Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation 5…Nc6 6. Be2
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Statistics from Lichess
553,392 games: White 47.9% / Draw 5.9% / Black 46.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 193,549194K | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky Variation | 166,095166K | |
| Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation | 87,32487K | |
| 54,69355K | ||
| 28,11128K | ||
| 8,8658,865 | ||
| 8,1098,109 | ||
| 2,0992,099 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 11, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.08 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... e5 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. O-O Be7 9. Kh1 O-O 10. f4 Nd7 11. b3
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 White: White scores 52% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 10K | |
| 1400–1799 | 136K | |
| 1800–2199 | 358K | |
| 2200 and up | 95K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,558 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Duda, J.
- Radjabov, T. – Ding Liren
- Vitiugov, N. – Duda, J.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Anand, V.
- Harikrishna, P. – Erigaisi, A.
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: Classical Variation (ECO B58, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Be2 (6 moves).
In 553,392 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.9%, Black 46.2% and 5.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…g6, in 35% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky Variation and Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, Dragon Transfer.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 6. Be2
6…e5 (Sicilian Defense: Boleslavsky Variation) scores best for Black: 52.1%, with Black winning 48.8% and White 44.5% of 166K games. The most played, 6…g6, scores 48.4% in 194K games, and 6…a6 scores lowest: 46.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…e5.
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
This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.018% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.027% (its peak: 0.031% in 2017).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.027% | 9,719 |
| 2017 | 0.031% | 16,972 |
| 2018 | 0.031% | 24,023 |
| 2019 | 0.029% | 36,682 |
| 2020 | 0.026% | 75,347 |
| 2021 | 0.023% | 89,018 |
| 2022 | 0.02% | 74,857 |
| 2023 | 0.019% | 70,894 |
| 2024 | 0.018% | 64,742 |
| 2025 | 0.018% | 60,803 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.018% | 19,717 |
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 (2)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation (B58)”. Lichess data as of 11 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-classical-variation-2