Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
245,246 games: White 40.2% / Draw 5.5% / Black 54.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 119,517120K | ||
| 60,81361K | ||
| 20,19520K | ||
| 9,5749,574 | ||
| 7,7117,711 | ||
| 6,9836,983 | ||
| 5,6055,605 | ||
| 4,6034,603 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.82 White is better
Best play: 5. Be3 a6 6. a3 Nf6 7. Nc3 Ng4 8. Bc1 Nc6 9. Qxg4 Nxd4
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 worse this line does for Black: Black scores 57% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up and 44% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 13K | |
| 1400–1799 | 95K | |
| 1800–2199 | 143K | |
| 2200 and up | 39K | |
| Masters, over the board | 837 |
Master games
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Guliyev, N. – Bauer, C.
- Nisipeanu, L. D. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Topalov, V. – Short, N. D.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Short, N. D.
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: Kveinis Variation (ECO B40, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6 (4 moves).
In 245,246 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 40.2%, Black 54.3% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nc3, in 49% 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: Kveinis Variation
5. Nb3 scores best for White: 50.7%, with White winning 47.8% and Black 46.4% of 61K games. The most played answer, 5. Nc3, scores lowest: 38.7% in 120K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Be3.
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: Kveinis Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.008% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.011% (its peak: 0.014% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.011% | 3,992 |
| 2017 | 0.013% | 7,026 |
| 2018 | 0.014% | 10,730 |
| 2019 | 0.011% | 13,665 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 33,624 |
| 2021 | 0.0097% | 38,063 |
| 2022 | 0.0096% | 35,950 |
| 2023 | 0.0087% | 32,895 |
| 2024 | 0.0084% | 30,145 |
| 2025 | 0.008% | 27,859 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0075% | 8,208 |
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: Kveinis Variation (B40)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-kveinis-variation