Sicilian Defense: Jalalabad Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e5
The Sicilian Defense: Jalalabad Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B27, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e5. 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 819 times by this move order. White won 58%, 4% were drawn and Black won 38%. The most popular continuation is 3. Nxe5 (29% of games).
Engine evaluation: +1.63 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. d3 f5)
- ECO
- B27
- Moves
- 4 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1p1ppp/8/2p1p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 447 | |
| 1500-1999 | 315 | |
| 2000+ | 57 | |
| All | 819 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Nxe5 | 241 (29%) | |
| 3. Bc4 | 237 (29%) | |
| 3. Nc3 | 108 (13%) | |
| 3. c3 | 103 (13%) | |
| 3. d4 | 72 (9%) | |
| 3. d3 | 13 (2%) | |
| 3. c4 | 11 (1%) | |
| 3. Be2 | 9 (1%) |
Master games
21 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 52%, draw 10%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- GM Velimir Ivic (2553) – WGM Jiner Zhu (2484) 1-0 · Titled Tue 4th Oct Early · 2022-10-04
- GM Samuel Sevian (2694) – FM Maciej Sroczynski (2236) 1-0 · Titled Tue 8th Apr Late · 2025-04-08
- IM Arystanbek Urazayev (2458) – IM Arnaldo Fernandez De La Vara (2462) 1-0 · Titled Tue 18th Oct Early · 2022-10-18
- GM Boris Savchenko (2535) – FM Jose Antonio Herrera Reyes (2319) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 28th Sept · 2021-09-28
- FM Diego Saul Rodri Flores Quillas (2245) – GM Aleksei Pridorozhni (2550) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 13th July · 2021-07-13
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Jalalabad Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- RA1981 (2317) – Vertical85 (2401) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- DonJohn1337 (2305) – Zzz0101 (2393) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- MagiqueRoger (2453) – Edssoto (2231) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 300 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (1… c5 2. Nf3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3
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.