Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,048,915 games: White 47.0% / Draw 5.1% / Black 47.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 812,387812K | ||
| 80,94681K | ||
| 68,52669K | ||
| 38,70239K | ||
| 19,73220K | ||
| 8,8058,805 | ||
| 6,9376,937 | ||
| 4,1374,137 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Bb4 7. Bd2 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 O-O 9. Bd3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Qd2
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 50% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 39K | |
| 1400–1799 | 458K | |
| 1800–2199 | 669K | |
| 2200 and up | 56K | |
| Masters, over the board | 200 |
Master games
- Ivanchuk, V. – Kuzubov, Y.
- Gelfand, B. – Van Wely, L.
- Williamson, H. D. – Remin, W.
- Wilczek, T. – Svácek, P.
- Jobava, B. – Bykhovsky, A.
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: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter 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. Nb3 (6 moves).
In 1,048,915 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 47.9% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Bb4, in 77% 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-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter Variation
The most played answer, 6…Bb4, also scores best for Black: 51.3%, with Black winning 48.7% and White 46.0% of 812K games. Of the main answers, 6…Be7 scores lowest: 47.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Bb4.
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-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.032% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.042% (its peak: 0.056% in 2019).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.042% | 14,899 |
| 2017 | 0.044% | 24,095 |
| 2018 | 0.048% | 37,306 |
| 2019 | 0.056% | 69,362 |
| 2020 | 0.053% | 155,483 |
| 2021 | 0.044% | 172,417 |
| 2022 | 0.04% | 151,914 |
| 2023 | 0.037% | 140,801 |
| 2024 | 0.034% | 122,856 |
| 2025 | 0.032% | 109,667 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.032% | 34,965 |
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: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter Variation (B33)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-lasker-pelikan-variation-schlechter-variation