Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack, Toilet Variation
1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nc3
The Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack, Toilet Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B21, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nc3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 352 times by this move order. White won 49%, 3% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 3… d4 (51% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.19 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 3… d4 4. Bb5+ Bd7 5. Bxd7+ Qxd7 6. Nce2)
- ECO
- B21
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/8/2pp4/4PP2/2N5/PPPP2PP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 1 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nc3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 37 | |
| 1500-1999 | 182 | |
| 2000+ | 133 | |
| All | 352 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… d4 | 180 (51%) | |
| 3… dxe4 | 148 (42%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 11 (3%) | |
| 3… e6 | 9 (3%) | |
| 3… Nc6 | 2 (1%) | |
| 3… Qc7 | 1 (0%) | |
| 3… Nh6 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
59 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 20%, draw 21%, Black 59%). The strongest:
- FM Sven P. Zeidler (2281) – GM Romain Edouard (2688) 0-1 · 4NCL 2012-13 · 2013-03-23
- FM Francesco Bentivegna (2319) – GM Yaroslav Zinchenko (2528) 0-1 · 3rd Livigno Open A · 2012-09-10
- Anton Gurkin (2254) – GM Semen I. Dvoirys (2562) 1/2-1/2 · Pavlodar Open 2013 · 2013-12-11
- FM Sven P. Zeidler (2281) – IM Richard G Pert (2454) 1/2-1/2 · 4NCL 2012-13 · 2012-11-04
- Darren P Wheeler (2250) – IM James R Adair (2479) 0-1 · 4NCL 2017-18 · 2018-01-13
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack, Toilet Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- AJfajardo (2350) – Ajambek (2299) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 300 + 0s
- EmirGamis (2314) – Itibster (2321) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- AlexL808 (2266) – Plejku (2355) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 300 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack (1… c5 2. f4) 1. e4 c5 2. f4
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.