Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky Variation 6…e5 7. Nb3
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Statistics from Lichess
140,798 games: White 46.6% / Draw 6.3% / Black 47.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 85,42485K | ||
| 37,84038K | ||
| 6,9776,977 | ||
| 4,8994,899 | ||
| 3,4743,474 | ||
| 987987 | ||
| 335335 | ||
| 165165 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.09 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Be3 Be6 10. Re1 Rc8 11. h3 h6 12. Bf1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky Variation (ECO B59, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 (7 moves).
In 140,798 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.6%, Black 47.1% and 6.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Be7, in 61% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7. Nb3
The most played answer, 7…Be7, also scores best for Black: 51.9%, with Black winning 48.8% and White 45.0% of 85K games. Of the main answers, 7…Be6 scores lowest: 48.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…Be7.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky Variation (B59)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-boleslavsky-variation-2