Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Ginsberg Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
236,627 games: White 46.0% / Draw 3.9% / Black 50.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 62,84263K | ||
| 56,26956K | ||
| 47,09647K | ||
| 38,08638K | ||
| 18,32618K | ||
| 8,1488,148 | ||
| 2,7462,746 | ||
| 880880 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.02 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nxe4 6. Qh5 e6 7. Bb5+ Nd7 8. Nxe6 Nf6 9. Nxd8 Nxh5 10. Bxd7+
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 46% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 46K | |
| 1400–1799 | 147K | |
| 1800–2199 | 136K | |
| 2200 and up | 13K | |
| Masters, over the board | 38 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Carlsen, M. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Tabatabaei, M. – Wei Yi
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Dubov, 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: Modern Variations, Ginsberg Gambit (ECO B54, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bc4 (5 moves).
In 236,627 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.0%, Black 50.0% and 3.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…a6, in 27% 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: Modern Variations, Ginsberg Gambit
5…g6 scores best for Black: 55.7%, with Black winning 53.5% and White 42.1% of 38K games. The most played, 5…a6, scores 52.5% in 63K games, and 5…Nxe4 scores lowest: 46.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Nxe4.
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: Modern Variations, Ginsberg Gambit peaked in 2020 at 0.015% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.0067% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0069% | 2,475 |
| 2017 | 0.0072% | 3,983 |
| 2018 | 0.0074% | 5,796 |
| 2019 | 0.008% | 9,968 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 43,172 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 44,897 |
| 2022 | 0.0094% | 35,362 |
| 2023 | 0.0082% | 30,932 |
| 2024 | 0.0076% | 27,218 |
| 2025 | 0.0067% | 23,285 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0063% | 6,915 |
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: Modern Variations, Ginsberg Gambit (B54)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-modern-variations-ginsberg-gambit