Sicilian Defense: Velimirovic Attack
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2
The Sicilian Defense: Velimirovic Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO B89, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2. 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 14 times by this move order. White won 64%, 0% were drawn and Black won 36%. The most popular continuation is 8… O-O (71% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.45 (Stockfish, depth 38; best line 8… O-O 9. O-O-O Bd7 10. Bb3 Qb8 11. g4)
- ECO
- B89
- Moves
- 15 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pp2bppp/2nppn2/8/2BNP3/2N1B3/PPP1QPPP/R3K2R b KQkq - 3 8- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 1 | |
| 2000+ | 13 | |
| All | 14 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8… O-O | 10 (71%) | |
| 8… a6 | 4 (29%) |
Master games
122 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 27%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- Stockfish dev-20230903-b25d68f6 (3666) – LCZero 0.31-dag-5107404-T2-5230000 (3633) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-10-04
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5107404-T2-5230000 (3633) – Stockfish dev-20230903-b25d68f6 (3666) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
- LCZero 0.30-dag-a9b25c2b-BT2-3 (3598) – Stockfish dev-20230409-b36d39d (3639) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 24 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-04-22
- Stockfish dev-20230409-b36d39d (3639) – LCZero 0.30-dag-a9b25c2b-BT2-3 (3598) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 24 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-04-22
- Ethereal 14.24 (3535) – RubiChess 20230823 (3508) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-10-04
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Velimirovic Attack and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Unyen (2407) – PKS-1988 (2265) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- belloid (2302) – Tavakolian3003 (2344) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- Kuprinvladimir (2336) – aleaiactaest2024 (2224) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Main Line 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 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.