Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation (5. Nc3 g6)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6
The Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B70, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 12,213 times by this move order. White won 47%, 5% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 6. Be3 (40% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.50 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Qd2 O-O)
- ECO
- B70
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp2pp1p/3p1np1/8/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 846 | |
| 1500-1999 | 6,007 | |
| 2000+ | 5,360 | |
| All | 12,213 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Be3 Dragon Variation (5… g6 6. Be3) | 4,859 (40%) | |
| 6. Bc4 | 1,649 (14%) | |
| 6. Bg5 | 1,250 (10%) | |
| 6. Be2 Dragon Variation, Classical Variation (5… g6 6. Be2) | 1,150 (9%) | |
| 6. f3 | 1,115 (9%) | |
| 6. Bd3 | 644 (5%) | |
| 6. f4 Dragon Variation, Levenfish Variation | 423 (3%) | |
| 6. Bb5+ | 411 (3%) |
Master games
2,988 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 15%, Black 41%). The strongest:
- Fire 8_beta (3729) – rofChade 2.303 (3661) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-06-14
- rofChade 2.303 (3661) – Fire 8_beta (3729) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-06-10
- StoofvleesII a18 (3532) – LCZero0.28.0-rc1_69146 (3614) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-07-10
- LCZero0.28.0-rc1_69146 (3614) – StoofvleesII a18 (3532) 1-0 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-07-07
- ScorpioNN 3.0.8.3 (3448) – AllieStein v0.8-120f959_net-15.0 (3536) 0-1 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-04
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Tempstream (2758) – Drogono (2822) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- smihir6 (2695) – FM Guary1 (2875) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- newaccs (2704) – Drogono (2844) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation (5… g6 6. Be3) B72 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation (5… g6 6. Be2) B70 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Fianchetto Variation B70 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. g3
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Levenfish Variation B71 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. f4
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.