Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g4
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO B81, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g4. 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 133 times by this move order. White won 48%, 7% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 6… h6 (56% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.44 (Stockfish, depth 52; best line 6… h6 7. Rg1 Be7 8. Qe2 Nc6 9. Be3)
- ECO
- B81
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/3ppn2/8/3NP1P1/2N5/PPP2P1P/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 12 | |
| 2000+ | 121 | |
| All | 133 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… h6 | 75 (56%) | |
| 6… e5 | 17 (13%) | |
| 6… Be7 | 16 (12%) | |
| 6… a6 | 14 (11%) | |
| 6… Nc6 | 9 (7%) | |
| 6… d5 | 2 (2%) |
Master games
1,525 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 49%, draw 22%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- Stockfish dev-20260228-702d4b8c (3796) – LCZero 0.33-dev-f6ec55c-BT4-6147500-it332 (3749) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 29 Premier 2026 · 2026-03-06
- LCZero 0.33-dev-f6ec55c-BT4-6147500-it332 (3749) – Stockfish dev-20260228-702d4b8c (3796) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 29 Premier 2026 · 2026-03-04
- LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3634) – Stockfishdev-20240513-e608eab8 (3662) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Superfinal 2024 · 2024-05-19
- Stockfishdev-20240513-e608eab8 (3662) – LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3634) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Superfinal 2024 · 2024-05-19
- LCZero 0.28-dev+_69626 (3623) – Stockfish 14_202107131735 (3639) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Superfinal 2021 · 2021-07-22
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Yakamuzosan (2689) – puziko52 (2800) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- bombokobombo123456 (2647) – Italiangangster (2741) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Nut5105 (2685) – CM Rumbitttos (2652) 1-0 · 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
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.