Sicilian Defense: Open (3. d4 cxd4)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4
The Sicilian Defense: Open is a chess opening classified as ECO B32, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4. 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 107,752 times by this move order. White won 49%, 5% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 4. Nxd4 (94% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.27 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 Nf6 6. N1c3 d6)
- ECO
- B32
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/8/3pP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 15,775 | |
| 1500-1999 | 68,071 | |
| 2000+ | 23,906 | |
| All | 107,752 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Nxd4 Open (3… cxd4 4. Nxd4) | 101,748 (94%) | |
| 4. c3 | 3,775 (4%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 1,284 (1%) | |
| 4. Ng5 | 612 (1%) | |
| 4. Bb5 | 159 (0%) | |
| 4. Qxd4 | 37 (0%) | |
| 4. Bd3 | 33 (0%) | |
| 4. e5 | 23 (0%) |
Master games
584 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 13%, Black 47%). The strongest:
- Igel3.0.5 (3512) – StoofvleesII a18 (3532) 1-0 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-06-29
- StoofvleesII a18 (3532) – Igel3.0.5 (3512) 1-0 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-06-27
- GM Vahap Sanal (2563) – GM Chithambaram VR. Aravindh (2641) 1-0 · Titled Arena Jan 2nd 2021 · 2021-01-02
- IM Masoud Mosadeghpour (2475) – GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (2594) 1/2-1/2 · ch-IRI 2016 · 2016-01-23
- IM Masoud Mosadeghpour (2474) – GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (2577) 1/2-1/2 · 1st Paytakht Cup 2016 · 2016-10-28
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Open and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- kuhmft (2890) – FM CombativeEnemy (2826) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- kuhmft (2839) – FM Squoznyak (2849) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2850) – Lifvix01 (2799) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Open (2… Nc6 3. d4) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Open (3… cxd4 4. Nxd4) B32 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4
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.