Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation (5… d6 6. Be2)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B83, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 124 times by this move order. White won 41%, 9% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 6… a6 (51% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 6… Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. f4 e5 9. fxe5)
- ECO
- B83
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/3ppn2/8/3NP3/2N5/PPP1BPPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3 | |
| 1500-1999 | 41 | |
| 2000+ | 80 | |
| All | 124 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… a6 | 63 (51%) | |
| 6… Be7 | 51 (41%) | |
| 6… Nc6 | 8 (6%) | |
| 6… Nbd7 | 1 (1%) | |
| 6… b6 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
779 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 34%, draw 26%, Black 40%). The strongest:
- GM Luke J McShane (2713) – GM Loek Van Wely (2691) 1/2-1/2 · Remco Heite Inv · 2012-11-18
- GM Teimour Radjabov (2738) – GM Ilia Smirin (2655) 1-0 · FIDE World Cup 2015 · 2015-09-16
- GM Kamil Miton (2605) – GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (2672) 0-1 · Bundesliga 2017-18 · 2017-10-21
- GM S.P. Sethuraman (2532) – GM Loek Van Wely (2684) 0-1 · O2C Doeberl Cup Premier 2013 · 2013-04-01
- GM Evgeny Alekseev (2682) – GM Yuri Yakovich (2523) 1/2-1/2 · Chigorin Mem Blitz 2014 · 2014-10-17
Highest-rated Lichess games
- feetquestionwhither (2648) – whaflc-jevtic (2433) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- aionix64 (2454) – EpicEffects (2505) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- saint_revenge (2441) – IM Ogloblin (2461) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation (8… Nc6 9. Be3) B83 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. f4 Nc6 9. Be3
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.