Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bd7
The Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B56, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bd7. 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 124 times by this move order. White won 45%, 6% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 6. Bc4 (22% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.50 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bc1 Nf6 8. h3 g6)
- ECO
- B56
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rn1qkb1r/pp1bpppp/3p1n2/8/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 3 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bd7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 21 | |
| 1500-1999 | 74 | |
| 2000+ | 29 | |
| All | 124 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Bc4 | 27 (22%) | |
| 6. Be3 | 24 (19%) | |
| 6. Bg5 | 21 (17%) | |
| 6. Be2 | 17 (14%) | |
| 6. f3 | 13 (10%) | |
| 6. Bd3 | 10 (8%) | |
| 6. f4 | 4 (3%) | |
| 6. g3 | 2 (2%) |
Master games
1,045 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 22%, Black 45%). The strongest:
- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2780) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2872) 0-1 · 11th London Classic 2019 · 2019-12-04
- GM So, W. (2812) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) 1/2-1/2 · GCT Blitz YourNextMove · 2017-07-02
- GM Yangyi Yu (2752) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2882) 1-0 · Saint Louis Blitz 2019 · 2019-08-13
- GM Viswanathan Anand (2786) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) 1/2-1/2 · 5th Norway Blitz 2017 · 2017-06-05
- GM Sanan Sjugirov (2662) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2876) 0-1 · Chess24 Banter Blitz Cup · 2020-04-07
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM bartsimpson6 (2465) – WHAFLC-Aca (2588) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- Pirat22 (2489) – IM Biglindba (2495) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- sato4444 (2387) – Heavyisthecrown123 (2577) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 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.