1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Bc4 Nc6 7.Be3 opens the Scheveningen Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... 7.Be3, ECO B89. Lichess records 130,813 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Scheveningen Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Nc6. On the White side, Dragoljub Velimirovic (34 games), Nick E De Firmian (31 games), John D M Nunn (22 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Ildiko Madl (24 games), Konstantin Z Lerner (21 games), Aleksandr Veingold (20 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. At 1200 Elo, the opening shows up in 0.00% of games (2,904 samples). White scores 48.5%, Black 48%, draws 3.5%. By 1800, popularity is 0.00% and White's score is 49.5% to Black's 46.2%. At 2500, 0.03% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 6.3% — the line is well-mapped at this level.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the Scheveningen Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... 7.Be3. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Be7, played 50.1% of the time. There are 5 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 75.5% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.43. By 2500, Be7 dominates at 43.8% of replies; only 3 viable alternatives remain and 98.3% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.57. The narrowing is significant — strong players consolidate around a small set of best moves, while amateurs scatter across many plausible-looking options.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 70.3% — versus 95.3% at 2000. The most popular deviation is d5 (played 16.5% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Ignoring the kingside attack — In sharp Sicilian lines, White typically castles long and pushes the h-pawn. Without your own counterplay on the queenside or in the centre, White's attack lands first.
Practice on Chessiverse
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