Sicilian Defense: Kramnik Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,446,445 games: White 47.8% / Draw 5.5% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 792,489792K | ||
| Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Paulsen Line | 223,176223K | |
| 140,511141K | ||
| 83,22983K | ||
| 62,17662K | ||
| 40,50341K | ||
| 31,47931K | ||
| 24,96025K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 7, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3
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 49% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 201K | |
| 1400–1799 | 639K | |
| 1800–2199 | 855K | |
| 2200 and up | 208K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,464 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Caruana, F.
- Carlsen, M. – Caruana, F.
- Vidit, S. – Erigaisi, A.
- Kramnik, V. – Kasparov, G.
- Tomashevsky, E. – Wang Yue
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: Kramnik Variation (ECO B40, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 (3 moves).
In 1,446,445 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 46.6% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nc6, in 55% 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: Kramnik Variation
The most played answer, 3…Nc6, also scores best for Black: 50.4%, with Black winning 47.5% and White 46.7% of 792K games. Of the main answers, 3…d5 scores lowest: 45.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…Nc6.
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: Kramnik Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.066% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.054% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.06% | 21,344 |
| 2017 | 0.064% | 35,292 |
| 2018 | 0.066% | 51,593 |
| 2019 | 0.064% | 79,264 |
| 2020 | 0.058% | 170,326 |
| 2021 | 0.054% | 211,777 |
| 2022 | 0.054% | 204,630 |
| 2023 | 0.054% | 204,761 |
| 2024 | 0.055% | 196,754 |
| 2025 | 0.054% | 188,167 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.053% | 57,850 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Kramnik Variation (B40)”. Lichess data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-kramnik-variation