Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
2,216,367 games: White 50.1% / Draw 5.9% / Black 44.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,066,8101.1M | ||
| 737,578738K | ||
| 231,569232K | ||
| 80,40580K | ||
| 51,79452K | ||
| 30,03330K | ||
| 5,9505,950 | ||
| 5,3165,316 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Nf6 5. h3 g6 6. e5 Nc6 7. Bb5 Qa5+ 8. Nc3 Qxb5 9. Qd2
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 better this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 395K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.2M | |
| 2200 and up | 393K | |
| Masters, over the board | 6,957 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Giri, A.
- Carlsen, M. – Nakamura, H.
- Carlsen, M. – Svidler, P.
- Carlsen, M. – Gelfand, 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 26, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation (ECO B53, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 (4 moves).
In 2,216,367 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.1%, Black 44.0% and 5.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nc6, in 48% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation, Zaitsev Defense.
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: Chekhover Variation
4…a6 scores best for Black: 50.1%, with Black winning 47.1% and White 47.0% of 232K games. The most played, 4…Nc6, scores 47.2% in 1.1M games, and 4…Nf6 scores lowest: 45.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Nf6.
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
Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.074% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.09%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.09% | 32,054 |
| 2017 | 0.093% | 51,150 |
| 2018 | 0.097% | 75,985 |
| 2019 | 0.09% | 112,575 |
| 2020 | 0.097% | 284,889 |
| 2021 | 0.092% | 360,545 |
| 2022 | 0.087% | 326,978 |
| 2023 | 0.083% | 313,815 |
| 2024 | 0.081% | 289,816 |
| 2025 | 0.074% | 257,918 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.072% | 78,669 |
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: Chekhover Variation (B53)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-chekhover-variation