Caissa Codex
B33

Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation

Chess diagram: Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation after 8…Be6

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Statistics from Lichess

74,036 games: White 48.5% / Draw 6.3% / Black 45.2%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
24,20024K
22,58723K
9,7249,724
8,6928,692
3,7093,709
2,1192,119
1,1201,120
727727

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.52 White is slightly better

Best play: 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nd5 Qd8 11. Nc4 g6 12. Ncb6 Rb8 13. Bc4 Bh6

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation (ECO B33, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 Be6 (8 moves).

In 74,036 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.5%, Black 45.2% and 6.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Nc4, in 33% of those games.

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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation

The most played answer, 9. Nc4, also scores best for White: 56.7%, with White winning 53.3% and Black 39.9% of 24K games. Of the main answers, 9. Nd5 scores lowest: 48.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 9. Bxf6.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 Be6, the position after Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation (B33)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-lasker-pelikan-variation-bird-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-lasker-pelikan-variation-bird-variation