- ECO code
- B50
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 351
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1928–2026
Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 is the opening filed under ECO code B50, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 351 games on this line — the 275th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1928 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 228 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 45% of those games, 21% end in a draw, and Black wins 34%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 6 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 14 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3...Nf6, played in 350 games, followed by 3...Nc6 (1). After 3...Nf6 White scores 45% and Black 34%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Aronian,L (80 games); on the Black side, Nepomniachtchi,I (18).
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Results in master games
- White 45% (159)
- Draws 21% (73)
- Black 34% (119)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...Nf6 | 350 | 45/21/34 | — |
| 3...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
- Sicilian Defense · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 · 18,942 games
- Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 · 9,282 games
Played most often by
As White
- Aronian,L 80
- Nakamura,Hi 33
- Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo 29
As Black
- Nepomniachtchi,I 18
- Giri,A 16
- Kramnik,V 14
Games per decade
- 1920s 1
- 1930s 1
- 1940s 1
- 1950s 6
- 1960s 4
- 1970s 1
- 1980s 5
- 1990s 26
- 2000s 45
- 2010s 33
- 2020s 228
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasdogen,Dincer | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Movahed,Sina | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 29th Jan 2026 |
| Pichot,A | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Nakonechnyi,Oleksii | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
| Aronian,L | Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Oro,Faustino | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 2nd Apr 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6?
It is the opening with ECO code B50, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 good for White or for Black?
In 351 master games on this line White wins 45%, 21% are drawn and Black wins 34%. 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: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6?
3...Nf6 — played in 350 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6?
On the White side Aronian,L (80), Nakamura,Hi (33), Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo (29); on the Black side Nepomniachtchi,I (18), Giri,A (16), Kramnik,V (14).
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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