- ECO code
- B27
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 18,942
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1851–2026
Sicilian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code B27, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 18,942 games on this line — the 9th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1851 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 7,449 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 38% of those games, 33% end in a draw, and Black wins 29%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 2...d6, played in 9,282 games, followed by 2...Nc6 (4,730) and 2...e6 (4,191). 2...d6 leads into Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations. After 2...d6 White scores 37% and Black 31%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (768 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (811).
24 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations; Sicilian Defense (B50); Sicilian Defense (B50).
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 38% (7,218)
- Draws 33% (6,160)
- Black 29% (5,564)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...d6 | 9,282 | 37/32/31 | Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations |
| 2...Nc6 | 4,730 | 38/35/27 | Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian |
| 2...e6 | 4,191 | 39/32/29 | Sicilian Defense: French Variation |
| 2...g6 | 356 | 49/29/22 | Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Dragon |
| 2...a6 | 190 | 39/22/39 | — |
| 2...Nf6 | 173 | 48/24/28 | — |
| 2...b6 | 17 | 36/29/35 | — |
| 2...Qc7 | 2 | 0/50/50 | — |
Variations from this position
- Modern Variations · 2...d6 · 9,282 games
- Sicilian Defense (B50) · 2...d6 3.d4 · 6,995 games
- Sicilian Defense (B50) · 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 · 6,811 games
- Modern Variations, Main Line · 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 6,441 games
- Najdorf Variation · 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 · 4,731 games
- Old Sicilian · 2...Nc6 · 4,730 games
- French Variation · 2...e6 · 4,191 games
- French Variation, Open · 2...e6 3.d4 cxd4 · 2,956 games
- Open · 2...Nc6 3.d4 · 2,339 games
- Open · 2...Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 · 2,338 games
- Open · 2...Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 · 2,337 games
- Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack · 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 · 1,700 games
- Moscow Variation · 2...d6 3.Bb5+ · 1,420 games
- Open · 2...Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 1,384 games
- Najdorf Variation, English Attack · 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 · 1,297 games
- Taimanov Variation · 2...e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 · 1,195 games
- Taimanov Variation · 2...e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 · 1,062 games
- Kan Variation · 2...e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 · 1,049 games
- Najdorf Variation · 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 · 770 games
- Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation · 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 · 747 games
- Classical Variation · 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 · 737 games
- Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation · 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 · 725 games
- Lasker-Pelikan Variation · 2...Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 · 699 games
- French Variation, Normal · 2...e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 668 games
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
- Shirov,A 768
- Nepomniachtchi,I 637
- Caruana,F 560
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 811
- Carlsen,M 582
- Nepomniachtchi,I 550
Games per decade
- 1850s 10
- 1860s 11
- 1870s 9
- 1880s 4
- 1890s 25
- 1900s 35
- 1910s 23
- 1920s 104
- 1930s 79
- 1940s 83
- 1950s 499
- 1960s 650
- 1970s 642
- 1980s 604
- 1990s 1,691
- 2000s 3,169
- 2010s 3,855
- 2020s 7,449
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsen,M | Lazavik,Denis | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Xiong,Jeffery | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Vakhidov,J | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
| Aronian,L | Sindarov,Javokhir | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool C |
| Vokhidov,Shamsiddin | Nakamura,Hi | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 26th May 2026 |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Peng,Xiongjian | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code B27, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 18,942 master games on this line White wins 38%, 33% are drawn and Black wins 29%. 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?
2...d6 — played in 9,282 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense?
On the White side Shirov,A (768), Nepomniachtchi,I (637), Caruana,F (560); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (811), Carlsen,M (582), Nepomniachtchi,I (550).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.