Sicilian Defense (2… d6 3. d4)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4
The Sicilian Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B50, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 88,736 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 3… cxd4 (96% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 62; best line 3… cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3)
- ECO
- B50
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/3p4/2p5/3PP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 10,706 | |
| 1500-1999 | 47,915 | |
| 2000+ | 30,115 | |
| All | 88,736 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… cxd4 Sicilian Defense (3. d4 cxd4) | 85,121 (96%) | |
| 3… Nf6 Modern Variations, Anti-Qxd4 Move Order | 1,189 (1%) | |
| 3… Nc6 | 697 (1%) | |
| 3… Bg4 | 324 (0%) | |
| 3… b6 | 319 (0%) | |
| 3… e6 | 227 (0%) | |
| 3… Nd7 | 175 (0%) | |
| 3… c4 | 164 (0%) |
Master games
88 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 63%, draw 9%, Black 28%). The strongest:
- GM Eric Hansen (2609) – GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (2667) 0-1 · 2nd 3-0 Thu 11th Dec 2025 · 2025-12-11
- GM Jeffery Xiong (2709) – GM Ronen Har-Zvi (2513) 1-0 · Speed Chess Super Swiss · 2020-10-03
- IM Sina Movahed (2530) – IM Andrey Tsvetkov (2435) 1-0 · FIDE World Open U20 Blitz · 2024-08-07
- GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2627) – FM Petar Bosnjak (2308) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 21st July · 2020-07-21
- IM Guillermo Baches Garcia (2326) – IM Jung Min Seo (2516) 0-1 · Titled Tue 6th Sep Early · 2022-09-06
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM Kostik_Mostik (2890) – Nana_jede_cevape (2910) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM cutemouse83 (2908) – IM AngelitoRT (2883) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2867) – barteljaap-jan (2910) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense (3. d4 cxd4) B50 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4
- Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Anti-Qxd4 Move Order B50 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.