Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 Be6
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B33, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 Be6. 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 52 times by this move order. White won 48%, 2% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 9. Nc4 (46% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.54 (Stockfish, depth 42; best line 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nd5 Qd8 11. Nc4 Rb8)
- ECO
- B33
- Moves
- 16 plies
- FEN
r2qkb1r/1p3ppp/p1npbn2/4p1B1/4P3/N1N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 2 9- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 Be6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 13 | |
| 2000+ | 38 | |
| All | 52 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9. Nc4 | 24 (46%) | |
| 9. Nd5 | 14 (27%) | |
| 9. Bxf6 | 4 (8%) | |
| 9. Be2 | 3 (6%) | |
| 9. Bc4 | 2 (4%) | |
| 9. Qe2 | 1 (2%) | |
| 9. g3 | 1 (2%) | |
| 9. f3 | 1 (2%) |
Master games
456 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 22%, Black 40%). The strongest:
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2747) – GM Boris Gelfand (2734) 1/2-1/2 · Eurasian Blitz Chess Cup · 2016-06-18
- GM Peter Leko (2693) – GM Rauf Mamedov (2688) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid 2016 · 2016-12-28
- GM Alexander Areshchenko (2690) – GM Kirill Shevchenko (2633) 1-0 · Kyiv-Lviv Region Blitz · 2021-09-15
- GM Robby Kevlishvili (2541) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2741) 1-0 · Titled Tue 25th Apr Late · 2023-04-25
- GM Ante Brkic (2563) – GM Rauf Mamedov (2703) 1/2-1/2 · European Rapid 2018 · 2018-12-09
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Crichero2024 (2545) – heyjana (2648) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 600 + 0s
- FM Ganec (2455) – howmuchisthefish2025 (2432) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- harrypotter619 (2369) – hightower26 (2393) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5
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.