Sicilian Defense: Flohr Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
297,113 games: White 48.1% / Draw 4.3% / Black 47.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 173,092173K | ||
| 38,97539K | ||
| 23,07623K | ||
| 19,40419K | ||
| 11,41311K | ||
| 6,4376,437 | ||
| 6,1476,147 | ||
| 5,1535,153 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.54 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Be3 Nf6 6. Nc3 a6 7. a3 e6 8. f4 d5 9. e5 Nd7
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 Black: Black scores 49% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 49% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 38K | |
| 1400–1799 | 194K | |
| 1800–2199 | 149K | |
| 2200 and up | 29K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,190 |
Master games
- Kasparov, G. – Anand, V.
- Kramnik, V. – Anand, V.
- Shirov, A. – Anand, V.
- Leko, P. – Anand, V.
- Shirov, A. – Anand, V.
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: Flohr Variation (ECO B32, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qc7 (4 moves).
In 297,113 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 47.6% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nc3, in 58% 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: Flohr Variation
5. c4 scores best for White: 51.8%, with White winning 49.7% and Black 46.0% of 19K games. The most played, 5. Nc3, scores 50.6% in 173K games, and 5. Nxc6 scores lowest: 49.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Be3.
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
Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: Flohr Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.0093% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.014% (its peak: 0.016% in 2017).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.014% | 4,887 |
| 2017 | 0.016% | 8,865 |
| 2018 | 0.014% | 11,227 |
| 2019 | 0.014% | 18,069 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 38,645 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 48,682 |
| 2022 | 0.011% | 42,498 |
| 2023 | 0.01% | 39,224 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 38,498 |
| 2025 | 0.0093% | 32,244 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0087% | 9,513 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Flohr Variation (B32)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-flohr-variation