Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Main Line (8… Nc6 9. Bc4)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4
The Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Main Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B77, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4. 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 416 times by this move order. White won 54%, 6% were drawn and Black won 40%. The most popular continuation is 9… Bd7 (71% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.32 (Stockfish, depth 53; best line 9… Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Qa5 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Bxe6)
- ECO
- B77
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp2ppbp/2np1np1/8/2BNP3/2N1BP2/PPPQ2PP/R3K2R b KQ - 4 9- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 18 | |
| 1500-1999 | 108 | |
| 2000+ | 290 | |
| All | 416 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9… Bd7 Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Main Line (9. Bc4 Bd7) | 296 (71%) | |
| 9… Nxd4 | 51 (12%) | |
| 9… Nd7 | 19 (5%) | |
| 9… a6 | 16 (4%) | |
| 9… Ne5 | 13 (3%) | |
| 9… Na5 | 6 (1%) | |
| 9… Qa5 | 4 (1%) | |
| 9… Qc7 | 3 (1%) |
Master games
397 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 54%, draw 20%, Black 26%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.28-dev+_69626 (3623) – Stockfish 14_202107131735 (3639) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Superfinal 2021 · 2021-08-04
- Stockfish 14_202107131735 (3639) – LCZero 0.28-dev+_69626 (3623) 1-0 · TCEC 21 Superfinal 2021 · 2021-08-04
- Stockfish dev-20230903-b25d68f6 (3666) – RubiChess 20230823 (3508) 1-0 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
- RubiChess 20230823 (3508) – Stockfish dev-20230903-b25d68f6 (3666) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
- KomodoDragon 3.2 (3569) – LCZero 0.30-dag-8092b376-BT2-3 (3573) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 24 Premier P/O 2023 · 2023-04-04
Highest-rated Lichess games
- OX528354 (2743) – FM fmjoseherrera (2604) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- NM logozar (2602) – AstorMonserrat (2703) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- NM logozar (2604) – PowerDrive (2573) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack (8. Qd2 Nc6) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Byrne Variation B77 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 a5
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Main Line (9. Bc4 Bd7) B77 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7
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.