Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Maróczy Line
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Statistics from Lichess
5,156 games: White 44.6% / Draw 6.9% / Black 48.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,7751,775 | ||
| 1,6631,663 | ||
| 660660 | ||
| 276276 | ||
| 201201 | ||
| 187187 | ||
| 140140 | ||
| 7575 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 11. Bf2 Rc8 12. e5 Ne8 13. Re1 Nxb3 14. axb3 dxe5 15. Qxd8 Rxd8
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, Maróczy Line (ECO B74, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Normal Line, 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. Nb3 Be6 10. f4 Na5 (10 moves).
In 5,156 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.6%, Black 48.5% and 6.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 11. f5, in 34% 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, Maróczy Line
11. e5 scores best for White: 57.2%, with White winning 53.6% and Black 39.1% of 276 games. The most played, 11. f5, scores 52.0% in 1,775 games, and 11. Nd4 scores lowest: 41.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 11. Bf2.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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, Maróczy Line (B74)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-dragon-variation-classical-variation-maroczy-line