Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Novosibirsk Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
173,679 games: White 49.9% / Draw 5.8% / Black 44.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 77,80578K | ||
| 41,63642K | ||
| 20,46920K | ||
| 14,54315K | ||
| 7,4877,487 | ||
| 4,5004,500 | ||
| 1,8121,812 | ||
| 1,3231,323 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 11. Bd3 Ne7 12. Nxe7 Qxe7 13. O-O d5 14. c3 f5 15. exf5 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 133 | |
| 1400–1799 | 6,935 | |
| 1800–2199 | 93K | |
| 2200 and up | 75K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,998 |
Master games
- Topalov, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Anand, V. – Kasparov, G.
- Topalov, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Xiong, J. – Carlsen, M.
- Anand, V. – Kramnik, V.
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, Sveshnikov Variation, Novosibirsk Variation (ECO B33, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov 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 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 Bg7 (10 moves).
In 173,679 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.9%, Black 44.3% and 5.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 11. c3, in 45% 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, Sveshnikov Variation, Novosibirsk Variation
11. g3 scores best for White: 58.8%, with White winning 55.2% and Black 37.5% of 15K games. The most played, 11. c3, scores 52.6% in 78K games, and 11. c4 scores lowest: 51.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 11. Bd3.
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: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Novosibirsk Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.0061% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0048% (its peak: 0.01% in 2020).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0048% | 1,728 |
| 2017 | 0.005% | 2,776 |
| 2018 | 0.0058% | 4,518 |
| 2019 | 0.0076% | 9,522 |
| 2020 | 0.01% | 29,377 |
| 2021 | 0.0072% | 28,085 |
| 2022 | 0.0063% | 23,788 |
| 2023 | 0.006% | 22,536 |
| 2024 | 0.0058% | 20,729 |
| 2025 | 0.0061% | 21,262 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0064% | 6,976 |
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, Sveshnikov Variation, Novosibirsk Variation (B33)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-lasker-pelikan-variation-sveshnikov-variation-novosibirsk-variation