Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation (6… a6 7. Be2)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Be2
The Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B49, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Be2. 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 185 times by this move order. White won 45%, 4% were drawn and Black won 51%. The most popular continuation is 7… Nf6 (69% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.16 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 7… Nf6 8. O-O d6 9. f4 Be7 10. Kh1)
- ECO
- B49
- Moves
- 13 plies
- FEN
r1b1kbnr/1pqp1ppp/p1n1p3/8/3NP3/2N1B3/PPP1BPPP/R2QK2R b KQkq - 1 7- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Be2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 6 | |
| 1500-1999 | 82 | |
| 2000+ | 97 | |
| All | 185 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7… Nf6 | 128 (69%) | |
| 7… b5 | 48 (26%) | |
| 7… Bb4 | 5 (3%) | |
| 7… d6 | 2 (1%) | |
| 7… Nge7 | 1 (1%) | |
| 7… b6 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
1,198 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 35%, draw 26%, Black 39%). The strongest:
- GM Viswanathan Anand (2739) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2841) 0-1 · FIDE World Bl Team Pool A · 2026-06-20
- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2795) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2750) 0-1 · chess.com Speed 5m+2spm 2017 · 2017-10-23
- GM Veselin Topalov (2785) – GM Peter Svidler (2758) 1-0 · FIDE Candidates 2014 · 2014-03-27
- GM Sergey Karjakin (2775) – GM Alexander Morozevich (2748) 1/2-1/2 · SportAccord Rapid Men 2012 · 2012-12-14
- GM Sergey Karjakin (2775) – GM Alexander Morozevich (2748) 1-0 · FIDE GP Tashkent · 2012-11-29
Highest-rated Lichess games
- calibandalsal (2490) – CM El_Gran_Gonzalez (2467) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Prasanna123king (2445) – Cucumberos (2460) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Iurii-66 (2376) – bournvillewoodpusher (2421) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3
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.