. The knight is developed later, after the queen's bishop is developed and ...Nbd7 won't block it in. (...Nc6 is contraindicated: as Black may want use of the half-open c-file and the knight may need to route to b6 to control d5 and c4). Theory table 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 7 8 9 10 English Attack Be6 f3Be7 Qd2O-O O-O-ONbd7 = References Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation de Firmian, Nick. Modern Chess Openings, 15th Edition. New York, NY: Random House, 2008. fi:Shakkiaapinen/Peli/1. e4/1...c5/2. Rf3/2...d6/3. d4/3...cxd4/4. Rxd4/4...Rf6/5. Rc3/5...a6/6. Le3