Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation, Paulsen Variation (9… d6 10. a4)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Kh1 Be7 9. f4 d6 10. a4
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. Kh1 Be7 9. f4 d6 10. a4. 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 1 times by this move order. White won 0%, 0% were drawn and Black won 100%. The most popular continuation is 10… b6 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.11 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 10… Nxd4 11. Qxd4 O-O 12. a5 Bd7 13. Qe3)
- ECO
- B85
- Moves
- 19 plies
- FEN
r1b1k2r/1pq1bppp/p1nppn2/8/P2NPP2/2N5/1PP1B1PP/R1BQ1R1K b kq - 0 10- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Kh1 Be7 9. f4 d6 10. a4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 1 | |
| All | 1 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 10… b6 | 1 (100%) |
Master games
8 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 24%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- GM Zbynek Hracek (2565) – GM Borki Predojevic (2586) 1/2-1/2 · 29th TCh-CRO Div 1a 2021 · 2021-09-30
- IM Alexander Slizhevsky (2428) – IM Semen Khanin (2514) 0-1 · Lozovatsky Mem A 2019 · 2019-01-20
- FM Julijan Plenca (2349) – GM Ognjen Jovanic (2535) 1/2-1/2 · 22nd TCh-CRO Cup 2013 · 2013-05-26
- FM Cesar Hidemitsu Umetsubo (2370) – IM Roberto Junio Brito Molina (2436) 0-1 · 3rd Floripa Masters 2016 · 2016-01-23
- Pavel Miroshnichenko (2263) – FM Stanislaw Zylka (2342) 1-0 · 27th Cracovia Open A · 2016-12-29
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Wichmann1 (2151) – Gpermin (2155) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 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.