Miguel Najdorf: 'The Old Man' and chess's most famous defense

Behind the most played opening in modern chess is a man whose life was like a novel: Miguel Najdorf. Polish by birth, Argentine by adoption, Holocaust survivor and tireless showman of the board, “El Viejo” Najdorf gave his name to the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian and became the greatest legend of Ibero-American chess.

Who was Najdorf

He was born on 15 April 1910 in Warsaw, into a Jewish family. He trained as a chess player in the strong Polish school of the interwar period and, by the late 1930s, was already one of the best players in Europe.

His life changed forever in 1939. Najdorf was in Buenos Aires representing Poland at the Chess Olympiad when the Second World War broke out. He decided not to return to Europe. It was a decision that saved his life: his wife, daughter, parents and siblings died in the Holocaust. Najdorf rebuilt his existence from scratch in Argentina, the country that took him in and that he would represent for the rest of his life.

The feat of 45 blindfold games

In 1947, in São Paulo, Najdorf carried out one of the most astonishing feats in chess history: he played 45 simultaneous blindfold games, without seeing any board, breaking the world record.

Behind the sporting feat lay a moving story. Najdorf confessed that one of his motivations was for the news to reach Europe, hoping that some surviving relative would recognize him and get in touch. No one answered: his entire family had disappeared in the Holocaust. The feat concealed an intimate tragedy of loss and hope.

The defense that bears his name

On the board, Najdorf was one of the best in the world between the 40s and 50s, competing in the Candidates Tournaments of Budapest (1950) and legendary Zurich (1953). But his greatest legacy is the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defense, which he popularized and which bears his name.

That opening — which begins with the modest 5…a6 — became the favorite weapon of world champions like Fischer and Kasparov, and is today probably the most analyzed and played line in chess history. Najdorf was also a successful businessman and a charismatic character, an ambassador for chess wherever he went.

He died on 4 July 1997 in Málaga, Spain, as one of the most beloved figures in the game.

His chess DNA

In our chess DNA system, Najdorf represents the energetic, charismatic fighter profile: aggression, sharp tactics and a contagious competitive vitality. If your GM twin is Najdorf, your strength lies in dynamic, combative play, in sharp openings where initiative is everything; your character is that of a player who enjoys every game like an adventure.

Keep exploring

• Bobby Fischer, who made the Najdorf his main weapon
• The Sicilian Defense, home to his famous variation
• All players