Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Leonhardt Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6
The Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Leonhardt Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B88, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 192 times by this move order. White won 52%, 5% were drawn and Black won 43%. The most popular continuation is 7. O-O (38% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.35 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 7. Be3 a6 8. Bb3 Na5 9. f4 Qc7)
- ECO
- B88
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/2nppn2/8/2BNP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 7- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 5 | |
| 1500-1999 | 82 | |
| 2000+ | 105 | |
| All | 192 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. O-O | 73 (38%) | |
| 7. Bb3 | 45 (23%) | |
| 7. Be3 Sozin Attack, Main Line | 41 (21%) | |
| 7. Bg5 | 14 (7%) | |
| 7. f3 | 7 (4%) | |
| 7. Nxc6 | 4 (2%) | |
| 7. a3 | 3 (2%) | |
| 7. h3 | 2 (1%) |
Master games
229 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 31%, draw 20%, Black 49%). The strongest:
- IM Emin Ohanyan (2489) – GM Anish Giri (2775) 1-0 · Bullet Chess Losers 2023 · 2023-07-18
- IM Diego Rafael Di Berardino (2471) – GM Kirill Alekseenko (2696) 1-0 · Titled Tue 18th Aug · 2020-08-18
- IM Mikhail Al. Antipov (2470) – GM Dmitry Kononenko (2608) 1-0 · 23rd Czech Open Rapid · 2012-07-19
- GM Toms Kantans (2512) – GM Meskovs, N. (2557) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-LAT 2019 · 2019-02-17
- IM Alexandru Manea (2399) – GM Constantin Lupulescu (2631) 0-1 · TCh-ROU Superliga 2017 · 2017-11-19
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Leonhardt Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- secret_mikalsen (2603) – Provence19 (2555) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- procosmicrider (2357) – chessflash88 (2537) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- InSergey (2358) – IM CleverKenkz (2446) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Open (4. Nxd4 Nf6) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Main Line B89 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3
- Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Fischer Variation B88 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 Be7 8. Be3 O-O 9. f4
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.