Sicilian Defense: Kramnik Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4
The Sicilian Defense: Kramnik Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B40, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4. 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 3,000 times by this move order. White won 51%, 5% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 3… Nc6 (52% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.12 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 3… Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nxc6)
- ECO
- B40
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1p1ppp/4p3/2p5/2P1P3/5N2/PP1P1PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 359 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,557 | |
| 2000+ | 1,084 | |
| All | 3,000 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… Nc6 | 1,555 (52%) | |
| 3… a6 | 496 (17%) | |
| 3… d5 | 319 (11%) | |
| 3… d6 | 176 (6%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 136 (5%) | |
| 3… b6 | 82 (3%) | |
| 3… Qc7 | 68 (2%) | |
| 3… g6 | 62 (2%) |
Master games
3,307 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 35%, draw 23%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2835) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2832) 1-0 · WCh Rapid TB 2018 · 2018-11-28
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2855) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2804) 1/2-1/2 · GCT Blitz Paris 2016 · 2016-06-11
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2831) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2799) 0-1 · Tata Steel India Blitz · 2024-11-16
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2859) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2741) 1-0 · Meltwater Tour Final 2022 · 2022-11-16
- GM Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (2739) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2799) 0-1 · Chennai GM 2024 · 2024-11-05
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Kramnik Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- saemon (2610) – Erarxady (2650) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
- tapkus (2615) – saemon (2609) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
- Sic_Transit_GM (2656) – SKTEasyhoon (2532) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: French Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6
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.