Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation
1. e4 c5 2. c3
The Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B22, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. c3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 5 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 81,910 times by this move order. White won 50%, 5% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 2… Nc6 (30% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 2… Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 d6 5. d4)
- ECO
- B22
- Moves
- 3 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/4P3/2P5/PP1P1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 2- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. c3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 14,410 | |
| 1500-1999 | 49,666 | |
| 2000+ | 17,834 | |
| All | 81,910 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2… Nc6 | 24,779 (30%) | |
| 2… d5 | 14,276 (17%) | |
| 2… e6 | 12,253 (15%) | |
| 2… d6 | 11,156 (14%) | |
| 2… Nf6 | 9,748 (12%) | |
| 2… e5 | 4,096 (5%) | |
| 2… g6 | 3,623 (4%) | |
| 2… a6 | 1,109 (1%) |
Master games
17,643 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 22%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- Stockfish dev-20230903-b25d68f6 (3666) – LCZero 0.31-dag-5107404-T2-5230000 (3633) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier P/O 2023 · 2023-10-04
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5107404-T2-5230000 (3633) – Stockfish dev-20230903-b25d68f6 (3666) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier P/O 2023 · 2023-10-04
- KomodoDragon 3.2 (3587) – RubiChess 20230823 (3508) 1-0 · TCEC 25 Premier P/O 2023 · 2023-10-04
- RubiChess 20230823 (3508) – KomodoDragon 3.2 (3587) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier P/O 2023 · 2023-10-04
- Ethereal TCEC S20 DivP (3482) – LCZero v0.26.3_T60.66740 (3575) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2021-01-12
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 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 (2884) – IM wLh26 (2831) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- IM Mlchael (2875) – Drogono (2828) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) 1. e4 c5
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Anti-Alapin Gambit B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Nf6
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Barmen Defense (3. exd5 Qxd5) B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Smith-Morra Declined B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4
- Sicilian Defense: Heidenfeld Variation B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Na3
- Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- 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
- Sicilian Defense: Kronberger Variation 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.