Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
542,114 games: White 44.7% / Draw 5.5% / Black 49.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 455,515456K | ||
| 71,36271K | ||
| 9,3659,365 | ||
| 789789 | ||
| 780780 | ||
| 735735 | ||
| 657657 | ||
| 512512 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.50 White is slightly better
Best play: 6... a6 7. Qf3 b5 8. Nxc6 Qxc6 9. Bd3 b4 10. Nb1 a5 11. Nd2
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 49% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 54% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 8,450 | |
| 1400–1799 | 110K | |
| 1800–2199 | 298K | |
| 2200 and up | 164K | |
| Masters, over the board | 12K |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Erigaisi, A. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Kramnik, V. – Caruana, F.
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: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack (ECO B48, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 (6 moves).
In 542,114 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.7%, Black 49.8% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…a6, in 84% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation.
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: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack
The most played answer, 6…a6, also scores best for Black: 52.9%, with Black winning 50.0% and White 44.3% of 456K games. Of the main answers, 6…Nf6 scores lowest: 52.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…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
Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack peaked in 2018 at 0.026% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.02% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.022% | 7,713 |
| 2017 | 0.022% | 12,025 |
| 2018 | 0.026% | 20,490 |
| 2019 | 0.023% | 29,076 |
| 2020 | 0.024% | 69,664 |
| 2021 | 0.02% | 79,389 |
| 2022 | 0.02% | 73,853 |
| 2023 | 0.02% | 74,545 |
| 2024 | 0.021% | 74,858 |
| 2025 | 0.02% | 69,183 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.02% | 22,439 |
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: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack (B48)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-taimanov-variation-bastrikov-variation-english-attack