Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, with Nf6
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Bc4 Be7 5. d3 Nf6
The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, with Nf6 is a chess opening classified as ECO B30, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Bc4 Be7 5. d3 Nf6. 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 79 times by this move order. White won 41%, 5% were drawn and Black won 54%. The most popular continuation is 6. O-O (16% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.44 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 6. Ng5 O-O 7. h4 h6 8. Nd5 d6)
- ECO
- B30
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pp1pbppp/2n2n2/2p1p3/2B1P3/2NP1N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Bc4 Be7 5. d3 Nf6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 9 | |
| 1500-1999 | 41 | |
| 2000+ | 29 | |
| All | 79 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. O-O | 13 (16%) | |
| 6. h3 | 12 (15%) | |
| 6. Be3 | 11 (14%) | |
| 6. Ng5 | 10 (13%) | |
| 6. Nd2 | 10 (13%) | |
| 6. Bg5 | 9 (11%) | |
| 6. a3 | 6 (8%) | |
| 6. Nd5 | 5 (6%) |
Master games
355 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 31%, Black 26%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) – GM Teimour Radjabov (2765) 1-0 · FTX Crypto Cup Prelim · 2021-05-25
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2789) – GM Boris Gelfand (2777) 1/2-1/2 · Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 · 2014-02-03
- GM So, W. (2719) – GM Boris Gelfand (2777) 1-0 · 76th Tata Steel Masters · 2014-01-17
- GM David Navara (2745) – GM Teimour Radjabov (2748) 1/2-1/2 · Vugar Gashimov Mem 2018 · 2018-04-28
- GM Daniil Dubov (2660) – GM Boris Gelfand (2725) 1-0 · Nutcracker Rapid 2016 · 2016-12-22
Highest-rated Lichess games
- joobree (2529) – mollusque1830 (2474) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- joobree (2525) – Schwachschacher (2472) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- blitz32only (2406) – Mettigel (2489) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5
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.