Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation (5. Nc3 a6)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6
The Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B46, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,474 times by this move order. White won 49%, 4% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 6. Be3 (49% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.37 (Stockfish, depth 51; best line 6. Bf4 d6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Qd2 Be7)
- ECO
- B46
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/1p1p1ppp/p1n1p3/8/3NP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 129 | |
| 1500-1999 | 897 | |
| 2000+ | 448 | |
| All | 1,474 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Be3 | 720 (49%) | |
| 6. Be2 | 167 (11%) | |
| 6. Nxc6 | 152 (10%) | |
| 6. Bc4 | 107 (7%) | |
| 6. a3 | 92 (6%) | |
| 6. Bf4 | 53 (4%) | |
| 6. g3 | 50 (3%) | |
| 6. a4 | 38 (3%) |
Master games
3,551 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 36%, draw 25%, Black 39%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2789) 1-0 · chess.com SpeedChess 2025 · 2025-11-14
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2789) 1-0 · chess.com SpeedChess 2025 · 2025-11-14
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2789) 0-1 · chess.com SpeedChess 2025 · 2025-11-14
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2801) – GM Veselin Topalov (2772) 1-0 · 2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014 · 2014-09-02
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2778) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2792) 1/2-1/2 · GCT Blitz Croatia 2021 · 2021-07-10
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Sunrise34 (2907) – evg85 (2799) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2863) – evg85 (2812) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- malosize (2732) – evg85 (2813) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation (4… Nc6 5. Nc3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3
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.