- ECO code
- B22
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.c3
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 712
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1905–2026
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation is the opening filed under ECO code B22, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.c3. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Alapin Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 712 games on this line — the 155th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1905 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 356 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 21% of those games, 37% end in a draw, and Black wins 42%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 14 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 2...Nf6, played in 331 games, followed by 2...d5 (234) and 2...e6 (73). After 2...Nf6 White scores 21% and Black 42%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (30 games); on the Black side, Firouzja,Alireza (34).
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Results in master games
- White 21% (153)
- Draws 37% (261)
- Black 42% (298)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...Nf6 | 331 | 21/37/42 | — |
| 2...d5 | 234 | 24/39/37 | — |
| 2...e6 | 73 | 18/37/45 | — |
| 2...d6 | 45 | 22/27/51 | — |
| 2...e5 | 14 | 14/21/65 | — |
| 2...g6 | 8 | 0/50/50 | — |
| 2...Qa5 | 6 | 17/17/66 | — |
| 2...Nc6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 · 21,789 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 30
- Nakamura,Hi 29
- Nepomniachtchi,I 27
As Black
- Firouzja,Alireza 34
- Nakamura,Hi 33
- Carlsen,M 30
Games per decade
- 1900s 5
- 1910s 2
- 1940s 2
- 1950s 4
- 1960s 5
- 1970s 16
- 1980s 14
- 1990s 98
- 2000s 114
- 2010s 96
- 2020s 356
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | Nakamura,Hi | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 15th Jan 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 |
| Galchenko,Matvey | Caruana,F | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
| Nakonechnyi,Oleksii | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
| Bortnyk,Olexandr | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code B22, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.c3. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation good for White or for Black?
In 712 master games on this line White wins 21%, 37% are drawn and Black wins 42%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation?
2...Nf6 — played in 331 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (30), Nakamura,Hi (29), Nepomniachtchi,I (27); on the Black side Firouzja,Alireza (34), Nakamura,Hi (33), Carlsen,M (30).
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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