The Najdorf Poisoned Pawn: Then and Now – GM Bryan Smith

A pawn is said to be poisoned because its capture can result in a positional disadvantage and or the loss of material. The best known of these is a line of the Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation. One of the pioneers of this line was David Bronstein, who tied the 1951World Championship match against Mikhail Botvinnik 12–12. Bobby Fischer later became a practitioner, playing it with great success. Recently revived GM Bryan Smith shows you how it was historically used, and how our modern top-class players such Anand are using it.

Content: 126 minutes of instruction and analysis in a series of 3 lectures. PGN Included.

Recommended for: Intermediate-Advanced Players.

Users rated this series: 3.62 out of 5

Chess Fans have said: Bryan: These two lectures on the Poison-Pawn you did are fantastic! Can you please do at least one more poison-pawn lecture to update where this opening stands today?

GM Bryan Smith grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and currently splits his time between Novi Sad, Serbia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some of his accomplishments include first place in the 2008 National Chess Congress, 2009 National Chess Congress, 2010 Philadelphia International, and 2011 Limpedea Cup. He was on the national champion UMBC chess team from 1999 to 2001 and became a GM in 2013. Bryan is the first-ever Grandmaster from Alaska!

Outline

• Then and Now: Part I
  Sicilian Defense: Najdorf, Poisoned Pawn Accepted
  Mikhail Tal vs. Alexander Kazimirovich Tolush
  Run Time: 00:38:39
• Then and Now: Part II
  Sicilian Defense: Najdorf, Poisoned Pawn Accepted
  Viswanathan Anand vs. Loek  Van Wely
  Run Time: 00:35:56
• A New Line in the Poisoned Pawn Najdorf
  Sicilian Defense: Najdorf, Poisoned Pawn Variation
  Run Time: 00:51:27