Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack, Schofman Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
74,600 games: White 53.6% / Draw 5.7% / Black 40.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 42,80943K | ||
| 10,68211K | ||
| 9,8979,897 | ||
| 4,8684,868 | ||
| 1,4761,476 | ||
| 1,3101,310 | ||
| 1,0591,059 | ||
| 870870 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.66 Black is slightly better
Best play: 6... gxf5 7. d3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Qc7 11. Qd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack, Schofman Variation (ECO B23, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bc4 e6 6. f5 (6 moves).
In 74,600 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.6%, Black 40.7% and 5.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nge7, in 57% 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: Grand Prix Attack, Schofman Variation
The most played answer, 6…Nge7, also scores best for Black: 45.5%, with Black winning 42.2% and White 51.2% of 43K games. Of the main answers, 6…exf5 scores lowest: 35.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…gxf5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack, Schofman Variation (B23)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-grand-prix-attack-schofman-variation