Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4
The Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO B23, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. 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 11,387 times by this move order. White won 50%, 5% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 3… g6 (35% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.09 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 3… g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. a4 b6 6. Be2)
- ECO
- B23
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/2p5/4PP2/2N5/PPPP2PP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,142 | |
| 1500-1999 | 6,374 | |
| 2000+ | 3,871 | |
| All | 11,387 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… g6 | 3,930 (35%) | |
| 3… e6 | 3,398 (30%) | |
| 3… d6 | 2,513 (22%) | |
| 3… e5 | 592 (5%) | |
| 3… a6 | 370 (3%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 254 (2%) | |
| 3… d5 | 92 (1%) | |
| 3… b6 | 58 (1%) |
Master games
6,949 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 16%, Black 46%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2835) 1-0 · Bullet Chess Winners 2023 · 2023-07-21
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2859) – GM Gukesh D (2725) 1-0 · chess.com SpeedChess 2022 · 2022-12-06
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2802) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2767) 1-0 · SpeedChess Final 2024 · 2024-09-06
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) – GM Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (2716) 1-0 · chess.com SpeedChess 2023 · 2023-09-12
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2840) – GM M. Amin Tabatabaei (2700) 0-1 · Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 · 2026-02-17
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack 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
- Drogono (2827) – Tempstream (2753) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Traditional 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack, Schofman Variation B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bc4 e6 6. f5
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.