- ECO code
- B47
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 618
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1959–2026
Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation is the opening filed under ECO code B47, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 618 games on this line — the 178th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1959 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 221 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 42% of those games, 34% end in a draw, and Black wins 24%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 4 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 6.Be3, played in 337 games, followed by 6.Be2 (136) and 6.g3 (70). 6.Be3 leads into Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack. After 6.Be3 White scores 46% and Black 22%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (56 games); on the Black side, Aronian,L (29).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack.
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Results in master games
- White 42% (256)
- Draws 34% (213)
- Black 24% (149)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.Be3 | 337 | 46/32/22 | Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack |
| 6.Be2 | 136 | 36/40/24 | — |
| 6.g3 | 70 | 27/40/33 | — |
| 6.f4 | 25 | 32/36/32 | — |
| 6.Qd3 | 15 | 67/13/20 | — |
| 6.g4 | 12 | 50/42/8 | — |
| 6.a3 | 7 | 42/29/29 | — |
| 6.Nxc6 | 6 | 66/17/17 | — |
Variations from this position
- English Attack · 6.Be3 · 337 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: French Variation · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 · 4,191 games
- Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 · 2,956 games
- Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 · 1,195 games
- Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 · 1,062 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 56
- Nepomniachtchi,I 38
- Karjakin,Sergey 30
As Black
- Aronian,L 29
- Polgar,Ju 28
- Polgar, Judit 21
Games per decade
- 1950s 1
- 1960s 11
- 1970s 11
- 1980s 16
- 1990s 58
- 2000s 127
- 2010s 173
- 2020s 221
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henriquez Villagra,C | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn4 |
| Anand,V | Carlsen,M | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool A |
| Sadhwani,Raunak | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Yu Yangyi | Rapport,R | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | CHN League Division A Pt1 |
| Atlas,V | Shirov,A | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Pasti,Aron | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Mar 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code B47, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation good for White or for Black?
In 618 master games on this line White wins 42%, 34% are drawn and Black wins 24%. 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: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation?
6.Be3 — played in 337 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation?
On the White side Shirov,A (56), Nepomniachtchi,I (38), Karjakin,Sergey (30); on the Black side Aronian,L (29), Polgar,Ju (28), Polgar, Judit (21).
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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