Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Retreat Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Nf3
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Retreat 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. Nf3. 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 538 times by this move order. White won 40%, 6% were drawn and Black won 54%. The most popular continuation is 6… Bb4 (79% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.14 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 6… Bb4 7. Bc4 O-O 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3)
- ECO
- B33
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp1p1ppp/2n2n2/4p3/4P3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 79 | |
| 1500-1999 | 347 | |
| 2000+ | 112 | |
| All | 538 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… Bb4 | 427 (79%) | |
| 6… d6 | 50 (9%) | |
| 6… Bc5 | 22 (4%) | |
| 6… a6 | 14 (3%) | |
| 6… Be7 | 13 (2%) | |
| 6… h6 | 8 (1%) | |
| 6… g6 | 2 (0%) | |
| 6… d5 | 2 (0%) |
Master games
238 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 21%, draw 11%, Black 68%). The strongest:
- FM Dmitry Goltsev (2232) – GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 4th Oct Early · 2022-10-04
- GM Jiri Stocek (2604) – FM Dragan Popadic (2157) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 9th Feb · 2021-02-09
- FM Nicholas Paltrinieri (2338) – GM Jose Cubas (2420) 0-1 · 30th Abu Dhabi Masters · 2024-08-20
- Linxi Zhu (2168) – GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 25th Feb Late · 2025-02-25
- Alexander Kurilin (2315) – Manvel Pogosian (2390) 0-1 · Pervomaisky IM Autumn · 2016-10-02
Highest-rated Lichess games
- ERSamuels2811 (2346) – WesleyAraxa (2297) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- hajk1 (2299) – NotName19 (2337) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 600 + 0s
- Ranpen (2228) – PRABAHAR23 (2406) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 600 + 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.