Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack (3. Nf3 e6)
1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6
The Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO B21, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 6,515 times by this move order. White won 47%, 3% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 4. Bb5 (19% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.18 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxd4 cxd4 6. O-O a6)
- ECO
- B21
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp1p1ppp/2n1p3/2p5/4PP2/5N2/PPPP2PP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 900 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4,986 | |
| 2000+ | 629 | |
| All | 6,515 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Bb5 | 1,266 (19%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 1,180 (18%) | |
| 4. c3 | 1,112 (17%) | |
| 4. Nc3 | 602 (9%) | |
| 4. Be2 | 581 (9%) | |
| 4. d3 McDonnell Attack (3… e6 4. d3) | 499 (8%) | |
| 4. d4 | 499 (8%) | |
| 4. e5 | 227 (3%) |
Master games
113 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 27%, draw 18%, Black 55%). The strongest:
- GM Hoang Thong Tu (2414) – GM S.P. Sethuraman (2649) 0-1 · 8th HD Bank Cup 2018 · 2018-03-13
- GM Harsha Bharathakoti (2582) – FM Artem Gulevich (2304) 1-0 · Titled Tue 11th Oct Early · 2022-10-11
- FM Denis Palkovich (2150) – GM Baadur Jobava (2708) 0-1 · Tseshkovsky Mem 2014 · 2014-09-17
- Ravshan Khamroev (2283) – GM Elmar Magerramov (2515) 0-1 · Sharjah 21 Rapid Op 2016 · 2016-06-12
- Briem, S. (2156) – GM Grzegorz Gajewski (2637) 0-1 · TCh-ISL Div1 2013-14 · 2014-03-01
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- champion_title (2463) – FM Magek (2590) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Kshatriya_Lawe (2559) – RamOfek (2464) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
- Teuku_lucan (2370) – cinarbayrakoglu800 (2643) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack (1… c5 2. f4) 1. e4 c5 2. f4
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack (3… e6 4. d3) B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. d3
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.