Sicilian Defense: Open (2… Nc6 3. d4)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
The Sicilian Defense: Open is a chess opening classified as ECO B32, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 115,451 times by this move order. White won 49%, 5% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 3… cxd4 (93% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.27 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 3… cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 Nf6 6. Bg5)
- ECO
- B32
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/2p5/3PP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 19,319 | |
| 1500-1999 | 71,896 | |
| 2000+ | 24,236 | |
| All | 115,451 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… cxd4 Open (3. d4 cxd4) | 107,752 (93%) | |
| 3… e6 Franco-Sicilian Variation | 3,238 (3%) | |
| 3… d6 | 1,407 (1%) | |
| 3… g6 | 579 (1%) | |
| 3… Nxd4 | 522 (0%) | |
| 3… d5 | 470 (0%) | |
| 3… b6 | 440 (0%) | |
| 3… e5 | 263 (0%) |
Master games
111 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 68%, draw 8%, Black 24%). The strongest:
- IM Jacques Blit (2331) – GM Leon Mons (2530) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 22nd June · 2021-06-22
- IM Matthew Herman (2383) – IM Balazs Csonka (2469) 1-0 · Titled Tue 12th Sep Early · 2023-09-12
- IM Albert Bokros (2412) – IM Rout Padmini (2336) 0-1 · Titled Tue 14th May Early · 2024-05-14
- FM Eelke De Boer (2293) – IM Uurtsaikh Agibileg (2441) 0-1 · Titled Tue 9th May Early · 2023-05-09
- Roman Al Nosach (2174) – IM Kirill Shubin (2454) 1/2-1/2 · ch-RUS Rapid 2025 · 2025-10-15
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: Old Sicilian 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Franco-Sicilian Variation B32 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 e6
- Sicilian Defense: Open (3. d4 cxd4) B32 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4
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.