Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Grigoriev Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
103,520 games: White 49.5% / Draw 5.3% / Black 45.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 23,61424K | ||
| 19,75120K | ||
| 14,95415K | ||
| 13,57314K | ||
| 13,45313K | ||
| 4,4254,425 | ||
| 3,4243,424 | ||
| 2,7612,761 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.32 White is slightly better
Best play: 9... Ng4 10. Bxg4 Bxg4 11. f3 Be6 12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. Bh6 Rc8 14. h4
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, Grigoriev Variation (ECO B72, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Amsterdam Variation, 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 O-O 9. O-O-O (9 moves).
In 103,520 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.5%, Black 45.3% and 5.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Bd7, in 23% 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: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Grigoriev Variation
9…d5 scores best for Black: 54.2%, with Black winning 51.2% and White 42.9% of 15K games. The most played, 9…Bd7, scores 46.6% in 24K games, and 9…a6 scores lowest: 40.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 9…Ng4.
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: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Grigoriev Variation (B72)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-dragon-variation-classical-variation-grigoriev-variation