B22

Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Modern Line

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Statistics from Lichess

296,729 games: White 49.2% / Draw 7.4% / Black 43.4%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next move	Games	White / Draw / BlackW / D / B
	233,916234K
	23,70724K
	16,67517K
	6,0256,025
	5,6375,637
	3,8083,808
	2,8662,866
	2,5402,540

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: 6. dxc5 Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1 Nc6 8. Be3 Nd5 9. Bc4 Nxe3+ 10. fxe3 a5

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

By rating

Players	Games	White / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400	1,649
1400–1799	32K
1800–2199	194K
2200 and up	77K
Masters, over the board	2,429

Master games

Kramnik, V. – Kasparov, G. ½–½, 1994
Zhigalko, S. – Topalov, V. ½–½, 2015
Ljubojevic, L. – Kasparov, G. ½–½, 1994
Lautier, J. – Topalov, V. 0–1, 1998
Shimanov, A. – Nepomniachtchi, I. 0–1, 2022

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, Modern Line (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 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4 (5 moves).

In 296,729 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.2%, Black 43.4% and 7.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Be2, in 79% of those games.

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Description

How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Modern Line

6. Nbd2 scores best for White: 59.4%, with White winning 56.3% and Black 37.5% of 17K games. The most played answer, 6. Be2, scores lowest: 52.2% in 234K games. Stockfish's first choice is 6. dxc5.

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, Modern Line dipped to 0.0099% of Lichess games in 2022 and has recovered since: 0.012% in 2025.

0.011%0.012%0.014%

Numbers by year

Year	Share of games	Games
2016	0.011%	3,756
2017	0.013%	7,194
2018	0.014%	10,734
2019	0.012%	15,236
2020	0.012%	33,931
2021	0.01%	38,970
2022	0.0099%	37,342
2023	0.011%	42,506
2024	0.012%	43,560
2025	0.012%	43,326
2026 (Jan–Apr)	0.013%	14,558

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. “Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Modern Line (B22)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-alapin-variation-barmen-defense-modern-line