- ECO code
- B33
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 699
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1910–2026
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan 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. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Lasker-Pelikan Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 699 games on this line — the 162nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1910 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 260 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 32% of those games, 41% end in a draw, and Black wins 27%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are more common here than usual, by 6 points.
From this position the most popular move is 6.Ndb5, played in 681 games, followed by 6.Nde2 (7) and 6.Nb3 (4). After 6.Ndb5 White scores 32% and Black 27%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (47 games); on the Black side, Carlsen,M (62).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 32% (221)
- Draws 41% (286)
- Black 27% (192)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.Ndb5 | 681 | 32/41/27 | — |
| 6.Nde2 | 7 | 29/42/29 | — |
| 6.Nb3 | 4 | 75/25/0 | — |
| 6.Nxc6 | 4 | 0/50/50 | — |
| 6.Nf5 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 6.Nf3 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Sveshnikov Variation · 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 · 502 games
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
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 47
- Anand,V 41
- Karjakin,Sergey 32
As Black
- Carlsen,M 62
- Caruana,F 51
- Shirov,A 39
Games per decade
- 1910s 1
- 1930s 1
- 1950s 3
- 1960s 4
- 1970s 11
- 1980s 13
- 1990s 72
- 2000s 260
- 2010s 130
- 2020s 204
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panesar,Vedant | Ivanchuk,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Tata Steel Challengers |
| Mahdavi,Reza | Vachier Lagrave,M | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 6th Jan 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Fedoseev,Vl3 | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 14th May 2026 |
| Krzyzanowski,M | Vachier Lagrave,M | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Azarov,S | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn3 |
| Fier,A | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 23rd Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan 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. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation good for White or for Black?
In 699 master games on this line White wins 32%, 41% are drawn and Black wins 27%. 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?
6.Ndb5 — played in 681 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation?
On the White side Shirov,A (47), Anand,V (41), Karjakin,Sergey (32); on the Black side Carlsen,M (62), Caruana,F (51), Shirov,A (39).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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