Sicilian Defense: Bücker Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 h6
The Sicilian Defense: Bücker Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B27, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 h6. 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 450 times by this move order. White won 55%, 4% were drawn and Black won 41%. The most popular continuation is 3. d4 (38% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.62 (Stockfish, depth 42; best line 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6)
- ECO
- B27
- Moves
- 4 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1pppp1/7p/2p5/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 h6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 206 | |
| 1500-1999 | 236 | |
| 2000+ | 8 | |
| All | 450 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3. d4 | 171 (38%) | |
| 3. Bc4 | 138 (31%) | |
| 3. Nc3 | 54 (12%) | |
| 3. c3 | 52 (12%) | |
| 3. Bb5 | 4 (1%) | |
| 3. d3 | 4 (1%) | |
| 3. h3 | 4 (1%) | |
| 3. g3 | 4 (1%) |
Master games
49 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 24%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- GM Aram Hakobyan (2627) – GM Nihal Sarin (2716) 0-1 · Chess.com Open PlayIn1 · 2026-03-16
- IM Artem Gilevych (2408) – GM Francesco Sonis (2577) 1/2-1/2 · 82nd ch-ITA 2023 · 2023-12-05
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2645) – FM Kobe Vandenhole (2269) 1-0 · Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 · 2026-02-24
- FM Jorge Soto Vega (2354) – GM Arman Mikaelyan (2508) 0-1 · Titled Tue 13th Feb Late · 2024-02-13
- FM Ivan Yeletsky (2469) – IM Jakub Pulpan (2392) 1-0 · Titled Tue 17th Sep Late · 2024-09-17
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Bücker Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- GM gmbrewchess (2974) – Nana_jede_cevape (2864) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- IM Ural_bogatyr (2591) – GGBlitzBullet (2573) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- blundermachine66 (2197) – MarioUraba (2218) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (1… c5 2. Nf3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3
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.