Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Exchange Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxc6
The Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Exchange Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B45, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxc6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 170 times by this move order. White won 41%, 3% were drawn and Black won 56%. The most popular continuation is 6… bxc6 (98% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.31 (Stockfish, depth 54; best line 6… bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4 Bb7 9. c4)
- ECO
- B45
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp1p1ppp/2N1pn2/8/4P3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxc6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 10 | |
| 1500-1999 | 74 | |
| 2000+ | 86 | |
| All | 170 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… bxc6 | 167 (98%) | |
| 6… dxc6 | 3 (2%) |
Master games
439 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 20%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) – Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-01
- Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) – LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-01
- GM Alireza Firouzja (2804) – GM Richard Rapport (2776) 1/2-1/2 · Superbet Classic 2022 · 2022-05-08
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2729) – GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2780) 0-1 · Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs · 2026-04-24
- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2717) – GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2780) 0-1 · Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs · 2026-04-24
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Sanjay_Noob (2427) – Walion_Tualag (2467) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- wolvesKA9 (2444) – JustAGuyWithJeans (2432) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Krasnoznamensk (2374) – Kartviller (2472) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6
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.