- ECO code
- B51
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,420
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1940–2026
Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation is the opening filed under ECO code B51, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family and is known as the Moscow Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,420 games on this line — the 84th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1940 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 771 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 30% of those games, 39% 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...Nd7, played in 753 games, followed by 3...Bd7 (561) and 3...Nc6 (106). After 3...Nd7 White scores 29% and Black 38%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (62 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (130).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Main Line.
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Results in master games
- White 30% (432)
- Draws 39% (547)
- Black 31% (441)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...Nd7 | 753 | 29/33/38 | — |
| 3...Bd7 | 561 | 32/47/21 | Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Main Line |
| 3...Nc6 | 106 | 33/36/31 | — |
Variations from this position
- Main Line · 3...Bd7 · 561 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
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 62
- Carlsen,M 60
- Caruana,F 53
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 130
- Nepomniachtchi,I 92
- Giri,A 72
Games per decade
- 1940s 2
- 1950s 20
- 1960s 25
- 1970s 29
- 1980s 14
- 1990s 63
- 2000s 134
- 2010s 362
- 2020s 771
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurizzi,MarcAndria | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool D |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Droin,Augustin | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Firouzja,Alireza | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 14th Norway Chess 2026 |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Yakubboev,Nodirbek | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
| Yu Yangyi | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 8th SCO Int Team Final |
| So,W | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code B51, reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,420 master games on this line White wins 30%, 39% 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: Moscow Variation?
3...Nd7 — played in 753 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (62), Carlsen,M (60), Caruana,F (53); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (130), Nepomniachtchi,I (92), Giri,A (72).
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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