Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Levenfish Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
282,695 games: White 53.7% / Draw 4.5% / Black 41.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 168,655169K | ||
| 84,15684K | ||
| Main Line | 12,07412K | |
| 5,6385,638 | ||
| 3,0903,090 | ||
| 3,0373,037 | ||
| 2,4092,409 | ||
| 1,5521,552 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 22, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.04 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Nc6 7. Be2 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. Qd3 O-O 10. Be3 Qa5 11. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 56% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 13K | |
| 1400–1799 | 69K | |
| 1800–2199 | 169K | |
| 2200 and up | 67K | |
| Masters, over the board | 351 |
Master games
- Polgar, J. – Topalov, V.
- Al Modiahki, M. – Motylev, A.
- Huebner, R. – Hort, V.
- Nunn, J. D. – Miles, A. J.
- Smeets, J. – Sebenik, M.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Levenfish Variation (ECO B71, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. f4 (6 moves).
In 282,695 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.7%, Black 41.7% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Bg7, in 60% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Levenfish Variation, Main Line.
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, Levenfish Variation
6…Nc6 scores best for Black: 51.4%, with Black winning 48.3% and White 45.4% of 84K games. The most played answer, 6…Bg7, scores lowest: 39.5% in 169K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Nc6.
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
Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Levenfish Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.0082% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.012% (its peak: 0.016% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,433 |
| 2017 | 0.016% | 8,660 |
| 2018 | 0.016% | 12,492 |
| 2019 | 0.014% | 16,981 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 44,673 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 49,117 |
| 2022 | 0.011% | 39,935 |
| 2023 | 0.0091% | 34,184 |
| 2024 | 0.0088% | 31,470 |
| 2025 | 0.0082% | 28,391 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0077% | 8,431 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Levenfish Variation (B71)”. Lichess data as of 22 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-dragon-variation-levenfish-variation