- ECO code
- B40
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 2,956
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1857–2026
Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open is the opening filed under ECO code B40, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the French Variation, Open; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 2,956 games on this line — the 44th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1857 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 983 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 4.Nxd4, played in 2,945 games, followed by 4.Bg5 (5) and 4.Qxd4 (5). After 4.Nxd4 White scores 39% and Black 28%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (199 games); on the Black side, Caruana,F (132).
7 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation; Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation; Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation.
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% (1,132)
- Draws 33% (981)
- Black 29% (843)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Nxd4 | 2,945 | 39/33/28 | — |
| 4.Bg5 | 5 | 20/20/60 | — |
| 4.Qxd4 | 5 | 0/40/60 | — |
| 4.c3 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nc6 · 1,195 games
- Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 · 1,062 games
- Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation · 4.Nxd4 a6 · 1,049 games
- Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Normal · 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 668 games
- Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation · 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 · 618 games
- Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation · 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 · 488 games
- Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack · 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 · 337 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: French Variation · 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 · 4,191 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 199
- Nepomniachtchi,I 127
- Karjakin,Sergey 97
As Black
- Caruana,F 132
- Carlsen,M 82
- Tal, Mihail 73
Games per decade
- 1850s 5
- 1860s 6
- 1870s 2
- 1890s 3
- 1900s 3
- 1910s 5
- 1920s 28
- 1930s 10
- 1940s 12
- 1950s 48
- 1960s 99
- 1970s 172
- 1980s 162
- 1990s 253
- 2000s 576
- 2010s 589
- 2020s 983
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vokhidov,Shamsiddin | Nakamura,Hi | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 26th May 2026 |
| Skliarov,V | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 21st Apr 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Shandrygin,Nikita | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Boyer,Mahel | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Rasulov,Vu | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Mar 2026 |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Ibarra Jerez,JC | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open?
It is the opening with ECO code B40, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open good for White or for Black?
In 2,956 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: French Variation, Open?
4.Nxd4 — played in 2,945 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open?
On the White side Shirov,A (199), Nepomniachtchi,I (127), Karjakin,Sergey (97); on the Black side Caruana,F (132), Carlsen,M (82), Tal, Mihail (73).
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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