Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6

The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen 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. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 6 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 938 times by this move order. White won 45%, 6% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 6. Bg5 (19% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.49 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 6. g4 h6 7. Rg1 Nc6 8. Be3 Be7)

ECO: B80
Moves: 10 plies
FEN: rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/3ppn2/8/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 6
PGN: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	34	35%62%
1500-1999	349	45%50%
2000+	555	46%48%
All	938	45%49%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
6. Bg5	181 (19%)	38%57%
6. Be3	146 (16%)	53%43%
6. g4 Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack	133 (14%)	48%45%
6. Be2 Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation (5… d6 6. Be2)	124 (13%)	41%50%
6. Bd3	101 (11%)	46%49%
6. Bc4 Sozin Attack	79 (8%)	51%47%
6. Bb5+ Scheveningen Variation, Vitolins Variation	60 (6%)	37%58%
6. g3 Scheveningen Variation, Fianchetto Variation	28 (3%)	54%46%

Master games

1,338 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 18%, Black 41%). The strongest:

Obsidian 14.06 (3555) – Stockfish dev-20241122-b7f17346 (3677) 1-0 · TCEC 27 Premier 2024 · 2024-11-28
Stockfish dev-20241122-b7f17346 (3677) – Obsidian 14.06 (3555) 1-0 · TCEC 27 Premier 2024 · 2024-11-26
Stockfish dev16_20221027 (3625) – LCZero 0.30-dag-9a9c42d_784968 (3599) 1-0 · TCEC 23 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-11-04
LCZero 0.30-dag-9a9c42d_784968 (3599) – Stockfish dev16_20221027 (3625) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-11-03
KomodoDragon 2894.00 (3600) – Stockfish dev15_20220401 (3617) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-04-18

Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation and its sub-variations

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: French Variation, Normal 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6

Continuations

Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation (5… d6 6. Be2) B83 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Fianchetto Variation B80 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g3
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack B81 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g4
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Matanovic Attack B82 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. f4
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Vitolins Variation B80 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bb5+
Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack B86 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4

More Sicilian Defense lines (all)

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.