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

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. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,779 times by this move order. White won 49%, 9% were drawn and Black won 42%. The most popular continuation is 9. Nd5 (74% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 49; best line 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Rb8)

ECO: B33
Moves: 16 plies
FEN: r1bqkb1r/5ppp/p1np1n2/1p2p1B1/4P3/N1N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 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

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

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	16	50%50%
1500-1999	461	48%44%
2000+	1,302	50%42%
All	1,779	49%42%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
9. Nd5 Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Chelyabinsk Variation	1,324 (74%)	47%44%
9. Bxf6	384 (22%)	56%38%
9. Nab1	58 (3%)	64%36%
9. Naxb5	4 (0%)	50%50%
9. Ne2	3 (0%)	67%33%
9. Nc4	1 (0%)	100%
9. Bxb5	1 (0%)	100%
9. b4	1 (0%)	100%

Master games

551 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 29%, Black 28%). The strongest:

GM Vladimir Kramnik (2753) – GM Vladimir Fedoseev (2704) 0-1 · Levitov Chess 50k 2022 · 2022-02-21
GM So, W. (2756) – GM Grigoriy Oparin (2661) 1/2-1/2 · ch-USA 2025 · 2025-10-24
GM Alan Pichot (2637) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2745) 0-1 · MrDodgy Inv 3 Finals · 2022-11-29
GM Bharath Subramaniyam H (2561) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2798) 1/2-1/2 · Julius Baer Gen Cup D3 W · 2024-09-28
GM Bharath Subramaniyam H (2561) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2798) 0-1 · Julius Baer Gen Cup D3 W · 2024-09-28

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

Highest-rated Lichess games

Kruciatos (2743) – canc3111 (2774) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
IM liczner (2702) – Nut5105 (2730) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
CM Unknown_Master459 (2671) – IM nickVet (2707) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s

Comes from

Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5

Continuations

Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Chelyabinsk Variation 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. Nd5
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation (10. Nd5 f5) 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
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Novosibirsk Variation 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 Bg7

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.