- ECO code
- B50
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 9,282
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1928–2026
Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations is the opening filed under ECO code B50, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Modern Variations; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 9,282 games on this line — the 14th 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 3,715 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 3.d4, played in 6,995 games, followed by 3.Bb5+ (1,420) and 3.c3 (351). 3.d4 leads into Sicilian Defense. After 3.d4 White scores 37% and Black 31%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (311 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (646).
21 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense; Sicilian Defense; Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line.
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Results in master games
- White 37% (3,418)
- Draws 32% (2,985)
- Black 31% (2,879)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.d4 | 6,995 | 37/32/31 | Sicilian Defense |
| 3.Bb5+ | 1,420 | 30/39/31 | Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation |
| 3.c3 | 351 | 45/21/34 | Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 |
| 3.Bc4 | 236 | 51/18/31 | — |
| 3.Nc3 | 208 | 35/31/34 | — |
| 3.g3 | 30 | 23/33/44 | — |
| 3.d3 | 14 | 43/14/43 | — |
| 3.b4 | 9 | 45/22/33 | — |
Variations from this position
- Sicilian Defense · 3.d4 · 6,995 games
- Sicilian Defense · 3.d4 cxd4 · 6,811 games
- Main Line · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 6,441 games
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 · 4,731 games
- Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation · 3.Bb5+ · 1,420 games
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 · 1,297 games
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 · 770 games
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 · 747 games
- Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 · 737 games
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 · 595 games
- Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Main Line · 3.Bb5+ Bd7 · 561 games
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 · 521 games
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 · 498 games
- Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 · 491 games
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 · 455 games
- Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 · 404 games
- Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Traditional Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 · 379 games
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 · 362 games
- Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 · 3.c3 · 351 games
- Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation · 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 · 328 games
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Early Deviations · 3.d4 cxd4 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
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 311
- Nepomniachtchi,I 290
- Carlsen,M 283
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 646
- Nepomniachtchi,I 472
- Grischuk,A 355
Games per decade
- 1920s 1
- 1930s 21
- 1940s 35
- 1950s 241
- 1960s 267
- 1970s 274
- 1980s 285
- 1990s 821
- 2000s 1,529
- 2010s 2,093
- 2020s 3,715
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiong,Jeffery | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
| 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 | Bok,B | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 12th Mar 2026 |
| Maurizzi,MarcAndria | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool D |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations?
It is the opening with ECO code B50, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations good for White or for Black?
In 9,282 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: Modern Variations?
3.d4 — played in 6,995 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations?
On the White side Shirov,A (311), Nepomniachtchi,I (290), Carlsen,M (283); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (646), Nepomniachtchi,I (472), Grischuk,A (355).
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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