- ECO code
- B33
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 502
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1955–2026
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation is the opening filed under ECO code B33, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 502 games on this line — the 210th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1955 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 237 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 30% of those games, 45% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 10 points.
From this position the most popular move is 9.Nd5, played in 280 games, followed by 9.Bxf6 (213) and 9.Nab1 (9). After 9.Nd5 White scores 33% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Anand,V (38 games); on the Black side, Carlsen,M (42).
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 30% (153)
- Draws 45% (223)
- Black 25% (126)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.Nd5 | 280 | 33/44/23 | — |
| 9.Bxf6 | 213 | 28/45/27 | — |
| 9.Nab1 | 9 | 11/33/56 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 · 21,789 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 · 18,942 games
- Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 4,730 games
- Sicilian Defense: Open · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 · 2,339 games
- Sicilian Defense: Open · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 · 2,338 games
- Sicilian Defense: Open · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 · 2,337 games
- Sicilian Defense: Open · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 1,384 games
- Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 · 699 games
Played most often by
As White
- Anand,V 38
- Shirov,A 33
- Karjakin,Sergey 26
As Black
- Carlsen,M 42
- Shirov,A 34
- Caruana,F 30
Games per decade
- 1950s 1
- 1970s 5
- 1980s 6
- 1990s 59
- 2000s 237
- 2010s 93
- 2020s 101
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panesar,Vedant | Ivanchuk,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Tata Steel Challengers |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Fedoseev,Vl3 | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 14th May 2026 |
| Azarov,S | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn3 |
| Fier,A | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 23rd Jun 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Zhigalko,S | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 14th May 2026 |
| Anand,V | Praggnanandhaa,R | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code B33, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation good for White or for Black?
In 502 master games on this line White wins 30%, 45% are drawn and Black wins 25%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation?
9.Nd5 — played in 280 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation?
On the White side Anand,V (38), Shirov,A (33), Karjakin,Sergey (26); on the Black side Carlsen,M (42), Shirov,A (34), Caruana,F (30).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.