Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
852,326 games: White 47.1% / Draw 5.0% / Black 47.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 349,916350K | ||
| 114,894115K | ||
| 110,119110K | ||
| 107,192107K | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Polugaevsky Variation | 83,12483K | |
| 31,22931K | ||
| 14,27814K | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Swiss Cheese Variation | 12,58513K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.43 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... Bc5 6. Nb3 Ba7 7. Qe2 Nc6 8. Be3 Nge7 9. Nc3 b5 10. Bxa7
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 48% under 1400, 52% 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 | 164K | |
| 1800–2199 | 469K | |
| 2200 and up | 261K | |
| Masters, over the board | 16K |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Caruana, F.
- Duda, J. – Carlsen, M.
- Giri, A. – Caruana, F.
- Anand, V. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – 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, Modern Variation (ECO B42, 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. Bd3 (5 moves).
In 852,326 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.1%, Black 47.8% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Qc7, in 41% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Polugaevsky Variation and Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Swiss Cheese Variation.
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, Modern Variation
The most played answer, 5…Qc7, also scores best for Black: 50.9%, with Black winning 48.5% and White 46.7% of 350K games. Of the main answers, 5…Nc6 scores lowest: 48.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Bc5.
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, Modern Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.032% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.039% (its peak: 0.047% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.039% | 13,801 |
| 2017 | 0.041% | 22,810 |
| 2018 | 0.047% | 36,930 |
| 2019 | 0.041% | 50,590 |
| 2020 | 0.039% | 114,667 |
| 2021 | 0.03% | 118,458 |
| 2022 | 0.03% | 112,014 |
| 2023 | 0.03% | 111,288 |
| 2024 | 0.031% | 112,936 |
| 2025 | 0.032% | 109,329 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.031% | 34,317 |
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 (3)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation (B42)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-kan-variation-modern-variation