Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Koch Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. e5
The Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Koch Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B40, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. e5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 237 times by this move order. White won 50%, 6% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 6… Nd5 (66% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.77 (Stockfish, depth 40; best line 6… Nd5 7. Qg4 Kf8 8. Bd3 d6 9. O-O)
- ECO
- B40
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
rnbqk2r/pp1p1ppp/4pn2/4P3/1b1N4/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. e5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 9 | |
| 1500-1999 | 94 | |
| 2000+ | 134 | |
| All | 237 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… Nd5 | 156 (66%) | |
| 6… Ne4 | 56 (24%) | |
| 6… Bxc3+ | 17 (7%) | |
| 6… Qa5 | 7 (3%) | |
| 6… Qc7 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
482 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 22%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- Stockfish dev16_202209170930 (3611) – SlowChess Blitz 2.9 avx2 (3491) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- SlowChess Blitz 2.9 avx2 (3491) – Stockfish dev16_202209170930 (3611) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- GM Peter Leko (2730) – GM Levon Aronian (2803) 0-1 · SportAccord Blitz Men 2013 · 2013-12-14
- GM So, W. (2753) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2775) 1/2-1/2 · Tata Steel India Blitz · 2026-01-11
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2771) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2712) 0-1 · chess.com SpeedChess 2023 · 2023-09-14
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Koch Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- ANKARA_MESSI2022 (2764) – NNChessBR (2724) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- sunchess137 (2692) – NNChessBR (2736) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- OX528354 (2752) – tonyrendon (2577) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4
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.