Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack, Ivanchuk Line
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 c4 7. Bc2 Qc7 8. Qe2 g5
The Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack, Ivanchuk Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B22, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 c4 7. Bc2 Qc7 8. Qe2 g5. 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 6 times by this move order. White won 50%, 0% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 9. h3 (67% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.44 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 9. Na3 g4 10. Nb5 Qb8 11. Nh4 Nxe5)
- ECO
- B22
- Moves
- 16 plies
- FEN
r1b1kb1r/ppqppp1p/1nn5/4P1p1/2p5/2P2N2/PPBPQPPP/RNB1K2R w KQkq - 0 9- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 c4 7. Bc2 Qc7 8. Qe2 g5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 1 | |
| 2000+ | 5 | |
| All | 6 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9. h3 | 4 (67%) | |
| 9. d4 | 1 (17%) | |
| 9. Na3 | 1 (17%) |
Master games
86 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 25%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- GM Anton Korobov (2702) – GM Rauf Mamedov (2651) 0-1 · Aeroflot Open Rapid Qualifier 2013 · 2013-02-13
- GM Ngoc Truong Son Nguyen (2600) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2736) 0-1 · Titled Tue 15th Jul Early · 2025-07-15
- GM Ngoc Truong Son Nguyen (2600) – GM Chithambaram VR. Aravindh (2712) 1-0 · 3rd 3-0 Thu 27th Nov 2025 · 2025-11-27
- GM David W L Howell (2658) – GM Alan Pichot (2630) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 23rd Feb · 2021-02-23
- GM Sergei Zhigalko (2671) – GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan (2577) 0-1 · Roma Citta Aperta 2016 · 2016-12-08
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Kingkennytv (2640) – NM FedirBohatyrchuk1892 (2511) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- togabo (2318) – hidden_try_hard (2395) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 2s
- Gallilei (2236) – antonbao2008 (2375) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3
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.