Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
2,779,103 games: White 48.9% / Draw 6.8% / Black 44.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,922,6771.9M | ||
| 695,993696K | ||
| 41,70542K | ||
| 37,04037K | ||
| 29,87430K | ||
| 14,74715K | ||
| 10,45310K | ||
| 8,8458,845 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 7, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 e5 6. Nf3 exd4 7. Qxd4 Nf6 8. Nc3 Qe6+
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 50% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up and 49% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 53K | |
| 1400–1799 | 600K | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.8M | |
| 2200 and up | 529K | |
| Masters, over the board | 12K |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Giri, A.
- Carlsen, M. – Erigaisi, A.
- Carlsen, M. – Gukesh, D.
- Carlsen, M. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense (ECO B22, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 (3 moves).
In 2,779,103 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.9%, Black 44.4% and 6.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. d4, in 69% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Central Exchange and Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Modern Line. In all, 4 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense
The most played answer, 4. d4, also scores best for White: 53.6%, with White winning 50.0% and Black 42.9% of 1.9M games. Of the main answers, 4. Nf3 scores lowest: 50.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. d4.
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 Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense has gained ground since 2016: 0.13% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.088%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.088% | 31,599 |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 56,153 |
| 2018 | 0.11% | 85,265 |
| 2019 | 0.097% | 120,680 |
| 2020 | 0.095% | 279,473 |
| 2021 | 0.09% | 351,273 |
| 2022 | 0.095% | 355,911 |
| 2023 | 0.11% | 419,354 |
| 2024 | 0.12% | 430,626 |
| 2025 | 0.13% | 444,871 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.14% | 148,953 |
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
Variations (3)
All 4 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense (B22)”. Lichess data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-alapin-variation-barmen-defense