Caissa Codex
B92

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation, Modern Line

Chess diagram: Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation, Modern Line after 8…Be6

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

149,100 games: White 47.5% / Draw 6.2% / Black 46.3%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
46,21446K
46,00546K
21,72922K
11,91112K
5,2145,214
4,3654,365
4,1024,102
2,2932,293

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.17 The position is about equal

Best play: 9. Be3 O-O 10. Nd5 Nbd7 11. Qd3 Bxd5 12. exd5 Rc8 13. c4 a5

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

Overview

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation, Modern Line (ECO B92, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O Be6 (8 moves).

In 149,100 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.5%, Black 46.3% and 6.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Be3, in 31% of those games.

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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation, Modern Line

9. Kh1 scores best for White: 52.9%, with White winning 49.8% and Black 44.1% of 22K games. The most played, 9. Be3, scores 49.6% in 46K games, and 9. Bg5 scores lowest: 45.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 9. Be3.

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…e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O Be6, the position after Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation, Modern Line (B92)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-najdorf-variation-opocensky-variation-modern-line

https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-najdorf-variation-opocensky-variation-modern-line