Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Amsterdam Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Qd2
The Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Amsterdam Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B72, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Qd2. 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 21 times by this move order. White won 67%, 9% were drawn and Black won 24%. The most popular continuation is 8… O-O (76% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.17 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 8… Ng4 9. Bxg4 Bxg4 10. Nd5 Be6 11. Nxe6)
- ECO
- B72
- Moves
- 15 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pp2ppbp/2np1np1/8/3NP3/2N1B3/PPPQBPPP/R3K2R b KQkq - 3 8- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Qd2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 6 | |
| 2000+ | 15 | |
| All | 21 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8… O-O | 16 (76%) | |
| 8… d5 | 2 (10%) | |
| 8… Ng4 | 2 (10%) | |
| 8… Nxd4 | 1 (5%) |
Master games
36 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 25%, draw 25%, Black 50%). The strongest:
- GM Daniil Lintchevski (2561) – GM Sanan Sjugirov (2663) 1-0 · Kurnosov Mem Rapid 2021 · 2021-09-11
- GM Elier Miranda Mesa (2512) – GM Francisco Vallejo Pons (2657) 1/2-1/2 · 45th Olympiad 2024 · 2024-09-13
- IM Artur Davtyan (2489) – GM Karen H. Grigoryan (2475) 1/2-1/2 · 86th ch-ARM HL 2026 · 2026-01-20
- CM Sarveshwaran V (2290) – GM Sam Shankland (2666) 0-1 · Titled Tue 13th May Early · 2025-05-13
- FM Marco Riehle (2356) – GM Lev Yankelevich (2459) 1/2-1/2 · Swiss Young Masters 2023 · 2023-04-11
Highest-rated Lichess games
- CM lisyender (2411) – Oldman57 (2320) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- AB_Riau (2326) – blitz273 (2352) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- Samy1975 (2385) – DBonhoeffer (2280) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Open (4. Nxd4 Nf6) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Grigoriev Variation B72 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-O-O
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.