Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Chelyabinsk Variation

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. Nd5

The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Chelyabinsk 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. Nd5. 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 1,324 times by this move order. White won 47%, 9% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 9… Be7 (95% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.29 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 9… Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Rb8 12. Nc2)

ECO: B33
Moves: 17 plies
FEN: r1bqkb1r/5ppp/p1np1n2/1p1Np1B1/4P3/N7/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 1 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 b5 9. Nd5

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	11	45%55%
1500-1999	383	47%44%
2000+	930	46%44%
All	1,324	47%44%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
9… Be7	1,255 (95%)	47%44%
9… Qa5+	47 (4%)	38%22%40%
9… Be6	15 (1%)	47%47%
9… h6	4 (0%)	100%
9… Bb7	3 (0%)	67%33%

Master games

7,699 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 30%, Black 32%). The strongest:

LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) – Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-22
Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) – LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-22
GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2784) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) 1/2-1/2 · Airthings Masters Prelim · 2020-12-28
GM Anish Giri (2793) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2853) 1/2-1/2 · 3rd Sinquefield Cup 2015 · 2015-08-26
GM Leinier Dominguez Perez (2763) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2882) 1-0 · Saint Louis Blitz 2019 · 2019-08-14

Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Chelyabinsk Variation and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

CM Unknown_Master459 (2671) – IM nickVet (2707) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
FM RRS03 (2672) – Cuentatorneos (2663) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
bombokobombo123456 (2727) – CM Wild_of_luck (2585) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s

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

More Sicilian Defense lines (all)

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.