Sicilian Defense: Katalimov Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
692,616 games: White 51.4% / Draw 4.3% / Black 44.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 361,359361K | ||
| 121,148121K | ||
| 65,92566K | ||
| 63,46163K | ||
| 17,68218K | ||
| 13,99214K | ||
| 11,30411K | ||
| 9,4189,418 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.67 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Be3 Bb7 6. f3 e6 7. Nc3 h5
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 44% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 48% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 288K | |
| 1400–1799 | 525K | |
| 1800–2199 | 362K | |
| 2200 and up | 44K | |
| Masters, over the board | 592 |
Master games
- Anand, V. – Bacrot, E.
- Karjakin, S. – Kamsky, G.
- Topalov, V. – Bauer, C.
- Robson, R. – Kamsky, G.
- Artemiev, V. – Ponkratov, 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: Katalimov Variation (ECO B27, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 b6 (2 moves).
In 692,616 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.4%, Black 44.3% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. d4, in 52% 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: Katalimov Variation
The most played answer, 3. d4, also scores best for White: 55.1%, with White winning 52.9% and Black 42.8% of 361K games. Of the main answers, 3. Bc4 scores lowest: 51.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3. d4.
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: Katalimov Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.024% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.031%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.031% | 10,991 |
| 2017 | 0.032% | 17,812 |
| 2018 | 0.031% | 24,621 |
| 2019 | 0.031% | 38,903 |
| 2020 | 0.029% | 83,797 |
| 2021 | 0.028% | 110,583 |
| 2022 | 0.026% | 99,449 |
| 2023 | 0.026% | 96,413 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 90,771 |
| 2025 | 0.024% | 81,928 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.022% | 24,306 |
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: Katalimov Variation (B27)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-katalimov-variation