Sicilian Defense: Closed (5… d6 6. f4)
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4
The Sicilian Defense: Closed is a chess opening classified as ECO B25, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 213 times by this move order. White won 54%, 7% were drawn and Black won 39%. The most popular continuation is 6… e6 (42% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.13 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 6… Rb8 7. a4 e6 8. Nf3 Nge7 9. h4)
- ECO
- B25
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pp2ppbp/2np2p1/2p5/4PP2/2NP2P1/PPP3BP/R1BQK1NR b KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 57 | |
| 2000+ | 156 | |
| All | 213 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… e6 | 89 (42%) | |
| 6… Nf6 | 69 (32%) | |
| 6… e5 Closed, Botvinnik Defense, with f4 | 19 (9%) | |
| 6… Rb8 | 11 (5%) | |
| 6… Bd7 | 5 (2%) | |
| 6… h5 | 4 (2%) | |
| 6… a6 | 4 (2%) | |
| 6… Nd4 | 4 (2%) |
Master games
911 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 31%, draw 23%, Black 46%). The strongest:
- GM Gadir Guseinov (2623) – GM Sergei Zhigalko (2656) 1/2-1/2 · Nakhchivan Open A 2013 · 2013-04-26
- GM Raunak Sadhwani (2638) – GM Aleksandr Rakhmanov (2585) 1-0 · World Blitz 2025 · 2025-12-29
- GM Raunak Sadhwani (2638) – GM Gleb Dudin (2585) 0-1 · World Rapid 2025 · 2025-12-27
- IM Karen H. Grigoryan (2559) – GM Daniil Dubov (2622) 0-1 · 14th Euro Indiv 2013 · 2013-05-10
- GM David Larino Nieto (2420) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2755) 0-1 · Titled Tue 29th Oct Late · 2024-10-29
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Closed and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM Muifel (2410) – Alex_Muezersky (2651) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
- CM DiverseOpening (2466) – vev35 (2536) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- mightysonce (2435) – shameOnyouu (2536) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Closed (5. d3 d6) 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, with f4 B25 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e5
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.