Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation 9…Bd7 10. Nb3
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
1,751 games: White 54.1% / Draw 5.1% / Black 40.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 934934 | ||
| 285285 | ||
| 124124 | ||
| 112112 | ||
| 108108 | ||
| 6060 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 2222 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.23 The position is about equal
Best play: 10... a6 11. a4 e5 12. a5 exf4 13. Rxf4 Ne5 14. Kh1 Re8 15. Bg1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation (ECO B83, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. f4 Nc6 9. Be3 Bd7 10. Nb3 (10 moves).
In 1,751 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.1%, Black 40.8% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 10…a6, in 53% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to answer 10. Nb3
10…a5 scores best for Black: 58.9%, with Black winning 56.5% and White 38.7% of 124 games. The most played, 10…a6, scores 42.7% in 934 games, and 10…Qc7 scores lowest: 40.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 10…a6.
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: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation (B83)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-scheveningen-variation-modern-variation-3