Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
212,696 games: White 47.5% / Draw 5.3% / Black 47.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 120,079120K | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation | 73,97274K | |
| Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation | 13,48213K | |
| 1,8911,891 | ||
| 950950 | ||
| 537537 | ||
| 517517 | ||
| 331331 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.24 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Be7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 e5 9. Nb3 a5 10. a4 Nc6 11. O-O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 51% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 50% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 3,534 | |
| 1400–1799 | 51K | |
| 1800–2199 | 141K | |
| 2200 and up | 34K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,961 |
Master games
- McShane, L. J. – Nakamura, H.
- Kamsky, G. – Movsesian, S.
- Jakovenko, D. – Ponomariov, R.
- Alekseev, E. – Movsesian, S.
- Svidler, P. – Movsesian, S.
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: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation (ECO B83, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 (6 moves).
In 212,696 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.5%, Black 47.2% and 5.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Be7, in 56% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation. In all, 2 named lines continue from it.
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: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation
6…a6 (Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation) scores best for Black: 51.6%, with Black winning 49.1% and White 45.8% of 74K games. The most played, 6…Be7, scores 49.2% in 120K games, and 6…Nc6 scores lowest: 48.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…Be7.
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: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.0061% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.012% (its peak: 0.014% in 2017).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,343 |
| 2017 | 0.014% | 7,468 |
| 2018 | 0.013% | 10,556 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 14,722 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 31,326 |
| 2021 | 0.0087% | 34,040 |
| 2022 | 0.0077% | 28,881 |
| 2023 | 0.007% | 26,159 |
| 2024 | 0.0065% | 23,305 |
| 2025 | 0.0061% | 21,224 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0061% | 6,651 |
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)
Transpositions
All 2 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation (B83)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-scheveningen-variation-classical-variation