The Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation

This Post was Originally written By Charlie Morton

The Sicilian Defense may be one of the most complex of all chess openings, but there are variations that break the mold. The little-known Kveinis Variation is one such gem, and as a bonus, it is much easier to learn than typical Sicilian lines. Amazingly, it also scores better than any other in the amateur game!

If this sounds too good to be true, hold your horses. In this post, we’ll be sharing statistics that prove that the razor-sharp Kveinis Variation reigns supreme at club level and even scores respectably for grandmasters, too! You might end up wondering why you’ve never heard of this well-kept secret before!

Bronze Chess Pawns Credit: Caio Delarolle/ Unsplash

The Razor Sharp Kveinis Variation

In the Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5), the vast majority of games follow some version of the ‘Open Sicilian.’ If Black chooses to play 2...e6, the Open Sicilian follows: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4.

Now, Black has an array of options: 4...a6, 4...Nc6, and 4...Nf6 are the most popular. Yet, one rarely played move scores far better than the rest! 4...Qb6 is the deadly Kveinis Variation: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6

Three-pronged attack! Black’s queen on b6 immediately puts pressure on three dangerous squares

Black’s queen on b6 immediately puts pressure on White’s d4 knight and b2 pawn. With ...Bc5 to follow, Black also fires an x-ray attack on White’s vulnerable f2 pawn.

With this three-pronged attack right off the bat, the game takes off into a tactical battleground. One false move could spell disaster for either side. But since this will become your home turf, it’ll usually be your opponent who’ll suffer and who’ll slip up first!

The Highest Scoring Sicilian Defense!

The measure of any chess opening isn’t chess engine evaluation, but how many games it ultimately wins. In the Kveinis Variation, the stats are astounding. The table below shows statistics from games played on Lichess.org. Matches were between players of 1200-2200 Elo, at all time controls.

Exceptional! Extremely few openings for Black boast such glowing statistics.

Of all Black’s myriad responses on move four, 4...Qb6, the Kveinis Variation scores an outstanding 57% win rate for Black. That’s head and shoulders above the rest, including classic lines like the Najdorf Variation and the Dragon Variation!

Even more surprising, perhaps, is how it’s only played by 1% of players. This adds to the surprise factor of the Kveinis Variation—a dangerous detour that few opponents know how to defend against!

The Kveinis Variation at Grandmaster Level

You might be wondering if the Kveinis Variation is simply a cheap surprise weapon to catch out fellow amateur players. But the opening is seen equally often in grandmaster games, too!

While it’s much less frequently seen than classics like the Najdorf Variation and the Sveshnikov Variation, it scores respectably well! It’s regularly played by Russian number one GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, and was even played against him by Magnus Carlsen in 2021!

 4…Qb6, the Kveinis Variation is played occasionally by the world’s best chess players.

Sicilian Defense Kveinis Variation Common Lines

The Kveinis Variation is relatively easy to learn because it puts you in the driver’s seat. With an assertive start, you put pressure on your opponent from the outset and limit their options. This means you’ll have fewer variations to learn. The following are the most commonly seen.

5. Nc3—White’s Most Common Response

At the amateur level, most opponents simply don’t know the Kveinis Variation, so they reply with the natural-looking development move: 5. Nc3.

Right out of the blocks, you can already make your opponent sweat. 5...Bc5 attacks and pins White’s central knight to the vulnerable f2 square. If the knight moves to the wrong square, you can score a quick checkmate by capturing on f2 before closing in with your queen.

So, what should White do?

A startling attack! A dream for blitz chess.

6. Nce2—An Easy Mistake to Make!

Let’s start with one of White’s worst moves. If you thought Nce2 would make a good choice, you might have just lost the game. In reply, Black simply pushes the e-pawn to attack the knight, which is still pinned. White’s only option now is to forsake the knight. If it moves, it’s checkmate in two moves with 7...Bxf2+ 8. Kd2 Qe3#.

6. Be3—White’s Most Common Move

White’s strongest move now is 6. Na4, but most players never find it. More popular is 6.Be3, which firms up the diagonal, yet leaves the b2 pawn undefended. It’s important to remember, however, that capturing on B2 can be very dangerous. If you take the ‘poisoned pawn’ now, a strong player can trap your queen: 6...Qxb2. 7. Ndb5 Bxe3 8. Rb1—and she has nowhere left to run!

If you’re playing at longer time controls, continue calmly with 6...Nc6. This forcing move adds pressure to White’s d4 knight. Once again, 7. Na4 is a strong choice for White, yet equally as many opponents will trade knights, which ends badly. Let’s take a look: 6...Nc6 7. Nxc6 Bxe3:

 Forced move. By capturing the bishop first and threatening checkmate, Black wins an extra pawn

White can’t ignore Black’s dark-squared bishop, since Bxf2 swiftly ends in checkmate. Instead, White must forsake a pawn with 8. fxe3 Qxe3+. Whether White now blocks the check with its queen or bishop, your opponent leaves the exchange a pawn down and an isolated pawn on e4. From here, Black goes on to win nearly 60% of games.

6. Na4

We’ve already mentioned that 6. Na4 is White’s strongest move—yet there are still plentiful opportunities for your opponent to slip up! In response, you’ll play 6…Qa5+, threatening White’s awkwardly placed knight. White now has two choices.

White’s dilemma: 7. Nc3 ends in a draw, 7. c3 blocks the knight’s natural square.

7. Nc3 – Draw by Repetition?

If White plays 7. Nc3, you have the option of playing for a draw by repetition. Simply move your queen back to b6 to repeat the previous position. This forces White to either decide differently or accept a draw.

Any opening that spoils White’s initiative and secures a draw for Black could be considered successful. If you’re unwilling to settle for a draw, however, you may wish to avoid playing this line! Any other move tends to offer White opportunities to neutralize your threats and go on the counterattack.

7. c3

By replying with 7. c3, White blocks the check and defends the knight with its queen. If you can displace White’s queen, however, you’ll win the knight. Begin with 7...Bxd4 to force White’s queen into the center. Now, develop both of you knights—first ...Nf6 to narrow down squares the queen can move to, and then ...Nc6 to attack. Many opponents won’t notice the consequences until it’s too late!

Unseen danger! If White plays a natural looking move like 9. Bd3, Black wins a knight!)

A typical continuation follows: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Na4 Qa5+ 7. c3 Bxd4 8. Qxd4 Nf6 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. Qc4 Ne5 11. Qb5 Nxd3+ 12. Qxd3—and the knight is won!

5. Be3

In response to the Kveinis Variation, White can play 5. Be3 immediately. This leaves the b2 pawn open to capture, but once again, it’s unwise to do so against a strong opponent, especially if they have time to think! Although you will be a pawn up, your queen is precariously placed, and you’re left dangerously undeveloped to defend against counterattacks.

Instead, continue as usual with 5...Bc5. This lands you in a similar position to those we discussed with Be3 earlier. Whether your opponent replies with 6. Nc3 or 6. b2, you can continue as before with ...Nc6 to add pressure on the center. White will often buckle under this pressure, making errors that allow you to take advantage of your formidable bishop-queen battery.

5. c3

Another way that White can bolster its knight on d4 is with its c-pawn. By playing 5...c3, White renders 5...Bc5 relatively harmless. The c-pawn can also be used to support b2-b4, should Black still choose to play this move. The problem with 5. c3, however, is that it occupies White’s queenside knight’s natural square.

Instead of 5...Bc5, then, simply develop as usual with 5...Nc6 and 6...Nf6. With White hampered in developing its queenside knight and bishop, you have a great chance of taking the lead in development and gaining a superior middlegame position at the very least.

White’s Safest Response to the Kveinis Variation: 5. Nb3

In grandmaster games, White usually answers the Kveinis Variation with the extremely solid 5. Nb3. This move not only eliminates the threat to the knight and the b2 pawn, but it also sabotages Black’s coveted plan: 5...Bc5. Interestingly, White’s book move now is to move the queen back to c7 and follow with ...a6, creating a setup resembling the Sicilian Defense Kan Variation.

Top tip! With your queen reposted to c7, your bishop can later form a battery on d6.

While it may seem counterintuitive to move the queen twice, remember that you’ve also forced White to move its knight an extra tempo to a weaker square. The resulting Sicilian Kan-type setup is extremely robust, easy to understand, and also stands as one of Black’s most resilient Sicilian variations at the amateur level.

Meeting 5. Nb3 is much less likely at the amateur level, and you don’t need to be a Sicilian Kan expert to play this line successfully. Just continue with natural development moves. Unless you’re playing a titled player, your opponent is extremely unlikely to know the opening better than you!

Final Thoughts

The Kveinis Variation is a poisoned arrow in the quiver of astute amateur players looking to surprise their opponents with an assertive Sicilian. While it is played by less than one percent of Sicilian Defense players, statistics show it’s one of Black’s most successful openings right up to 2200 Elo!

Because the Kveinis Variation is easier to learn than most Sicilian lines, it’s a good choice for intermediate players that don’t intend to study the mountains of theory associated with mainstream variations like the Najdorf Variation. The statistics only get more impressive at faster time controls, making the Kveinis a killer choice for blitz and bullet games!