Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6
The Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B40, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6. 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 468 times by this move order. White won 42%, 7% were drawn and Black won 51%. The most popular continuation is 5. Nc3 (52% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.54 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5. c3 Nc6 6. Be3 Nxd4 7. Bxd4 Qc7)
- ECO
- B40
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnb1kbnr/pp1p1ppp/1q2p3/8/3NP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 20 | |
| 1500-1999 | 305 | |
| 2000+ | 143 | |
| All | 468 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Nc3 | 243 (52%) | |
| 5. Nb3 | 101 (22%) | |
| 5. c3 | 44 (9%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 22 (5%) | |
| 5. c4 | 13 (3%) | |
| 5. b3 | 10 (2%) | |
| 5. Be2 | 9 (2%) | |
| 5. Nf3 | 8 (2%) |
Master games
695 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 18%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- Ethereal14.35 (3523) – KomodoDragon3.3 (3592) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-04
- KomodoDragon3.3 (3592) – Ethereal14.35 (3523) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-01
- Berserk dev10_20220912 (3509) – Stoofvlees II b1 (3511) 1-0 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- Stoofvlees II b1 (3511) – Berserk dev10_20220912 (3509) 1-0 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2789) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) 0-1 · Magnus Carlsen Inv KO · 2021-03-19
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Yakamuzosan (2733) – gmcyborek (2759) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- FuriaEn64 (2636) – gmcyborek (2733) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- K_426-izic (2543) – gmcyborek (2737) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4
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.