Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Koch Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
146,758 games: White 50.6% / Draw 4.9% / Black 44.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 99,655100K | ||
| 28,53829K | ||
| 9,3629,362 | ||
| 6,0286,028 | ||
| 2,8492,849 | ||
| 160160 | ||
| 5454 | ||
| 5050 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.85 White is better
Best play: 6... Nd5 7. Bd2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Bf8 9. Bd3 Na6 10. O-O Nc5 11. Qg4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Koch Variation (ECO B40, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. e5 (6 moves).
In 146,758 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.6%, Black 44.5% and 4.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nd5, in 68% 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: Pin Variation, Koch Variation
6…Ne4 scores best for Black: 49.6%, with Black winning 47.1% and White 47.8% of 29K games. The most played, 6…Nd5, scores 46.2% in 100K games, and 6…Bxc3+ scores lowest: 43.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…Nd5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Koch Variation (B40)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-pin-variation-koch-variation