Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation (6… Bg7 7. Be2)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Be2
The Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B72, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Be2. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 375 times by this move order. White won 44%, 5% were drawn and Black won 51%. The most popular continuation is 7… O-O (78% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.18 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 7… Nc6 8. Qd2 Ng4 9. Bxg4 Bxg4 10. Nd5)
- ECO
- B72
- Moves
- 13 plies
- FEN
rnbqk2r/pp2ppbp/3p1np1/8/3NP3/2N1B3/PPP1BPPP/R2QK2R b KQkq - 3 7- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Be2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 21 | |
| 1500-1999 | 191 | |
| 2000+ | 163 | |
| All | 375 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7… O-O | 294 (78%) | |
| 7… Nc6 Dragon Variation, Classical Variation (7. Be2 Nc6) | 53 (14%) | |
| 7… a6 | 13 (3%) | |
| 7… Bd7 | 7 (2%) | |
| 7… Nbd7 | 6 (2%) | |
| 7… Kf8 | 1 (0%) | |
| 7… h5 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
482 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 22%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- GM Sergey Karjakin (2782) – GM Alexander Morozevich (2760) 1/2-1/2 · 8th Tal Mem Blitz · 2013-06-12
- GM David Navara (2681) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2725) 0-1 · Julius Baer GenCup Prelim · 2022-09-18
- GM Ilia Smirin (2663) – GM Kiril Georgiev (2636) 1-0 · FIDE World Blitz 2013 · 2013-06-09
- GM Ilia Smirin (2663) – Fidel Corrales Jimenez (2598) 1-0 · 2nd Washington Int · 2013-08-07
- GM Kacper Piorun (2659) – GM Tigran L. Petrosian (2589) 0-1 · Aeroflot Open A 2018 · 2018-02-21
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM Angelicanmade (2569) – contrapunctus_XI (2666) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Prasanna123king (2441) – CM d-pawn (2568) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- PeonEnigmatico2026 (2405) – hunterxhunterbest (2543) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation (5… g6 6. Be3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation (7. Be2 Nc6) B72 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Be2 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.