Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Réti Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,361,521 games: White 48.0% / Draw 5.3% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 549,929550K | ||
| 380,219380K | ||
| 157,348157K | ||
| 92,43592K | ||
| 64,80565K | ||
| 34,13434K | ||
| 19,06619K | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Hedgehog Variation | 12,96613K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 11, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.31 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Qd3 d5 8. exd5 exd5 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 49% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 13K | |
| 1400–1799 | 201K | |
| 1800–2199 | 889K | |
| 2200 and up | 315K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,382 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Anand, V.
- Kasparov, G. – Kramnik, V.
- Firouzja, A. – Carlsen, M.
- Karjakin, S. – Caruana, F.
- Giri, A. – Caruana, F.
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: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Réti Variation (ECO B41, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 (5 moves).
In 1,361,521 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 46.6% and 5.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Qc7, in 40% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Bronstein Variation and Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Hedgehog Variation. In all, 3 named lines continue from it.
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: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Réti Variation
5…Nf6 scores best for Black: 51.2%, with Black winning 48.1% and White 45.8% of 380K games. The most played, 5…Qc7, scores 50.2% in 550K games, and 5…Nc6 scores lowest: 45.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…Nf6.
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: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Réti Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.069% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.051% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.05% | 17,754 |
| 2017 | 0.062% | 34,178 |
| 2018 | 0.069% | 54,547 |
| 2019 | 0.066% | 81,880 |
| 2020 | 0.061% | 177,361 |
| 2021 | 0.05% | 195,286 |
| 2022 | 0.048% | 181,728 |
| 2023 | 0.048% | 179,300 |
| 2024 | 0.05% | 180,188 |
| 2025 | 0.051% | 178,284 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.053% | 58,236 |
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 (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Réti Variation (B41)”. Lichess data as of 11 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-kan-variation-maroczy-bind-reti-variation