I have decided to bury the dragon as black. I like the positions that arise from the Scheveningen and am going to spend some time on it. One book I have suggested transposing to this opening from the Najdorf to avoid the Keres Attack. It mentions that you can make this transition after 6. Be2 or 6. Be3. However, it seems that 6. Bg5 is a more popular response to the 5. …a6. My book doesn’t really mention the transposition after 6. Bg5, and I am wondering is 6. …e6 still sound? Or are there things to watch for?

I did go ahead and play the opening as black like this in online play:

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 a6
6. Bg5 e6

I was able to make quick work of my opponent, but because it could have been from inaccurate play I am hesitant to fully trust the line yet.

6...e6 is the main line, whether you're a Najdorf or Scheveningen player. It's probably the sharpest line in either system though, so you'll have to book it up. White will usually play 7 f4, and then black has a ton of choices.

I see that, thank you. I guess my attempt to avoid the Najdorf will be futile with the Scheveningen.

For a long time, 6.Bg5 was considered THE way to attack the Najdorf. There was a book on just the 6.Bg5 Najdorf over a decade ago. I don't think it's quite so popular anymore, but if you want to avoid theory, this is not the way to go.

From what I've noticed, it seems to be making a resurgence.

I think that's because Radjabov and Shirov have helped revive the 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Qb6 8 Qd2 Qxb2 9 Rb1 Qa3 10 e5 line as a valid way for White to press his initiative. Many of the other Poisoned Pawn lines are theoretically drawish, one side often deciding that a perpetual check is the best way out or returning some material into an equal ending. However, the drawish nature is nothing to worry about, unless you are playing someone with the knowledge of Kasparov!

8 Qd3 is also an interesting new move that hasn't quite made it all the way to the top level yet, but has been scoring well in some of the lower tier GM and IM games.

It has two interesting ideas:

1) Protects an f4-f5 advance.

2) A knight move would be a discovered attack on the black queen.

The one thing I don't like about Qd3 is my light squared bishop. I like placing my Bishop at c4 or b5 (usually a sacrifice; one notable example is Mikhail Tal vs Alexander Kazimirovich Tolush (1956), which was annotated very well by Kasparov in My Great Predecessors, vol 2), although the Bishop does go to e2 in some lines of the Qd2 poisoned pawn.