Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Polugaevsky Variation, Simagin Line
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Statistics from Lichess
4,269 games: White 50.2% / Draw 3.7% / Black 46.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,9903,990 | ||
| 9393 | ||
| 8989 | ||
| 3939 | ||
| 3838 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 44 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.59 White is slightly better
Best play: 10... Nfd7 11. O-O-O Nc6 12. Nxc6 Qxc6 13. Qd3 Bb7 14. Be2 h6 15. Bh4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Polugaevsky Variation, Simagin Line (ECO B96, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Polugaevsky Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 b5 8. e5 dxe5 9. fxe5 Qc7 10. Qe2 (10 moves).
In 4,269 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.2%, Black 46.1% and 3.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 10…Nfd7, in 93% of those games.
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Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Polugaevsky Variation, Simagin Line (B96)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-najdorf-variation-polugaevsky-variation-simagin-line