Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Ivkov Variation

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qa5 8. Qd2 e6 9. O-O-O b5 10. Bb3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Nc5 12. e5

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Ivkov Variation after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qa5 8. Qd2 e6 9. O-O-O b5 10. Bb3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Nc5 12. e5 87654321abcdefgh

The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Ivkov Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B94, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qa5 8. Qd2 e6 9. O-O-O b5 10. Bb3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Nc5 12. e5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.

This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.

Engine evaluation: −0.41 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 12… dxe5 13. Bxe6 b4 14. Bf5 Be7 15. Na4)

ECO
B94
Moves
23 plies
FEN
r3kb1r/1b3ppp/p2ppn2/qpn1P1B1/3N4/1BN5/PPPQ1PPP/2KRR3 b kq - 0 12
PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qa5 8. Qd2 e6 9. O-O-O b5 10. Bb3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Nc5 12. e5

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

Comes from

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (5… a6 6. Bg5) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5

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.