B78 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Topalov Variation
23/23
1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3g66.Be3Bg77.f3O-O8.Qd2Nc69.Bc4Bd710.O-O-ORc811.Bb3Nxd412.Bxd4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Topalov Variation45k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
b587%39k60%
a54.4%2.0k48%
a63.4%1.5k34%
Qa52%87831%
Be60.7%32634%
b60.6%28325%
Bc60.5%20731%
e50.3%14824%
Qc70.3%12335%
Re80.1%4928%
Famous games in this line592 master games
Jakovenko, Dmitrij (2742) – Radjabov, Teimour (2757)Karjakin, Sergey (2722) – Shirov, Alexei (2730)Short, Nigel D (2695) – Topalov, Veselin (2750)Shirov, Alexei (2706) – Topalov, Veselin (2733)Anand, Viswanathan (2790) – Tiviakov, Sergei (2597)Yu Yangyi (2747) – Jones, G. (2625)Le Quang Liem (2704) – Mamedov, Rau (2650)Polgar, Judit (2705) – Jones, Gawain C (2644)Heroes of this opening Jakovenko, Dmitrij · Shirov, Alexei · Anand, Viswanathan · Jones, G.
Keep exploring
Nearby lines in the family
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Ivkov VariationB94 5…a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.Qd2 …Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Spielmann VariationB74 2…Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 …Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Soltis VariationB79 10…Qa5 11.h4 Rfc8 12.Bb3 h5
From the archives
No defense has won more games at every level than the Sicilian. Bobby Fischer played almost nothing else against 1.e4, and Kasparov's Najdorf battles with Karpov and Anand are pillars of chess history. When you play 1...c5, you're refusing symmetry — the same refusal that carried two world champions.
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B78
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. O-O-O Rc8 11. Bb3 Nxd4 12. Bxd4
SharpAggressive
★ Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Dragon VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines →Study this opening elsewhere