Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Exchange Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nc3 Nxc3
The Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Exchange Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B29, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nc3 Nxc3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 100 times by this move order. White won 45%, 8% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 5. dxc3 (86% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.82 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 5. dxc3 Nc6 6. Bf4 Qb6 7. b3 Qc7)
- ECO
- B29
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp1ppppp/8/2p1P3/8/2n2N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nc3 Nxc3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 5 | |
| 1500-1999 | 16 | |
| 2000+ | 79 | |
| All | 100 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. dxc3 | 86 (86%) | |
| 5. bxc3 | 14 (14%) |
Master games
668 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 18%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- Stockfish dev-20260228-702d4b8c (3796) – Torch 20260128-7136070b (3716) 1-0 · TCEC 29 Premier 2026 · 2026-03-06
- Torch 20260128-7136070b (3716) – Stockfish dev-20260228-702d4b8c (3796) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 29 Premier 2026 · 2026-03-03
- LCZero 0.30-dag-9a9c42d_784968 (3599) – Stockfish dev16_20221027 (3625) 1-0 · TCEC 23 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-11-16
- Stockfish dev16_20221027 (3625) – LCZero 0.30-dag-9a9c42d_784968 (3599) 1-0 · TCEC 23 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-11-16
- SlowChess Blitz 2.9 avx2 (3418) – Ethereal 14.24 (3535) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
Highest-rated Lichess games
- sunchess137 (2655) – GrazyHunter (2667) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- BlackScholesModel (2600) – FM sutcunuri (2591) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- KidwithCamera (2468) – KaptanPark (2587) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Advance Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5
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.