Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack
1. e4 c5 2. b3
The Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO B20, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. b3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 6,160 times by this move order. White won 47%, 4% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 2… Nc6 (43% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.13 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 2… Nc6 3. Bb2 d6 4. Bb5 Bd7 5. f4)
- ECO
- B20
- Moves
- 3 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/4P3/1P6/P1PP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 2- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. b3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,148 | |
| 1500-1999 | 3,498 | |
| 2000+ | 1,514 | |
| All | 6,160 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2… Nc6 | 2,673 (43%) | |
| 2… d6 | 1,124 (18%) | |
| 2… e6 | 964 (16%) | |
| 2… d5 | 332 (5%) | |
| 2… e5 | 317 (5%) | |
| 2… Nf6 | 293 (5%) | |
| 2… g6 | 268 (4%) | |
| 2… a6 | 98 (2%) |
Master games
4,870 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 16%, Black 40%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2881) – GM Rafael Leitao (2645) 1-0 · Four Player Festa da Uva 2014 · 2014-03-06
- GM Alexander Morozevich (2731) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2775) 0-1 · FIDE World Rapid 2014 · 2014-06-17
- GM Dmitry Andreikin (2712) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2791) 0-1 · 45th GM 2017 · 2017-07-23
- GM Vladimir Kramnik (2796) – GM Ernesto Inarkiev (2695) 1-0 · 66th ch-RUS 2013 · 2013-10-11
- GM David Navara (2734) – GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2727) 1-0 · IMSA Blitz 2016 · 2016-02-29
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM Apex960 (2662) – IM shuriks91 (2764) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Smiling_Friend (2443) – F1nal_Masquerade (2798) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 2s
- mikmikci (2546) – NeuroChess-Academie (2690) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) 1. e4 c5
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. b3 b6
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. b3 d5 3. Bb2
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
- Sicilian Defense: Kronberger Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Kronberger Variation, Nemeth Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Dunne Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Mengarini Variation 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.