Sicilian Defense: Closed, Carlsen Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qd2
The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Carlsen Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B23, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qd2. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 281 times by this move order. White won 57%, 5% were drawn and Black won 38%. The most popular continuation is 5… Nf6 (53% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.06 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 5… Nf6 6. b3 e6 7. Bb2 d5 8. exd5)
- ECO
- B23
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp2pppp/2np4/8/4P3/2N5/PPPQ1PPP/R1B1KBNR b KQkq - 2 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qd2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 9 | |
| 1500-1999 | 100 | |
| 2000+ | 172 | |
| All | 281 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Nf6 | 149 (53%) | |
| 5… g6 | 78 (28%) | |
| 5… e6 | 18 (6%) | |
| 5… a6 | 13 (5%) | |
| 5… e5 | 13 (5%) | |
| 5… Bd7 | 7 (2%) | |
| 5… h5 | 1 (0%) | |
| 5… Ne5 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
1,676 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 19%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2766) 1-0 · SuperUnited Blitz 2022 · 2022-07-24
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2760) 1/2-1/2 · SuperUnited Rapid 2022 · 2022-07-20
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2819) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2779) 1-0 · 7th Norway Blitz 2019 · 2019-06-03
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2819) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2773) 1/2-1/2 · GRENKE Chess Classic 2019 · 2019-04-21
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2843) – GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2744) 1-0 · Vugar Gashimov Mem 2018 · 2018-04-23
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Carlsen Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- canc3111 (2799) – ScaryIndianJunior (2811) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- FM Ragnar_Lothbrok85 (2526) – keytogo1 (2646) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- chessasttter (2507) – SU-1704 (2655) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Closed (1… c5 2. Nc3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3
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.