Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, Edge Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e5 7. Nh3 Nge7
The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, Edge Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B25, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e5 7. Nh3 Nge7. 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 2 times by this move order. White won 50%, 0% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 8. O-O (50% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.14 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 8. O-O exf4 9. Bxf4 h6 10. Qd2 g5)
- ECO
- B25
- Moves
- 14 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pp2npbp/2np2p1/2p1p3/4PP2/2NP2PN/PPP3BP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 2 8- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e5 7. Nh3 Nge7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 2 | |
| All | 2 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8. O-O | 1 (50%) | |
| 8. Nf2 | 1 (50%) |
Master games
33 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 42%, draw 25%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- GM Viktor Moskalenko (2532) – IM Alfonso Jerez Perez (2409) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-CAT 2012 · 2012-04-21
- FM Alberto Martin Fuentes (2391) – IM Jonathan Alonso Moyano (2388) 1-0 · TCh-ESP Div 1 2018 · 2018-08-08
- Peter Hulshof (2154) – GM Christian Bauer (2624) 0-1 · 9th BPB Limburg Open 2015 · 2015-05-24
- Constantin Blodig (2105) – GM Joel Lautier (2658) 0-1 · World Corporate East B · 2021-02-20
- FM Alberto Martin Fuentes (2397) – FM Jose Antonio Clement Gomez (2349) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-ESP Rapid 2022 · 2022-09-24
Highest-rated Lichess games
- abyss-void (2261) – d3rang3d (2409) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
- parfumer1 (2300) – HartmutK (2199) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, with f4 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 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.