- ECO code
- B44
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,195
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1857–2026
Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation is the opening filed under ECO code B44, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Taimanov Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,195 games on this line — the 96th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1857 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 400 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 39% of those games, 35% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 5.Nc3, played in 1,062 games, followed by 5.Nb5 (95) and 5.Bf4 (13). 5.Nc3 leads into Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation (B45). After 5.Nc3 White scores 39% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (92 games); on the Black side, Caruana,F (41).
3 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation (B45); Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation; Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack.
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Results in master games
- White 39% (461)
- Draws 35% (424)
- Black 26% (310)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.Nc3 | 1,062 | 39/35/26 | Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation (B45) |
| 5.Nb5 | 95 | 36/40/24 | — |
| 5.Bf4 | 13 | 69/23/8 | — |
| 5.Nxc6 | 10 | 20/40/40 | — |
| 5.c4 | 5 | 20/40/40 | — |
| 5.g3 | 5 | 20/40/40 | — |
| 5.a3 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 5.Be2 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Taimanov Variation (B45) · 5.Nc3 · 1,062 games
- Bastrikov Variation · 5.Nc3 Qc7 · 618 games
- Bastrikov Variation, English Attack · 5.Nc3 Qc7 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
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 92
- Nepomniachtchi,I 57
- Karjakin,Sergey 46
As Black
- Caruana,F 41
- Polgar,Ju 38
- Polgar, Judit 35
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1920s 1
- 1950s 2
- 1960s 23
- 1970s 65
- 1980s 74
- 1990s 105
- 2000s 251
- 2010s 273
- 2020s 400
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boyer,Mahel | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Matlakov,M | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
| Aravindh,Chithambaram VR. | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
| Durarbayli,Vasif | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | American Cup Blitz 2026 |
| Vasquez Schroeder,R | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Alexakis,Dimitris | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code B44, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,195 master games on this line White wins 39%, 35% are drawn and Black wins 26%. 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?
5.Nc3 — played in 1,062 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation (B45).
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation?
On the White side Shirov,A (92), Nepomniachtchi,I (57), Karjakin,Sergey (46); on the Black side Caruana,F (41), Polgar,Ju (38), Polgar, Judit (35).
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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