Sicilian Defense: Closed, Carlsen Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
121,839 games: White 53.9% / Draw 4.5% / Black 41.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 67,06567K | ||
| 32,30232K | ||
| 6,7796,779 | ||
| 5,7635,763 | ||
| 4,8304,830 | ||
| 4,2424,242 | ||
| 169169 | ||
| 168168 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nf6 6. b3 e6 7. Bb2 d5 8. exd5 exd5 9. O-O-O Be6 10. Bb5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Carlsen Variation (ECO B23, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Closed, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qd2 (5 moves).
In 121,839 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.9%, Black 41.7% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Nf6, in 55% of those games.
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, Carlsen Variation
5…g6 scores best for Black: 45.8%, with Black winning 43.2% and White 51.7% of 32K games. The most played, 5…Nf6, scores 43.6% in 67K games, and 5…a6 scores lowest: 40.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Closed, Carlsen Variation (B23)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-closed-carlsen-variation