Learning the Najdorf (ep.3) - my very first time !
Submitted by
on Thu, 10/23/2008 at 1:40pm.
Well, you can't always study chess, so there comes a time you have to make the big plunge.
I decided to try and play the Najdorf in the 1st team match of my national league. the conditions were good, as our team was stronger and my opponent was 200 pts. lower rated.
Still, I was a bit worried to finish on the receiving end of a deadly attack in some unprepared Bc4 variation.
Luckily, I had the opportunity to play my secret weapon (see episode 1) against the 6.Bg5 variation, and things went very smoothly from here...
Besides the satisfaction of the victory itself, this game left me with a wonderful impression of harmony, as if every piece easily finds its place in the Najdorf scheme - quite a thrill ! 
Lessons from this game for me :
1) still have to work hard on my tactics, as I made a calculation mistake at the end, and took ages calculating everything
2) even in the midst of an attack, it's good to take the time to assess queen trades
3) king safety is key (see lines with 13.Nxc6)