Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Tartakower Line
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
3,905 games: White 46.6% / Draw 7.4% / Black 46.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,4611,461 | ||
| 1,1911,191 | ||
| 587587 | ||
| 133133 | ||
| 132132 | ||
| 108108 | ||
| 105105 | ||
| 6060 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 11. Qd2 a6 12. a4 b5 13. axb5 axb5 14. Bxb5 Bxb3 15. cxb3 Rb8
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, Tartakower 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 Qc8 (10 moves).
In 3,905 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.6%, Black 46.0% and 7.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 11. h3, in 37% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Tartakower Line
The most played answer, 11. h3, also scores best for White: 51.6%, with White winning 47.6% and Black 44.5% of 1,461 games. Of the main answers, 11. Bf3 scores lowest: 47.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 11. Qd2.
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, Tartakower Line (B74)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-dragon-variation-classical-variation-tartakower-line