Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Nb3
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Schlechter 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. Nb3. 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 730 times by this move order. White won 45%, 5% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 6… Bb4 (82% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.18 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 6… Bb4 7. Bd2 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 O-O 9. Qf3)
- ECO
- B33
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp1p1ppp/2n2n2/4p3/4P3/1NN5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Nb3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 35 | |
| 1500-1999 | 422 | |
| 2000+ | 273 | |
| All | 730 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… Bb4 | 595 (82%) | |
| 6… d6 | 78 (11%) | |
| 6… a6 | 15 (2%) | |
| 6… Be7 | 15 (2%) | |
| 6… h6 | 9 (1%) | |
| 6… a5 | 8 (1%) | |
| 6… b6 | 3 (0%) | |
| 6… Bc5 | 2 (0%) |
Master games
320 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 26%, draw 16%, Black 58%). The strongest:
- GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (2726) – GM Yuriy Kuzubov (2699) 1-0 · World Blitz 2017 · 2017-12-29
- GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (2678) – FM Augustin Droin (2283) 1-0 · Tetraktys Concept Mgmt Bl · 2021-06-06
- FM Ferran Cervello Tost (2367) – IM Gaioz Nigalidze (2534) 1/2-1/2 · 21st Sants Open 2019 · 2019-08-26
- Jiri Bouska (2257) – GM Sergei Azarov (2559) 0-1 · 23rd ch-EUR Indiv 2023 · 2023-03-03
- Dariusz Strejczek (2149) – GM Sergei Zhigalko (2641) 0-1 · European Blitz 2017 · 2017-12-15
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM bomber1234 (2616) – ordinarymen (2457) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- wegadikuki (2463) – Kirusha2005 (2433) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- wegadikuki (2456) – Dexeian (2395) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-01 · 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.