Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Dunne Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
2,180,844 games: White 49.0% / Draw 5.3% / Black 45.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 929,624930K | ||
| 463,393463K | ||
| 311,925312K | ||
| 169,446169K | ||
| 142,854143K | ||
| 57,19857K | ||
| 30,24030K | ||
| 30,05930K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 10, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.08 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... d5 3. d3 Nf6 4. e5 Ng4 5. f4 Nc6 6. Bg2 Nh6 7. Nf3
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 50% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 50% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 358K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.3M | |
| 2200 and up | 227K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,744 |
Master games
- Artemiev, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Karjakin, S. – Carlsen, M.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Karjakin, S. – Grischuk, A.
- Morozevich, A. – Andreikin, 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 26, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Dunne Attack (ECO B20, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. g3 (2 moves).
In 2,180,844 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.0%, Black 45.7% and 5.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nc6, in 43% 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: Lasker-Dunne Attack
2…d5 scores best for Black: 52.2%, with Black winning 49.1% and White 44.6% of 143K games. The most played, 2…Nc6, scores 48.3% in 930K games, and 2…d6 scores lowest: 47.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…d5.
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: Lasker-Dunne Attack peaked in 2018 at 0.1% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.079% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.085% | 30,434 |
| 2017 | 0.099% | 54,307 |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 80,787 |
| 2019 | 0.1% | 125,573 |
| 2020 | 0.096% | 280,072 |
| 2021 | 0.086% | 337,287 |
| 2022 | 0.083% | 310,927 |
| 2023 | 0.078% | 294,538 |
| 2024 | 0.076% | 272,138 |
| 2025 | 0.079% | 275,437 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.077% | 84,215 |
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: Lasker-Dunne Attack (B20)”. Lichess data as of 10 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-lasker-dunne-attack