Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense (3. exd5 Qxd5)
1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5
The Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B22, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 9,386 times by this move order. White won 50%, 7% were drawn and Black won 43%. The most popular continuation is 4. d4 (68% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.19 (Stockfish, depth 52; best line 4. d4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Be3 Bg4)
- ECO
- B22
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnb1kbnr/pp2pppp/8/2pq4/8/2P5/PP1P1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 446 | |
| 1500-1999 | 5,073 | |
| 2000+ | 3,867 | |
| All | 9,386 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. d4 | 6,378 (68%) | |
| 4. Nf3 | 2,460 (26%) | |
| 4. Qf3 | 133 (1%) | |
| 4. c4 | 110 (1%) | |
| 4. Na3 | 105 (1%) | |
| 4. h3 | 50 (1%) | |
| 4. d3 | 48 (1%) | |
| 4. Bb5+ | 30 (0%) |
Master games
7,553 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 25%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- LCZero0.28.0-rc1_69146 (3614) – KomodoDragon2747.00 (3582) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-07-09
- KomodoDragon2747.00 (3582) – LCZero0.28.0-rc1_69146 (3614) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-07-07
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2802) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2805) 1-0 · Titled Tue 5th Nov Late · 2024-11-05
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2810) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2795) 1-0 · 2nd 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 · 2026-01-01
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2831) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2755) 1-0 · World Blitz Final KO 2024 · 2024-12-31
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- GM athena-pallada (2877) – IM wLh26 (2839) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM athena-pallada (2926) – Tempstream (2695) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- GM athena-pallada (2906) – Tempstream (2715) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 1. e4 c5 2. c3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense (4… g6 5. Nf3) B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 g6 5. Nf3
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense (4… Nc6 5. Nf3) B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nc6 5. Nf3
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Modern Line B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense, Central Exchange B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4
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.