Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3
The Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack 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. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 267 times by this move order. White won 49%, 6% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 6… c4 (39% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.08 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 6… c4 7. Bc2 d5 8. exd6 Qxd6 9. O-O)
- ECO
- B22
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp1ppppp/1nn5/2p1P3/8/1BP2N2/PP1P1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 6 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 62 | |
| 2000+ | 204 | |
| All | 267 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… c4 | 103 (39%) | |
| 6… d5 | 76 (28%) | |
| 6… d6 | 46 (17%) | |
| 6… e6 | 25 (9%) | |
| 6… g6 | 16 (6%) | |
| 6… Qc7 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
1,532 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 42%, draw 25%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2784) 1-0 · Skilling Open KO 2020 · 2020-11-28
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2785) 1/2-1/2 · Gibraltar Masters TB · 2016-02-04
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2813) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2740) 1-0 · Titled Tue 18th Nov 2025 · 2025-11-18
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2814) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2705) 1/2-1/2 · FIDE World Cup 2015 · 2015-09-19
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2814) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2705) 1-0 · FIDE World Cup 2015 · 2015-09-19
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- TheorySpeedrun (2690) – nuitet868688 (2807) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- Normal_one (2656) – Alpha_777 (2792) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- TheorySpeedrun (2678) – ZYH777 (2739) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 1. e4 c5 2. c3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack, Ivanchuk Line B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 c4 7. Bc2 Qc7 8. Qe2 g5
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.