Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6
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Statistics from Lichess
5,356,823 games: White 48.6% / Draw 5.1% / Black 46.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,952,1332M | ||
| 1,228,7771.2M | ||
| 898,379898K | ||
| 756,295756K | ||
| 154,497154K | ||
| 80,84581K | ||
| 73,59274K | ||
| 53,71454K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.16 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... d5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Qe2+ Qe7 7. O-O Qxe2 8. Bxe2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 52% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 52% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 433K | |
| 1400–1799 | 2.4M | |
| 1800–2199 | 3.2M | |
| 2200 and up | 614K | |
| Masters, over the board | 9,096 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Caruana, F.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Caruana, F.
- Wang Hao – Caruana, F.
- Carlsen, M. – Firouzja, A.
- Aronian, L. – 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 26, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6 (ECO B40, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 (3 moves).
In 5,356,823 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.6%, Black 46.3% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…d5, in 36% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation and Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer 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: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6
3…Nf6 scores best for Black: 51.1%, with Black winning 48.2% and White 46.0% of 898K games. The most played, 3…d5, scores 50.4% in 2M games, and 3…Nc6 scores lowest: 46.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…d5.
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: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6 has gained ground since 2016: 0.23% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.17%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.17% | 60,786 |
| 2017 | 0.19% | 106,869 |
| 2018 | 0.21% | 161,480 |
| 2019 | 0.19% | 239,546 |
| 2020 | 0.19% | 564,906 |
| 2021 | 0.19% | 745,057 |
| 2022 | 0.2% | 743,462 |
| 2023 | 0.21% | 804,486 |
| 2024 | 0.22% | 795,674 |
| 2025 | 0.23% | 790,935 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.23% | 251,611 |
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)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6 (B40)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-delayed-alapin-variation-with-e6