Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6
The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional is a chess opening classified as ECO B23, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 5 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 52,027 times by this move order. White won 49%, 4% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 3. Nf3 (30% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 3. Nge2 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7)
- ECO
- B23
- Moves
- 4 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/2p5/4P3/2N5/PPPP1PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 2 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 11,212 | |
| 1500-1999 | 27,811 | |
| 2000+ | 13,004 | |
| All | 52,027 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Nf3 | 15,668 (30%) | |
| 3. f4 Grand Prix Attack | 11,387 (22%) | |
| 3. Bc4 | 6,411 (12%) | |
| 3. Bb5 | 6,307 (12%) | |
| 3. g3 Closed, Fianchetto Variation | 6,272 (12%) | |
| 3. d3 | 2,882 (6%) | |
| 3. Nge2 Closed, Chameleon Variation | 950 (2%) | |
| 3. a3 | 728 (1%) |
Master games
16,233 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 18%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) – Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
- Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) – LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
- LCZero 0.30-dag-a9b25c2b-BT2-3 (3598) – Stockfish dev-20230409-b36d39d (3639) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 24 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-04-18
- Stockfish dev-20230409-b36d39d (3639) – LCZero 0.30-dag-a9b25c2b-BT2-3 (3598) 1-0 · TCEC 24 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-04-18
- LCZero 0.30-dag-9a9c42d_784968 (3599) – Stockfish dev16_20221027 (3625) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-11-08
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Drogono (2820) – IM Mlchael (2873) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Drogono (2812) – IM Mlchael (2874) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- canc3111 (2783) – IM Mlchael (2895) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Closed (1… c5 2. Nc3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Closed, Chameleon Variation B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2
- Sicilian Defense: Closed, Fianchetto Variation B24 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3
- Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g4
- Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4
- Sicilian Defense: Closed, Portland Attack B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. d3 g6 4. g4
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.