Sicilian Defense: Prins Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
847,367 games: White 51.3% / Draw 6.4% / Black 42.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 359,082359K | ||
| 180,398180K | ||
| 163,431163K | ||
| 82,82483K | ||
| 44,45844K | ||
| 4,2274,227 | ||
| 2,7742,774 | ||
| 2,6412,641 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.09 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... e5 6. Nb3 d5 7. Bg5 d4 8. c3 Nc6 9. cxd4 Bb4+ 10. Bd2
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 44% under 1400, 56% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 43K | |
| 1400–1799 | 205K | |
| 1800–2199 | 517K | |
| 2200 and up | 186K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,321 |
Master games
- Caruana, F. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Karjakin, S.
- Caruana, F. – Topalov, V.
- Carlsen, M. – Grischuk, A.
- Nakamura, H. – Firouzja, A.
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: Prins Variation (ECO B54, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3 (5 moves).
In 847,367 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.3%, Black 42.3% and 6.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…a6, in 42% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Prins Variation, Venice Attack.
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: Prins Variation
5…e5 scores best for Black: 47.5%, with Black winning 44.1% and White 49.1% of 163K games. The most played answer, 5…a6, scores lowest: 43.9% in 359K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…e5.
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: Prins Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.028% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.034% (its peak: 0.045% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.034% | 12,240 |
| 2017 | 0.044% | 24,114 |
| 2018 | 0.045% | 35,164 |
| 2019 | 0.039% | 49,077 |
| 2020 | 0.041% | 120,502 |
| 2021 | 0.033% | 130,125 |
| 2022 | 0.031% | 118,288 |
| 2023 | 0.03% | 112,404 |
| 2024 | 0.03% | 107,160 |
| 2025 | 0.028% | 96,676 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.026% | 28,666 |
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Prins Variation (B54)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-prins-variation