Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Central Exchange
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Statistics from Lichess
893,865 games: White 59.5% / Draw 5.1% / Black 35.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 454,723455K | ||
| 366,690367K | ||
| 65,19365K | ||
| 4,1664,166 | ||
| 980980 | ||
| 621621 | ||
| 251251 | ||
| 225225 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. Be2 e6 8. O-O Nf6 9. Nc3 Qa5 10. h3 Bh5 11. Qb3 Qb4
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 39% under 1400, 40% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 22K | |
| 1400–1799 | 240K | |
| 1800–2199 | 617K | |
| 2200 and up | 98K | |
| Masters, over the board | 116 |
Master games
- Stevic, H. – Topalov, V.
- Vajda, L. – Panjwani, R.
- Topalovic, Z. – Koziak, V.
- Marciano, D. – Frois, A.
- Karpatchev, A. – Bujisho, B.
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
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Central Exchange (ECO B22, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 (6 moves).
In 893,865 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 59.5%, Black 35.5% and 5.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Be2, in 51% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Endgame Variation.
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, Central Exchange
The most played answer, 7. Be2, also scores best for White: 63.2%, with White winning 60.5% and Black 34.2% of 455K games. Of the main answers, 7. Be3 scores lowest: 50.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Be2.
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, Central Exchange has gained ground since 2016: 0.041% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.022%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.022% | 8,007 |
| 2017 | 0.027% | 15,129 |
| 2018 | 0.03% | 23,346 |
| 2019 | 0.03% | 37,615 |
| 2020 | 0.029% | 85,145 |
| 2021 | 0.029% | 114,433 |
| 2022 | 0.033% | 123,198 |
| 2023 | 0.037% | 139,139 |
| 2024 | 0.039% | 140,140 |
| 2025 | 0.041% | 143,820 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.044% | 47,808 |
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Central Exchange (B22)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-alapin-variation-barmen-defense-central-exchange