Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4

Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack after 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 87654321abcdefgh

The Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO B20, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 126,474 times by this move order. White won 46%, 4% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 2… e6 (38% of games).

Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 2… e6 3. Nf3 a6 4. O-O b5 5. Be2)

ECO
B20
Moves
3 plies
FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/2B1P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK1NR b KQkq - 1 2
PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Bc4

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average ratingGamesWhite / draw / Black
0-149951,27547%50%
1500-199969,47446%50%
2000+5,72545%50%
All126,47446%50%

Most played moves

MoveGamesWhite / draw / Black
2… e648,236 (38%)45%51%
2… Nc646,778 (37%)46%50%
2… d618,387 (15%)47%49%
2… g64,882 (4%)46%50%
2… a63,108 (2%)48%48%
2… Nf62,313 (2%)49%48%
2… e51,448 (1%)54%42%
2… b6412 (0%)55%42%

Master games

1,505 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 21%, draw 9%, Black 70%). The strongest:

Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

Comes from

Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) 1. e4 c5

More Sicilian Defense lines (all)

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.