Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,079,145 games: White 47.0% / Draw 5.2% / Black 47.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 419,773420K | ||
| 308,767309K | ||
| 136,721137K | ||
| 48,39348K | ||
| 42,35942K | ||
| 35,94136K | ||
| 31,60832K | ||
| 21,72322K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Bc4 Be7 5. d3 d6 6. h3 Nf6 7. Nh2 O-O 8. Ng4 Be6
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 49% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up and 43% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 703K | |
| 1400–1799 | 861K | |
| 1800–2199 | 561K | |
| 2200 and up | 84K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,204 |
Master games
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Grischuk, A. – Carlsen, M.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Carlsen, M.
- Karjakin, S. – Carlsen, M.
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: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation (ECO B30, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 (3 moves).
In 1,079,145 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 47.8% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Bc4, in 39% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, with d6 and Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, with Nf6. In all, 3 named lines continue from it.
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: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation
The most played answer, 4. Bc4, also scores best for White: 52.2%, with White winning 49.6% and Black 45.1% of 420K games. Of the main answers, 4. d3 scores lowest: 45.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Bc4.
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: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation has stayed between 0.036% and 0.046% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.041% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.04% | 14,400 |
| 2017 | 0.036% | 20,023 |
| 2018 | 0.036% | 27,991 |
| 2019 | 0.046% | 57,081 |
| 2020 | 0.044% | 130,067 |
| 2021 | 0.043% | 169,151 |
| 2022 | 0.041% | 155,779 |
| 2023 | 0.041% | 154,848 |
| 2024 | 0.04% | 145,007 |
| 2025 | 0.041% | 142,193 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.041% | 44,769 |
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)
All 3 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation (B30)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-closed-anti-sveshnikov-variation