Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Westerinen Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
573,550 games: White 48.4% / Draw 5.7% / Black 45.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 191,596192K | ||
| 130,613131K | ||
| 100,560101K | ||
| 55,11755K | ||
| 36,53637K | ||
| 29,00929K | ||
| 9,1549,154 | ||
| 4,7224,722 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... a6 4. c4 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. exd5 Nf6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. d4
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, 52% at 2200 and up and 52% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 39K | |
| 1400–1799 | 173K | |
| 1800–2199 | 300K | |
| 2200 and up | 164K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,311 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Caruana, F.
- Carlsen, M. – Duda, J.
- Kasparov, G. – So, W.
- Niemann, H. M. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Svidler, P.
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: French Variation, Westerinen Attack (ECO B40, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3 (3 moves).
In 573,550 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.4%, Black 45.9% and 5.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nc6, in 33% 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: French Variation, Westerinen Attack
3…b6 scores best for Black: 50.8%, with Black winning 47.3% and White 45.8% of 37K games. The most played answer, 3…Nc6, scores lowest: 48.4% in 192K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3…a6.
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: French Variation, Westerinen Attack peaked in 2018 at 0.028% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.022% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.026% | 9,307 |
| 2017 | 0.027% | 14,774 |
| 2018 | 0.028% | 22,066 |
| 2019 | 0.023% | 28,982 |
| 2020 | 0.025% | 71,955 |
| 2021 | 0.02% | 78,597 |
| 2022 | 0.021% | 78,250 |
| 2023 | 0.021% | 79,972 |
| 2024 | 0.022% | 79,478 |
| 2025 | 0.022% | 76,359 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.021% | 23,525 |
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: French Variation, Westerinen Attack (B40)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-french-variation-westerinen-attack