Sicilian Defense: Heidenfeld Variation
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Na3
The Sicilian Defense: Heidenfeld Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B22, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Na3. 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 6 times by this move order. White won 50%, 0% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 5… d6 (67% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.09 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5… e6 6. g3 d6 7. Qe2 Nxe5 8. Nxe5)
- ECO
- B22
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp1ppppp/2n5/2pnP3/8/N1P2N2/PP1P1PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 4 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Na3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 2 | |
| 2000+ | 4 | |
| All | 6 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… d6 | 4 (67%) | |
| 5… e6 | 1 (17%) | |
| 5… a6 | 1 (17%) |
Master games
51 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 18%, Black 43%). The strongest:
- GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy (2629) – GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2627) 1-0 · Titled Tue 4th Aug 10am · 2020-08-04
- GM Baadur Jobava (2713) – FM Victor Stephan (2365) 1-0 · TCh-FRA Top 12 2017 · 2017-05-24
- GM Baadur Jobava (2603) – IM Victor Stephan (2439) 1-0 · ch-FRA Blitz Online Qual · 2020-05-16
- GM Sergey Smagin (2551) – FM Aleksey Grebnev (2469) 0-1 · ch-RUS Rapid 2021 · 2021-10-13
- GM Sergey Smagin (2551) – IM Alexander Gutenev (2469) 1-0 · ch-RUS Blitz 2019 · 2019-10-17
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Heidenfeld Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- MadeOutOfNothing (2392) – altamer (2422) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 300 + 0s
- bxVRc2lh (2282) – a90DegreesAngle (2452) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 600 + 0s
- InYourFace123 (2214) – Aljebal (2176) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 1. e4 c5 2. c3
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.