Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Vitolins Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bb5+
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Vitolins Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B80, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bb5+. 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 60 times by this move order. White won 37%, 5% were drawn and Black won 58%. The most popular continuation is 6… Bd7 (67% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.12 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 6… Bd7 7. Qe2 Be7 8. Be3 a6 9. Bd3)
- ECO
- B80
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/3ppn2/1B6/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bb5+
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 7 | |
| 1500-1999 | 33 | |
| 2000+ | 20 | |
| All | 60 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… Bd7 | 40 (67%) | |
| 6… Nbd7 | 19 (32%) | |
| 6… Nc6 | 1 (2%) |
Master games
27 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 22%, draw 8%, Black 70%). The strongest:
- GM Adam Kozak (2518) – IM Mark Plotkin (2430) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 13th Apr · 2021-04-13
- FM John Curtis (2292) – IM Nikolay Ogloblin (2346) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 26th Oct · 2021-10-26
- FM Ilan Schnaider (2218) – IM Bobir Sattarov (2366) 0-1 · Titled Tue 9th May Late · 2023-05-09
- FM John Curtis (2292) – FM Florian Daeschler (2219) 1-0 · Titled Tue 7th Jun Late · 2022-06-07
- Martin Schweighoffer (2124) – FM Mikolaj Tomczak (2383) 0-1 · Graz Open A 2018 · 2018-02-23
Highest-rated Lichess games
- AaronGT24 (2405) – siete7729 (2521) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- benga77 (2388) – Kacem2014 (2474) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
- domin4593579 (2186) – GM titan00013 (2647) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 300 + 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.