Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation (10. Nd5 f5)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov 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 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 172 times by this move order. White won 56%, 4% were drawn and Black won 40%. The most popular continuation is 11. Bd3 (33% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.04 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 11. c3 Bg7 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 O-O)
- ECO
- B33
- Moves
- 20 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/5p1p/p1np4/1p1Npp2/4P3/N7/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 11- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2 | |
| 1500-1999 | 30 | |
| 2000+ | 140 | |
| All | 172 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 11. Bd3 | 57 (33%) | |
| 11. c3 | 47 (27%) | |
| 11. Bxb5 Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Peresypkin's Sacrifice | 23 (13%) | |
| 11. g3 | 13 (8%) | |
| 11. exf5 | 12 (7%) | |
| 11. f3 | 7 (4%) | |
| 11. c4 | 5 (3%) | |
| 11. Nxb5 | 5 (3%) |
Master games
1,212 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 24%, Black 31%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2784) – GM Boris Gelfand (2755) 0-1 · 8th Tal Memorial · 2013-06-21
- GM So, W. (2754) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2772) 1/2-1/2 · Moscow FIDE Grand Prix · 2019-05-22
- GM So, W. (2753) – GM Praggnanandhaa R (2761) 1/2-1/2 · World Blitz 2025 · 2025-12-29
- GM Vladimir Kramnik (2753) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2745) 1/2-1/2 · Satty Zhuldyz Blitz 2023 · 2023-04-25
- GM Sam Shankland (2720) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2776) 0-1 · Saint Louis Blitz 2022 · 2022-08-29
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM liczner (2703) – Cuentatorneos (2651) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- saemon (2605) – Sawa-169 (2529) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
- yeti806 (2550) – Sawa-169 (2546) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation (8. Na3 b5) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Peresypkin's Sacrifice B33 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bxb5
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.