Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Advance Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5
The Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Advance Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B29, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,773 times by this move order. White won 49%, 5% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 3… Nd5 (85% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.53 (Stockfish, depth 42; best line 3… Nd5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Nxd5 exd5 6. d4)
- ECO
- B29
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp1ppppp/5n2/2p1P3/8/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 359 | |
| 1500-1999 | 747 | |
| 2000+ | 667 | |
| All | 1,773 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… Nd5 | 1,504 (85%) | |
| 3… Ng4 | 142 (8%) | |
| 3… Ne4 | 58 (3%) | |
| 3… Ng8 | 54 (3%) | |
| 3… Nh5 | 5 (0%) | |
| 3… d6 | 3 (0%) | |
| 3… Nc6 | 2 (0%) | |
| 3… e6 | 2 (0%) |
Master games
1,741 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 18%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) – Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) 1-0 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
- Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) – LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) 1-0 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2782) – GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2725) 1-0 · Julius Baer Rapid Div 1 L · 2023-09-01
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2789) – GM Evgeniy Najer (2646) 0-1 · Moscow Blitz Final 2014 · 2014-09-06
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2803) – GM Naroditsky, D. (2619) 0-1 · Titled Tue 28th Jan Late · 2025-01-28
Highest-rated Lichess games
- kuhmft (2840) – FM Squoznyak (2863) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2892) – simple_hunter (2713) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- IM Hripach007 (2708) – FM Squoznyak (2883) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Exchange Variation B29 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nc3 Nxc3
- Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Main Line B29 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Nxd5 exd5 6. d4 Nc6
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.