Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
19,382 games: White 33.2% / Draw 3.6% / Black 63.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 5,5615,561 | ||
| 5,4955,495 | ||
| 2,6822,682 | ||
| 2,0412,041 | ||
| 1,7471,747 | ||
| 694694 | ||
| 570570 | ||
| 184184 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−6.44 Black is clearly better
Best play: 6... Nxd4 7. Be3 Nc6 8. f4 g6 9. Be2 Bg7 10. a4 O-O 11. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation (ECO B56, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bd3 (6 moves).
In 19,382 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 33.2%, Black 63.3% and 3.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nxd4, in 29% of those games.
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: Yates Variation
The most played answer, 6…Nxd4, also scores best for Black: 85.1%, with Black winning 84.2% and White 14.0% of 5,561 games. Of the main answers, 6…e5 scores lowest: 53.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Nxd4.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation (B56)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-yates-variation