Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation, Paulsen Variation (8… d6 9. f4)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 d6 9. f4
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation, Paulsen Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B85, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 d6 9. f4. 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 2 times by this move order. White won 50%, 0% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 9… Bd7 (50% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.18 (Stockfish, depth 38; best line 9… Be7 10. Qe1 O-O 11. Qg3 Nxd4 12. Bxd4)
- ECO
- B85
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
r1b1kb1r/1pq2ppp/p1nppn2/8/3NPP2/2N1B3/PPP1B1PP/R2Q1RK1 b kq - 0 9- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 d6 9. f4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 1 | |
| 2000+ | 1 | |
| All | 2 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9… Bd7 | 1 (50%) | |
| 9… Be7 | 1 (50%) |
Master games
34 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 24%, Black 32%). The strongest:
- GM Maxim Rodshtein (2699) – FM Mikolaj Tomczak (2372) 1-0 · European Rapid 2017 · 2017-12-17
- GM Pawel Jaracz (2474) – GM Zoltan Ribli (2555) 1/2-1/2 · Bundesliga 2016-17 · 2017-05-01
- IM Kacper Drozdowski (2461) – GM Vlastimil Babula (2551) 1/2-1/2 · 28th Czech Open A 2017 · 2017-07-27
- GM Kateryna Lagno (2547) – GM Anna Ushenina (2416) 0-1 · World Blitz Women 2017 · 2017-12-30
- GM Kateryna Lagno (2547) – GM Anna Ushenina (2416) 0-1 · 2nd IMSA Basque w 2017 · 2017-12-15
Highest-rated Lichess games
- lovestorycc (2369) – jherramk (2326) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- mortyisbread (1906) – LaurentiuI (1928) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 300 + 3s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation (5. Nc3 Qc7) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7
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.