- ECO code
- B23
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,468
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1862–2026
Sicilian Defense: Closed is the opening filed under ECO code B23, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Closed; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,468 games on this line — the 81st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1862 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 585 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 38% of those games, 27% end in a draw, and Black wins 35%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 7 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 8 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2...Nc6, played in 692 games, followed by 2...d6 (410) and 2...e6 (231). 2...Nc6 leads into Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional. After 2...Nc6 White scores 36% and Black 35%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Spassky, Boris V (89 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (66).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional.
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Results in master games
- White 38% (548)
- Draws 27% (403)
- Black 35% (517)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...Nc6 | 692 | 36/29/35 | Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional |
| 2...d6 | 410 | 38/27/35 | — |
| 2...e6 | 231 | 38/26/36 | — |
| 2...a6 | 84 | 36/29/35 | — |
| 2...g6 | 49 | 41/16/43 | — |
| 2...d5 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
| 2...h5 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Traditional · 2...Nc6 · 692 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
- Spassky, Boris V 89
- Grischuk,A 79
- Nakamura,Hi 54
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 66
- Firouzja,Alireza 50
- Giri,A 41
Games per decade
- 1860s 6
- 1870s 10
- 1880s 3
- 1890s 8
- 1900s 20
- 1910s 7
- 1920s 10
- 1930s 4
- 1940s 31
- 1950s 29
- 1960s 56
- 1970s 33
- 1980s 89
- 1990s 138
- 2000s 147
- 2010s 292
- 2020s 585
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashraf,Artin | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Rasulov,Vu | 1-0 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 15th Jan 2026 |
| Praggnanandhaa,R | Firouzja,Alireza | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Croatia |
| So,W | Movahed,Sina | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | Lazavik,Denis | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Ivanchuk,V | Ajay Krishna,S | 1-0 | 2026 | 10th Semana Santa Open |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed?
It is the opening with ECO code B23, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Closed good for White or for Black?
In 1,468 master games on this line White wins 38%, 27% are drawn and Black wins 35%. 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: Closed?
2...Nc6 — played in 692 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Closed?
On the White side Spassky, Boris V (89), Grischuk,A (79), Nakamura,Hi (54); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (66), Firouzja,Alireza (50), Giri,A (41).
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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