Sicilian Najdorf Variation: Win Rate by Lichess Rating

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 · CC0 name list

At 1500–1799 (Lichess rating), Black scored 52.9% in 2,758 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation games (±1.8; games from Oct 2025–Sep 2026).

Black won 51.2% of them, White won 45.5%, and 3.3% were drawn.

Black scores above 50% at this level (outside the margin)

In games from Oct 2025–Sep 2026, Black scored 52.9% (±1.8) with the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation in sampled Lichess games at the 1500–1799 Lichess rating level (2,758 games). Observed results, not causation.

Data period: games from 1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sep 2026 (sample of the Lichess open database) · Page updated: 9 Oct 2026

0.8%

of rated games at Lichess rating 2100+ reached the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation · 5,313 of 689,970 games, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 sample

At 1200–1499: 0.1%. At 2100+: 0.8%. 12.0× as common at 2100+ as at 1200–1499.

Position after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6. 14,428 games in this sample reached it — 1,511 of them by a different move order.

At a glance

In this sample, White's score ranged from 47.1% (1500–1799) to 50.6% (1200–1499).
That spread is within the approximate margin of error, so this sample shows no clear difference between levels.
It appeared most often in the 2100+ group (0.8% of that group's games).
Draws were most common in the 2100+ group (8.1%).

These are observed results for the selected games (rated, players within 200 rating points of each other). They describe what happened — they do not prove the opening caused the result.

Results by Lichess rating level

Each row shows how the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation games at one rating level ended: White wins, draws and Black wins, across all time controls combined. Rating level is the average Lichess rating of both players.

White won drawn Black won. Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation — results by Lichess rating level, all time controls combined (minimum 300 games per row).

Under 1200151 games

Not enough games in this sample
1200–1499769 gamesCompared with

White wins 49.2% · draws 2.9% · Black wins 48.0% · White's score 50.6% ±3.5 · how common 0.1%
1500–17992,758 games

White wins 45.5% · draws 3.3% · Black wins 51.2% · White's score 47.1% ±1.8 · how common 0.2%
1800–20995,437 games

White wins 47.8% · draws 4.0% · Black wins 48.2% · White's score 49.8% ±1.3 · how common 0.4%
2100+5,313 gamesIn the headline

White wins 45.8% · draws 8.1% · Black wins 46.0% · White's score 49.9% ±1.3 · how common 0.8%

"White's score" = wins + half of draws. "±" is an approximate 95% margin based only on the number of games. It does not cover sampling bias or related games (the same players appear many times), so real uncertainty is larger. "How common" = share of all sampled games at that level that reached this position. Ratings are Lichess ratings; they are not interchangeable with Chess.com or FIDE ratings.

Compare it with another choice from the same position, at the Lichess level and time control you choose: Compare in Find Your Opening (the comparison needs JavaScript)

Results by time control

Each row shows how the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation games ended in one Lichess time control, across all rating levels combined.

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation — results by time control, all rating levels combined (minimum 300 games per row)
Time control	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	White's score
Bullet	4,333	44.6%	5.0%	50.5%	47.0%
Blitz	8,196	48.0%	5.2%	46.8%	50.6%
Rapid	1,797	46.6%	6.1%	47.3%	49.6%
Classical	102	Not enough games in this sample

This table and the rating rows are separate summaries: rating levels are not split by time control here, and time controls are not split by rating. Observed results only; approximate uncertainty applies as above.

Most played replies for White at each level

Top replies with at least 150 games. "Score" is White's score after that reply (wins + half of draws). These comparisons alone can't show that one reply is reliably better — the margins are approximate and stronger or weaker players may prefer different replies.

Replies to 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 by Lichess rating level, all time controls combined
Rating level	Reply · share · games · score
Under 1200	Not enough games in this sample
1200–1499	6.Bg5 ·27.0% · 208 · 51.2% ±6.7
1500–1799	6.Bg5 ·23.1% · 637 · 47.9% ±3.8 6.Be3 ·19.1% · 525 · 45.6% ±4.2 6.Bc4 ·14.0% · 385 · 49.2% ±4.9
1800–2099	6.Bg5 ·21.1% · 1,146 · 51.2% ±2.8 6.Be3 ·20.6% · 1,117 · 50.6% ±2.9 6.Bc4 ·13.0% · 705 · 51.0% ±3.6
2100+	6.Bg5 ·24.0% · 1,274 · 50.7% ±2.7 6.Be3 ·21.1% · 1,122 · 51.3% ±2.7 6.Bc4 ·12.2% · 646 · 52.5% ±3.8

Up next: related positions with a page

Earlier position: Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6
Related line: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 (Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian)
Related line: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 (Sicilian Defense: French Variation)
Related line: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 (Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Dragon)

Other choices from the same position for Black: each one's own level and score, as on its page
Opening	Lichess rating level	Games	Black's score
vs Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6	1500–1799	1,025	46.5% ±3.0

Each row is a separate page with its own games. A difference smaller than the two margins combined is no clear difference. Observed results, not causation.

Deeper positions with this name

The free opening list gives the name Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation to 4 deeper positions on this line as well. This page counts the first one; games in the 12-month sample that reached each deeper one:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5: 3,311 games
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6: 2,236 games
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4: 1,150 games
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7: 690 games

Download these numbers: Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (CSV), released under CC0. For move-by-move exploration with your own filters, see the free Lichess opening explorer. This independent page lists each rating level and each time control in its own row for comparison.