Sicilian: Löwenthal 5...a6 (Loewenthal)
Sicilian Defense: Löwenthal, 5…a6 (today more commonly called the Najdorf Variation)
Definition
The line arises after the moves 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6. Black’s fifth move …a6 prevents White’s knight or bishop from landing on b5, keeps the c5-square available for a future …Nc6, and prepares …e5 or …e6 together with the queenside expansion …b5. The system was fashionable in the mid-19th century thanks to the Hungarian-British master Johann (later “Adolf”) Löwenthal; in the 1940s it became the trademark weapon of the Polish-Argentinian grandmaster Miguel Najdorf, whose name has since eclipsed the original one in popular use.
Typical Move-Order and Branches
- 6. Bg5 – Fischer’s favorite; leads to rich, tactical play after lines such as 6…e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 Nbd7 or the sharp 6…e6 7.f4 h6 8.Bh4 g5.
- 6. Be3 – The English Attack; White castles queenside and storms the kingside with g2-g4-g5.
- 6. Be2 – Classical development aiming for solid central control; usually followed by 7.0-0.
- 6. f3 – The Anti-English Attack (sometimes called the Adams Attack); White supports g2-g4 without allowing …Ng4.
- 6. g3 – The Fianchetto System, keeping the structure flexible and avoiding the most analysed main lines.
Strategic Themes
- Queenside space for Black: …a6 and …b5 grab space, clamp down on c4 and prepare …Bb7 or …Bb4.
- Central tension: Black decides between the dynamic …e5 (seizing the centre but giving d5 to White) and the more flexible …e6 (Scheveningen structure).
- Opposite-side castling races: After 6.Bg5 or 6.Be3, White often castles long; Black keeps his king on g8, leading to mutual pawn storms.
- The d5-square: White strives to plant a knight on d5; Black counters with …Be6, …Nd7-f6 or timely …e6-e5.
Historical Significance
• 19th century: Löwenthal used the early …a6 idea against contemporaries such as
Paul Morphy (London 1858).
• 1940s–50s: Najdorf, influenced by his friend
Erich Eliskases,
analysed the variation deeply and scored many notable wins, including against elite USSR players.
• 1960s–70s: Bobby Fischer adopted 6.Bg5 as his main weapon, forcing Black specialists
(Najdorf, Geller, Polugaevsky) to develop modern defensive resources.
• Modern era: The line remains a cornerstone of elite repertoires—used by
Kasparov, Anand, Carlsen, and many others—because of its unbalanced positions and winning chances.
Illustrative Mini-game
[[Pgn| 1.e4|c5|2.Nf3|d6|3.d4|cxd4|4.Nxd4|Nf6|5.Nc3|a6|6.Bg5|e6|7.f4|Be7|8.Qf3|Qc7|9.0-0-0|Nbd7|10.g4|b5|11.Bxf6|Nxf6|12.g5|Nd7|13.f5|Ne5|14.Qg3|b4|15.Nce2|Bd7|16.Nf4|exf5|17.Nd5|Qd8|18.exf5|Bxg5+|19.Kb1|Bh4|| ]]The position after 19…Bh4 is razor-sharp: both kings are exposed, material is equal, and every move counts—illustrating the double-edged nature that attracts dynamic players.
Famous Games Featuring the Line
- Fischer – Spassky, Game 11, World Championship 1972 (Reykjavik): Fischer’s 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 revisited an idea he had played as a teenager to defeat the reigning champion in a model attacking game.
- Kasparov – Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999: Kasparov’s “Immortal” 62-move attacking masterpiece stemmed from a 6.Be3 e5 line and finished with the celebrated 24.Rxd4!! queen sacrifice.
- Anand – Carlsen, Candidates 2014: Demonstrated the modern trend of meeting 6.Bg5 with the ultra-solid 6…Nbd7 7.f4 Qc7 setup.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Before Najdorf’s rise, early books listed 5…a6 as “Löwenthal’s Variation,” while today the term “Loewenthal” is often used only in historical indexes, creating occasional confusion among students who encounter both names.
- Bobby Fischer jokingly called 5…a6 “a high-class waiting move” in a 1963 ChessLife article, emphasizing its flexibility.
- The move …a6 is so central that club players sometimes use a mnemonic: “Play …a6 and think later.” Grandmasters, of course, must think before playing it—timing is everything!
- The variation accounts for more games in modern databases than any other line of the Sicilian, making it statistically the most popular open game branch for Black against 1.e4.
Why Study the Löwenthal/ Najdorf?
• It offers winning chances for both sides—drawish simplifications are rare.
• The theory is immense, teaching you about pawn-storms, exchange sacrifices, and
the nuances of central tension.
• Mastering the line gives insight into many other Sicilian systems, because most ideas
(…e5 breaks, …g6 fianchetto, …Nc6 pressure, sacrifice on c3, etc.) appear here first.