Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Polugaevsky Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5
The Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Polugaevsky Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B42, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5. 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 216 times by this move order. White won 56%, 4% were drawn and Black won 40%. The most popular continuation is 6. Nb3 (74% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.29 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 6. Nb3 Ba7 7. Qe2 d6 8. c4 Nc6)
- ECO
- B42
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rnbqk1nr/1p1p1ppp/p3p3/2b5/3NP3/3B4/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 2 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 5 | |
| 1500-1999 | 69 | |
| 2000+ | 142 | |
| All | 216 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Nb3 | 159 (74%) | |
| 6. Be3 | 24 (11%) | |
| 6. c3 | 20 (9%) | |
| 6. Nf3 | 10 (5%) | |
| 6. Ne2 | 3 (1%) |
Master games
4,281 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 22%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- Stockfish 202005232210 (3796) – LCZero v0.25.1-sv-t60-3010 (3809) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-06-05
- LCZero v0.25.1-sv-t60-3010 (3809) – Stockfish 202005232210 (3796) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-06-02
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) – Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-01
- Ethereal 14.24 (3535) – Stockfish dev-20230903-b25d68f6 (3666) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
- Stockfish dev-20230903-b25d68f6 (3666) – Ethereal 14.24 (3535) 1-0 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Lifvix01 (2807) – nuitet868688 (2712) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- Risingfreak (2626) – Albaber1991 (2780) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- GM Ucitelot (2624) – GM Grukjr (2658) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3
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.