Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Delayed Keres Attack
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Delayed Keres Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO B90, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4. 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 55 times by this move order. White won 56%, 6% were drawn and Black won 38%. The most popular continuation is 7… h6 (35% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 7… e5 8. Nf5 g6 9. g5 gxf5 10. exf5)
- ECO
- B90
- Moves
- 13 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/1p3ppp/p2ppn2/8/3NP1P1/2N1B3/PPP2P1P/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 0 7- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2 | |
| 1500-1999 | 9 | |
| 2000+ | 44 | |
| All | 55 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7… h6 | 19 (35%) | |
| 7… Be7 | 17 (31%) | |
| 7… b5 | 8 (15%) | |
| 7… Nfd7 | 3 (5%) | |
| 7… d5 | 2 (4%) | |
| 7… Nc6 | 2 (4%) | |
| 7… e5 | 2 (4%) | |
| 7… Qc7 | 2 (4%) |
Master games
411 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 18%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- Reckless 0.10.0-dev-b5462f11 (3763) – Stockfish dev-20260318-d173a06 (3807) 1-0 · TCEC 29 Superfinal 2026 · 2026-03-29
- Stockfish dev-20260318-d173a06 (3807) – Reckless 0.10.0-dev-b5462f11 (3763) 1-0 · TCEC 29 Superfinal 2026 · 2026-03-29
- Stockfish 202004181536 (3851) – Winter 0.7.4 (3495) 1-0 · 5th TCEC Cup 2020 · 2020-04-24
- Stockfish dev15_20220401 (3617) – KomodoDragon 2894.00 (3600) 1-0 · TCEC 22 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-04-08
- KomodoDragon 2894.00 (3600) – Stockfish dev15_20220401 (3617) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-04-07
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM KAPUTVSEMU (2831) – tsnylsw (2768) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- Arsenii2707 (2518) – Meatloaf927 (2709) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- legko2019 (2650) – SprengStoff (2550) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack (5… a6 6. Be3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Delayed Keres Attack, Perenyi Gambit B90 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4 e5 8. Nf5 g6 9. g5
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.