- ECO code
- B50
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 6,811
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1933–2026
Sicilian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code B50, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 6,811 games on this line — the 19th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1933 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 2,338 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 37% of those games, 32% end in a draw, and Black wins 31%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 3 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.Nxd4, played in 6,480 games, followed by 4.Qxd4 (328) and 4.c3 (2). After 4.Nxd4 White scores 38% and Black 30%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (299 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (441).
16 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line; Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation; Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack.
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Results in master games
- White 37% (2,534)
- Draws 32% (2,182)
- Black 31% (2,095)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Nxd4 | 6,480 | 38/32/30 | — |
| 4.Qxd4 | 328 | 37/27/36 | Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation |
| 4.c3 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 4.Bc4 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Modern Variations, Main Line · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 6,441 games
- Najdorf Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 · 4,731 games
- Najdorf Variation, English Attack · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 · 1,297 games
- Najdorf Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 · 770 games
- Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 · 747 games
- Classical Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 · 737 games
- Najdorf Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 · 595 games
- Dragon Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 · 521 games
- Najdorf Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 · 498 games
- Richter-Rauzer Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 · 491 games
- Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 · 455 games
- Richter-Rauzer Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 · 404 games
- Richter-Rauzer Variation, Traditional Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 · 379 games
- Dragon Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 · 362 games
- Chekhover Variation · 4.Qxd4 · 328 games
- Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Early Deviations · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 · 313 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 · 21,789 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 · 18,942 games
- Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 · 9,282 games
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 · 6,995 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 299
- Nepomniachtchi,I 233
- Karjakin,Sergey 194
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 441
- Nepomniachtchi,I 314
- Grischuk,A 270
Games per decade
- 1930s 13
- 1940s 29
- 1950s 205
- 1960s 223
- 1970s 218
- 1980s 247
- 1990s 692
- 2000s 1,254
- 2010s 1,592
- 2020s 2,338
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oro,Faustino | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
| Mahdavi,Reza | Grischuk,A | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Kleimenov,Nikolay | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | 0-1 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 14th May 2026 |
| Van Foreest,Jorden | Carlsen,M | 1-0 | 2026 | 31st Sigeman & Co 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Rustamov,Rustam | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 21st Apr 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code B50, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 6,811 master games on this line White wins 37%, 32% are drawn and Black wins 31%. 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?
4.Nxd4 — played in 6,480 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense?
On the White side Shirov,A (299), Nepomniachtchi,I (233), Karjakin,Sergey (194); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (441), Nepomniachtchi,I (314), Grischuk,A (270).
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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