Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Anti-Alapin Gambit
1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Nf6
The Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Anti-Alapin Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO B22, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Nf6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 842 times by this move order. White won 44%, 6% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 4. d4 (46% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.34 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 4. Qa4+ Bd7 5. Qb3 Qb6 6. Bc4 Na6)
- ECO
- B22
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp2pppp/5n2/2pP4/8/2P5/PP1P1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 1 4- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Nf6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 18 | |
| 1500-1999 | 356 | |
| 2000+ | 468 | |
| All | 842 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. d4 | 389 (46%) | |
| 4. c4 | 180 (21%) | |
| 4. Nf3 | 133 (16%) | |
| 4. Bb5+ | 61 (7%) | |
| 4. Qa4+ | 44 (5%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 12 (1%) | |
| 4. d6 | 6 (1%) | |
| 4. h3 | 5 (1%) |
Master games
1,257 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 17%, Black 46%). The strongest:
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2771) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2727) 0-1 · World Blitz 2023 · 2023-12-30
- GM Nils Grandelius (2635) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) 0-1 · Chessable Masters Prelim · 2022-05-19
- GM Levon Aronian (2747) – GM Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (2720) 1-0 · Chess.com Classic Pl/In m · 2025-05-19
- GM Olexandr Bortnyk (2604) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2861) 1-0 · Titled Tue 27th Sep Early · 2022-09-27
- GM Naroditsky, D. (2619) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) 0-1 · Titled Tue 24th Sep Late · 2024-09-24
Highest-rated Lichess games
- GM athena-pallada (2884) – IM wLh26 (2831) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- IM Mlchael (2866) – GM abhijeet1610 (2782) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- FM Guary1 (2833) – RiseP (2733) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 1. e4 c5 2. c3
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.