Caissa Codex
B72

Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Amsterdam Variation

Chess diagram: Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Amsterdam Variation after 8. Qd2

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

154,390 games: White 51.4% / Draw 4.9% / Black 43.7%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
86,68087K
18,09918K
12,15912K
10,34910K
8,7738,773
7,6307,630
1,9181,918
1,6251,625

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.14 The position is about equal

Best play: 8... O-O 9. O-O-O Ng4 10. Bxg4 Bxg4 11. f3 Be6 12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. Bh6

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Amsterdam Variation (ECO B72, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Qd2 (8 moves).

In 154,390 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.4%, Black 43.7% and 4.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…O-O, in 56% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Grigoriev Variation.

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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Amsterdam Variation

8…Ng4 scores best for Black: 49.5%, with Black winning 46.8% and White 47.8% of 18K games. The most played, 8…O-O, scores 46.3% in 87K games, and 8…a6 scores lowest: 42.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 8…O-O.

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

Variations (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Qd2, the position after Sicilian Defense: Open also goes on to:

Transpositions

This position is also reached from these lines, by another move order:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Amsterdam Variation (B72)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-dragon-variation-classical-variation-amsterdam-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-dragon-variation-classical-variation-amsterdam-variation