Sicilian Defense: Closed, Chameleon Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2
The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Chameleon Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B23, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2. 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 950 times by this move order. White won 51%, 6% were drawn and Black won 43%. The most popular continuation is 3… g6 (35% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.19 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 3… Nd4 4. Nxd4 cxd4 5. Nb5 e5 6. Qh5)
- ECO
- B23
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/2p5/4P3/2N5/PPPPNPPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 3 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 66 | |
| 1500-1999 | 433 | |
| 2000+ | 451 | |
| All | 950 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… g6 | 335 (35%) | |
| 3… e6 | 228 (24%) | |
| 3… d6 | 125 (13%) | |
| 3… e5 | 110 (12%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 105 (11%) | |
| 3… a6 | 22 (2%) | |
| 3… Nd4 | 13 (1%) | |
| 3… b6 | 5 (1%) |
Master games
2,092 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 46%, draw 23%, Black 31%). The strongest:
- GM Levon Aronian (2767) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2822) 1-0 · chess.com Speed 3m+1spm 2017 · 2018-07-24
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2805) – GM Anish Giri (2745) 0-1 · Bullet Chess Losers 2024 · 2024-06-11
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2805) – GM Anish Giri (2745) 1/2-1/2 · Bullet Chess Losers 2024 · 2024-06-11
- GM Levon Aronian (2742) – GM Hans Moke Niemann (2736) 1-0 · Niemann-Aronian 2025 · 2025-06-21
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2777) – GM Daniil Dubov (2699) 1/2-1/2 · Chessable Masters GpA · 2020-06-22
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Chameleon Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- canc3111 (2783) – IM Mlchael (2895) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- canc3111 (2793) – IM shuriks91 (2797) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- IM Chigorinez (2733) – Qvagmire (2783) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6
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.