Sicilian Defense: Paulsen-Basman Defense
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
The Sicilian Defense: Paulsen-Basman Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B40, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5. 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 1,832 times by this move order. White won 45%, 4% were drawn and Black won 51%. The most popular continuation is 5. Nc3 (28% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.60 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 5. Be3 Qb6 6. Na3 Qa5+ 7. Bd2 Qd8)
- ECO
- B40
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqk1nr/pp1p1ppp/4p3/2b5/3NP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 280 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,217 | |
| 2000+ | 335 | |
| All | 1,832 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Nc3 | 516 (28%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 477 (26%) | |
| 5. Nb3 | 431 (24%) | |
| 5. c3 | 141 (8%) | |
| 5. Nf3 | 73 (4%) | |
| 5. c4 | 55 (3%) | |
| 5. Nb5 | 42 (2%) | |
| 5. Bc4 | 42 (2%) |
Master games
1,137 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 11%, Black 46%). The strongest:
- GM Ernesto Inarkiev (2709) – GM Nikita Vitiugov (2726) 1-0 · World Blitz 2016 · 2016-12-29
- GM Peter Leko (2707) – GM Nikita Vitiugov (2725) 1/2-1/2 · World Blitz 2015 · 2015-10-14
- GM Andrei Volokitin (2649) – GM Nikita Vitiugov (2726) 1/2-1/2 · World Blitz 2016 · 2016-12-30
- GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov (2704) – GM Vladimir Fedoseev (2659) 1/2-1/2 · World Blitz 2015 · 2015-10-13
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2773) – GM Jose Carlos Ibarra Jerez (2570) 1-0 · Titled Tue 8th Feb Late · 2022-02-08
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Paulsen-Basman Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM mick_chess (2759) – Nikita240712 (2436) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 2s
- IM Angelicanmade (2552) – FM lukas1254 (2560) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- tommy_pug (2550) – FM lukas1254 (2562) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4
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.