Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation 5. Nc3 a6
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Statistics from Lichess
2,397,822 games: White 48.0% / Draw 4.6% / Black 47.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,061,2321.1M | ||
| 385,065385K | ||
| 281,190281K | ||
| 188,413188K | ||
| 128,413128K | ||
| 64,80365K | ||
| 57,44757K | ||
| 46,55447K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.40 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. Be3 Qc7 7. Qf3 b5 8. Nxc6 Qxc6 9. Bd3 b4 10. Nb1 a5
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 worse this line does for Black: Black scores 52% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 46% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 102K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.5M | |
| 2200 and up | 161K | |
| Masters, over the board | 6,752 |
Master games
- Caruana, F. – Topalov, V.
- Giri, A. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Svidler, P.
- Caruana, F. – Rapport, R.
- Anand, V. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation (ECO B46, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6 (5 moves).
In 2,397,822 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 47.4% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Be3, in 44% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5…a6
6. Be2 scores best for White: 51.5%, with White winning 49.1% and Black 46.2% of 281K games. The most played, 6. Be3, scores 50.9% in 1.1M games, and 6. Bc4 scores lowest: 46.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Be3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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
This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.084% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.11%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.11% | 38,491 |
| 2017 | 0.11% | 62,603 |
| 2018 | 0.12% | 92,069 |
| 2019 | 0.11% | 137,911 |
| 2020 | 0.099% | 289,195 |
| 2021 | 0.091% | 357,278 |
| 2022 | 0.091% | 342,692 |
| 2023 | 0.089% | 335,713 |
| 2024 | 0.087% | 313,610 |
| 2025 | 0.084% | 292,064 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.086% | 93,928 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation (B46)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-taimanov-variation-3