Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation (8… Nc6 9. Be3)
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
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern 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 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. f4 Nc6 9. Be3. 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 2 times by this move order. White won 100%, 0% were drawn and Black won 0%. The most popular continuation is 9… a6 (50% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.18 (Stockfish, depth 35; best line 9… e5 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Kh1 exf4 12. Bxf4)
- ECO
- B83
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/2nppn2/8/3NPP2/2N1B3/PPP1B1PP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 2 9- PGN
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
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… a6 | 1 (50%) | |
| 9… Bd7 | 1 (50%) |
Master games
66 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 26%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- GM Tomas Petrik (2498) – GM Robert Kempinski (2623) 0-1 · TCh-CZE Extraliga 2014-15 · 2015-03-29
- GM Enamul Hossain (2431) – GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (2687) 0-1 · 42nd Olympiad 2016 · 2016-09-06
- GM Mathias Womacka (2441) – GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (2678) 1/2-1/2 · 19th OIBM 2015 · 2015-11-03
- IM Stephen J Solomon (2369) – GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (2686) 0-1 · Sydney Open 2014 · 2014-04-24
- IM Fabrizio Bellia (2440) – GM Cristhian Cruz (2571) 0-1 · 20th Sants Open 2018 · 2018-08-21
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Cliquot (2100) – Ramoneg (2062) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- Herbie239 (1970) – gummo41 (1932) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
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
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation (9… Bd7 10. Nb3) 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 Bd7 10. Nb3
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.