Sicilian Defense: Closed (2. Nc3 e6)
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6
The Sicilian Defense: Closed is a chess opening classified as ECO B23, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 23,136 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 3. Nf3 (31% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.34 (Stockfish, depth 53; best line 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6)
- ECO
- B23
- Moves
- 4 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1p1ppp/4p3/2p5/4P3/2N5/PPPP1PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 4,212 | |
| 1500-1999 | 12,428 | |
| 2000+ | 6,496 | |
| All | 23,136 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Nf3 | 7,200 (31%) | |
| 3. f4 | 5,806 (25%) | |
| 3. g3 Closed (2… e6 3. g3) | 2,960 (13%) | |
| 3. Bc4 | 2,838 (12%) | |
| 3. d3 | 1,239 (5%) | |
| 3. d4 | 1,018 (4%) | |
| 3. Nge2 | 848 (4%) | |
| 3. a3 | 285 (1%) |
Master games
8,368 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 18%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- Stoofvlees II a14 (3730) – Komodo 2551.00 (3743) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-06-05
- Komodo 2551.00 (3743) – Stoofvlees II a14 (3730) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-06-02
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2792) 1/2-1/2 · FTX Crypto Cup Prelim · 2021-05-23
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2835) 1/2-1/2 · Bullet Chess Winners 2023 · 2023-07-21
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2835) 0-1 · Bullet Chess Winners 2023 · 2023-07-21
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Closed and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM shuriks91 (2770) – Jiordani_Jovanovich (2814) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- IM shuriks91 (2814) – Juplt3rLlk3 (2723) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM Niksss2023 (2745) – Johnizard (2737) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Closed (1… c5 2. Nc3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Closed (2… e6 3. g3) B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. g3
- Sicilian Defense: Closed (3… a6 4. g3) B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nge2 a6 4. g3
- Sicilian Defense: Closed (4. Nf3 d5) B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 d5
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.