Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
2,023,256 games: White 47.1% / Draw 5.0% / Black 48.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 838,872839K | ||
| 410,181410K | ||
| 305,692306K | ||
| 113,399113K | ||
| 108,484108K | ||
| 107,783108K | ||
| 75,16375K | ||
| 30,38530K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... Nc6 3. Bb2 d6 4. Bb5 Bd7 5. f4 Nf6 6. Qe2 e6 7. Nf3
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 48% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 49% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 397K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.1M | |
| 2200 and up | 261K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,068 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Anand, V.
- Carlsen, M. – Leitao, R.
- Morozevich, A. – Nakamura, H.
- Andreikin, D. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Kramnik, V. – Inarkiev, E.
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: Czerniak Attack (ECO B20, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. b3 (2 moves).
In 2,023,256 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.1%, Black 48.0% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nc6, in 41% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit and Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation.
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: Czerniak Attack
2…Nf6 scores best for Black: 52.5%, with Black winning 49.8% and White 44.8% of 108K games. The most played, 2…Nc6, scores 50.4% in 839K games, and 2…d5 scores lowest: 49.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 2…Nc6.
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: Czerniak Attack has lost ground since 2016: 0.076% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.093%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.093% | 33,400 |
| 2017 | 0.092% | 50,749 |
| 2018 | 0.09% | 70,672 |
| 2019 | 0.089% | 111,486 |
| 2020 | 0.084% | 244,838 |
| 2021 | 0.08% | 311,861 |
| 2022 | 0.073% | 275,857 |
| 2023 | 0.072% | 271,359 |
| 2024 | 0.075% | 269,088 |
| 2025 | 0.076% | 264,418 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.077% | 84,263 |
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: Czerniak Attack (B20)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-czerniak-attack