Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, Anti-Sozin Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 Qb6
The Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, Anti-Sozin Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B57, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 Qb6. 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 65 times by this move order. White won 42%, 4% were drawn and Black won 54%. The most popular continuation is 7. Nb3 (46% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.27 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 7. Nb3 e6 8. Bf4 Qd8 9. Qd2 a6)
- ECO
- B57
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1b1kb1r/pp2pppp/1qnp1n2/8/2BNP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 2 7- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 Qb6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 19 | |
| 2000+ | 46 | |
| All | 65 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Nb3 | 30 (46%) | |
| 7. Nxc6 | 18 (28%) | |
| 7. Nde2 | 5 (8%) | |
| 7. Be3 | 5 (8%) | |
| 7. Ndb5 | 4 (6%) | |
| 7. Nf3 | 2 (3%) | |
| 7. Nf5 | 1 (2%) |
Master games
343 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 18%, Black 45%). The strongest:
- AllieStein v0.7_dev-net_14.3 (3761) – Stockfish 202005232210 (3796) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-06-06
- Stockfish 202005232210 (3796) – AllieStein v0.7_dev-net_14.3 (3761) 1-0 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-06-03
- GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (2684) – GM Parham Maghsoodloo (2656) 1/2-1/2 · 32nd Leon GM 2019 · 2019-07-07
- GM Yuriy Kryvoruchko (2679) – GM Kamil Miton (2626) 1-0 · TCh-CZE Extraliga 2012-13 · 2013-03-23
- GM David Paravyan (2599) – GM Abhimanyu Puranik (2618) 1-0 · Titled Tue 24th Oct Early · 2023-10-24
Highest-rated Lichess games
- bombokobombo123456 (2669) – CM misha111228 (2632) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Malincka_13 (2442) – Rosarioboi19 (2508) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- arg67 (2396) – ElgringoC (2475) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Open (4. Nxd4 Nf6) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
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.