Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation, Ilundain Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
401,036 games: White 47.3% / Draw 6.3% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 149,057149K | ||
| 60,00560K | ||
| 48,54449K | ||
| 39,68440K | ||
| 31,60132K | ||
| 29,34229K | ||
| 26,21326K | ||
| 9,5759,575 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.90 White is better
Best play: 6. Bc4 b5 7. Bd3 g6 8. Ne4 Bg7 9. Nxf6+ exf6 10. a4 b4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 45% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 46K | |
| 1400–1799 | 171K | |
| 1800–2199 | 252K | |
| 2200 and up | 37K | |
| Masters, over the board | 121 |
Master games
- Leko, P. – Adams, M.
- Lutz, C. – Adams, M.
- Shirov, A. – Dizdarevic, E.
- Petr, M. – Laznicka, V.
- Guseinov, G. – Usmanov, V.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation, Ilundain Variation (ECO B01, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation, reached after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 (5 moves).
In 401,036 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.3%, Black 46.4% and 6.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bc4, in 37% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation, Ilundain Variation
The most played answer, 6. Bc4, also scores best for White: 51.8%, with White winning 48.8% and Black 45.2% of 149K games. Of the main answers, 6. Be2 scores lowest: 48.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Bc4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation, Ilundain Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.017% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.011%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.011% | 3,994 |
| 2017 | 0.012% | 6,428 |
| 2018 | 0.012% | 9,608 |
| 2019 | 0.013% | 16,316 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 42,561 |
| 2021 | 0.015% | 57,638 |
| 2022 | 0.016% | 61,020 |
| 2023 | 0.016% | 61,945 |
| 2024 | 0.016% | 58,518 |
| 2025 | 0.017% | 57,693 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.017% | 19,118 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation, Ilundain Variation (B01)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-valencian-variation-ilundain-variation