Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Anti-Qxd4 Move Order
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6
The Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Anti-Qxd4 Move Order is a chess opening classified as ECO B50, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6. 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 1,189 times by this move order. White won 49%, 5% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 4. Nc3 (38% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.39 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. f3 e5)
- ECO
- B50
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp2pppp/3p1n2/2p5/3PP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 4- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 293 | |
| 1500-1999 | 580 | |
| 2000+ | 316 | |
| All | 1,189 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Nc3 | 451 (38%) | |
| 4. dxc5 | 422 (35%) | |
| 4. e5 | 163 (14%) | |
| 4. Bb5+ | 45 (4%) | |
| 4. Bd3 | 45 (4%) | |
| 4. d5 | 28 (2%) | |
| 4. c3 | 12 (1%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 9 (1%) |
Master games
4,215 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 24%, Black 39%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-4167c1e-BT4-6147500-it332 (3648) – Stockfish dev-20241122-b7f17346 (3677) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Premier 2024 · 2024-12-09
- Stockfish dev-20241122-b7f17346 (3677) – LCZero 0.31-dag-4167c1e-BT4-6147500-it332 (3648) 1-0 · TCEC 27 Premier 2024 · 2024-12-06
- Stockfish dev15_20220302 (3612) – Stoofvlees II a19 (3509) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Premier 2022 · 2022-03-21
- Stoofvlees II a19 (3509) – Stockfish dev15_20220302 (3612) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Premier 2022 · 2022-03-18
- SlowChess Blitz 2.83 avx2 (3490) – KomodoDragon 2885.00 (3590) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Premier 2022 · 2022-03-21
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Superstitions_Guy (2812) – IM Kostik_Mostik (2893) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Tempstream (2749) – IM Kostik_Mostik (2897) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- IM hyperreal (2665) – GM Elfugitivo (2768) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (2… d6 3. d4) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Anti-Qxd4 Move Order Accepted B50 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxc5 Nxe4
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.