Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation, Zaitsev Defense
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Bb5 Qd7
The Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation, Zaitsev Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B53, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Bb5 Qd7. 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 3 times by this move order. White won 0%, 0% were drawn and Black won 100%. The most popular continuation is 6. Bxc6 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.49 (Stockfish, depth 41; best line 6. Qd3 a6 7. Ba4 e6 8. c4 Be7)
- ECO
- B53
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1b1kbnr/pp1qpppp/2np4/1B6/3QP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNB1K2R w KQkq - 3 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Bb5 Qd7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2 | |
| All | 3 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Bxc6 | 3 (100%) |
Master games
44 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 55%, draw 20%, Black 25%). The strongest:
- GM Ivan Popov (2652) – GM S.P. Sethuraman (2553) 1/2-1/2 · 2nd Hyderabad GM Open 2013 · 2013-11-30
- GM Borki Predojevic (2621) – GM Uwe Boensch (2516) 1-0 · Bundesliga 2019-20 · 2021-10-14
- GM Milos Perunovic (2593) – GM Zlatko Ilincic (2450) 1-0 · TCh-SRB Premier 2018 · 2018-09-09
- GM Aleksandr Shimanov (2581) – IM Damian Lewtak (2385) 1-0 · chess.com SpeedChess Q2Sw · 2022-11-12
- GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) – IM Damian Lewtak (2356) 1-0 · Titled Tue 10th Sep Late · 2024-09-10
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Demrle (1832) – Jeanpolest (1900) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- DP23112000 (1785) – Jeanpolest (1852) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- isfo1965 (1517) – TheRealHaxxor (1414) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4
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.