Caissa Codex
B73

Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Battery Variation

Chess diagram: Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Battery Variation after 9. 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

107,895 games: White 45.6% / Draw 7.0% / Black 47.4%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
27,38727K
23,42123K
15,05015K
11,55812K
10,97211K
7,0157,015
2,8082,808
2,7472,747

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

Engine evaluation

+0.19 The position is about equal

Best play: 9... Bd7 10. a4 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Qa5 12. Rfd1 Rfe8 13. Ra3 Rac8 14. Bb5

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, Battery Variation (ECO B73, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Qd2 (9 moves).

In 107,895 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.6%, Black 47.4% and 7.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Bd7, in 25% of those games.

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

The most played answer, 9…Bd7, also scores best for Black: 53.2%, with Black winning 49.6% and White 43.2% of 27K games. Of the main answers, 9…Nxd4 scores lowest: 48.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…Bd7.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 6…Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Qd2, the position after Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Battery Variation (B73)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-dragon-variation-classical-variation-battery-variation

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