- ECO code
- B20
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 21,789
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1846–2026
Sicilian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code B20, reached after 1.e4 c5. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 21,789 games on this line — the 7th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1846 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 8,658 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 38% of those games, 32% end in a draw, and Black wins 30%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 2.Nf3, played in 18,942 games, followed by 2.Nc3 (1,468) and 2.c3 (712). 2.Nf3 leads into Sicilian Defense (B27). After 2.Nf3 White scores 38% and Black 29%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (795 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (931).
24 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Sicilian Defense (B27); Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations; Sicilian Defense (B50).
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% (8,184)
- Draws 32% (6,971)
- Black 30% (6,634)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.Nf3 | 18,942 | 38/33/29 | Sicilian Defense (B27) |
| 2.Nc3 | 1,468 | 38/27/35 | Sicilian Defense: Closed |
| 2.c3 | 712 | 21/37/42 | Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation |
| 2.Ne2 | 132 | 38/33/29 | — |
| 2.d4 | 123 | 39/15/46 | — |
| 2.b3 | 76 | 36/22/42 | — |
| 2.f4 | 71 | 44/31/25 | — |
| 2.d3 | 51 | 31/27/42 | — |
Variations from this position
- Sicilian Defense (B27) · 2.Nf3 · 18,942 games
- Modern Variations · 2.Nf3 d6 · 9,282 games
- Sicilian Defense (B50) · 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 · 6,995 games
- Sicilian Defense (B50) · 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 · 6,811 games
- Modern Variations, Main Line · 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 6,441 games
- Najdorf Variation · 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 · 4,731 games
- Old Sicilian · 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 4,730 games
- French Variation · 2.Nf3 e6 · 4,191 games
- French Variation, Open · 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 · 2,956 games
- Open · 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 · 2,339 games
- Open · 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 · 2,338 games
- Open · 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 · 2,337 games
- Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack · 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 · 1,700 games
- Closed · 2.Nc3 · 1,468 games
- Moscow Variation · 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ · 1,420 games
- Open · 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · 1,384 games
- Najdorf Variation, English Attack · 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 · 1,297 games
- Taimanov Variation · 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 · 1,195 games
- Taimanov Variation · 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 · 1,062 games
- Kan Variation · 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 · 1,049 games
- Najdorf Variation · 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 · 770 games
- Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation · 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 · 747 games
- Classical Variation · 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 · 737 games
- Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation · 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 · 725 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 795
- Nepomniachtchi,I 684
- Carlsen,M 652
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 931
- Carlsen,M 666
- Nepomniachtchi,I 629
Games per decade
- 1840s 3
- 1850s 29
- 1860s 22
- 1870s 20
- 1880s 8
- 1890s 34
- 1900s 67
- 1910s 37
- 1920s 129
- 1930s 95
- 1940s 135
- 1950s 565
- 1960s 730
- 1970s 708
- 1980s 731
- 1990s 1,973
- 2000s 3,482
- 2010s 4,363
- 2020s 8,658
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | Nakamura,Hi | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 15th Jan 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | Lazavik,Denis | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Xiong,Jeffery | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Vakhidov,J | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
| Aronian,L | Sindarov,Javokhir | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool C |
| Vokhidov,Shamsiddin | Nakamura,Hi | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 26th May 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code B20, reached after 1.e4 c5. It belongs to the Sicilian Defense family.
Is the Sicilian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 21,789 master games on this line White wins 38%, 32% are drawn and Black wins 30%. 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?
2.Nf3 — played in 18,942 of the master games on this line, which leads into Sicilian Defense (B27).
Which grandmasters play the Sicilian Defense?
On the White side Shirov,A (795), Nepomniachtchi,I (684), Carlsen,M (652); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (931), Carlsen,M (666), Nepomniachtchi,I (629).
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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