Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Sveshnikov Transfer
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Ndb5 d6
The Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Sveshnikov Transfer 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. Ndb5 d6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 47 times by this move order. White won 72%, 5% were drawn and Black won 23%. The most popular continuation is 7. Bf4 (79% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.28 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5)
- ECO
- B45
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/2nppn2/1N6/4P3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 7- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Ndb5 d6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 13 | |
| 2000+ | 34 | |
| All | 47 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Bf4 | 37 (79%) | |
| 7. Bg5 | 6 (13%) | |
| 7. Be2 | 2 (4%) | |
| 7. a4 | 1 (2%) | |
| 7. Bc4 | 1 (2%) |
Master games
252 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 25%, Black 31%). The strongest:
- GM Viswanathan Anand (2743) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2775) 1/2-1/2 · Jerusalem Masters KO 2025 · 2025-12-03
- GM Dmitry Jakovenko (2719) – GM Anish Giri (2797) 1/2-1/2 · 3rd Du Te Cup 2019 · 2019-04-20
- GM Gata Kamsky (2666) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2785) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 22nd Nov Early · 2022-11-22
- GM David Navara (2727) – GM Yangyi Yu (2705) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-CHN Division A 2014 · 2014-12-08
- GM Hans Moke Niemann (2725) – GM Jorden Van Foreest (2703) 1/2-1/2 · 88th Tata Steel Masters · 2026-01-25
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM liczner (2701) – mmmmmnmmmmm (2554) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- CM vlaxaki (2576) – C01B01 (2597) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- FNENAD (2550) – MY_11 (2501) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 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.