Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Anti-Qxd4 Move Order Accepted
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxc5 Nxe4
The Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Anti-Qxd4 Move Order Accepted is a chess opening classified as ECO B50, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxc5 Nxe4. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 274 times by this move order. White won 45%, 6% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 5. cxd6 (87% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.29 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 5. cxd6 Nc6 6. Be3 e5 7. Bd3 Nxd6)
- ECO
- B50
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp2pppp/3p4/2P5/4n3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxc5 Nxe4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 56 | |
| 1500-1999 | 181 | |
| 2000+ | 37 | |
| All | 274 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. cxd6 | 238 (87%) | |
| 5. Bb5+ | 9 (3%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 8 (3%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 5 (2%) | |
| 5. Nc3 | 3 (1%) | |
| 5. Qd4 | 2 (1%) | |
| 5. Qd5 | 2 (1%) | |
| 5. b4 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
283 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 46%, draw 25%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- GM Viswanathan Anand (2786) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2751) 0-1 · 6th Zurich Opening Blitz · 2017-04-12
- GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (2766) – GM Anish Giri (2720) 0-1 · SportAccord Blitz Men 2012 · 2012-12-17
- GM Peter Leko (2693) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2767) 1/2-1/2 · World Blitz 2016 · 2016-12-29
- GM Vladimir Malakhov (2707) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2717) 0-1 · ACP Cup 2013 · 2013-09-14
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2736) – GM Alexey Sarana (2649) 1/2-1/2 · Speed Chess Super Swiss · 2021-10-16
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM HelloItsDmitri (2604) – ex-champion (2503) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Good1Day (2547) – Professor_Moryarty (2518) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
- IM KingofCheapos (2508) – AmazonSlayer (2363) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Anti-Qxd4 Move Order 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6
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.