Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5)

1. e4 c5

The Sicilian Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B20, reached after 1. e4 c5. White is to move. 20 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,231,664 times by this move order. White won 48%, 4% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 2. Nf3 (51% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.32 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4)

ECO: B20
Moves: 2 plies
FEN: rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 2
PGN: 1. e4 c5

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	301,473	48%49%
1500-1999	692,623	48%48%
2000+	237,568	48%46%
All	1,231,664	48%48%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
2. Nf3 Sicilian Defense (1… c5 2. Nf3)	632,068 (51%)	48%47%
2. Bc4 Bowdler Attack	126,474 (10%)	46%50%
2. Nc3 Closed (1… c5 2. Nc3)	113,514 (9%)	49%47%
2. d4 Smith-Morra Gambit (1… c5 2. d4)	103,467 (8%)	49%47%
2. c3 Alapin Variation	81,910 (7%)	50%45%
2. f4 McDonnell Attack (1… c5 2. f4)	59,996 (5%)	48%48%
2. d3	28,387 (2%)	47%48%
2. c4 Staunton-Cochrane Variation	16,998 (1%)	46%49%

Master games

7,078 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 42%, draw 16%, Black 42%). The strongest:

Komodo 2503.05 (3912) – Stockfish 202003092246 (3936) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-03-19
Stockfish 202003092246 (3936) – Komodo 2503.05 (3912) 1-0 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-03-18
Stoofvlees II a14 (3504) – Stockfish 202008260719_nn-82215d0fd0df (3551) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-17
Stockfish 202008260719_nn-82215d0fd0df (3551) – Stoofvlees II a14 (3504) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-14
Fire 8_beta (3457) – Ethereal 12.43 (3470) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-05

Search all games of the Sicilian Defense and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

Nana_jede_cevape (2880) – GM gmbrewchess (2990) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Nana_jede_cevape (2891) – GM gmbrewchess (2975) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Sunrise34 (2901) – GM Dr_Tiger (2955) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s

Comes from

King's Pawn Game (1. e4) 1. e4

Continuations

Sicilian Defense (1… c5 2. Nf3) B27 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation B22 · 1. e4 c5 2. c3
Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. Qg4
Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4
Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nh3
Sicilian Defense: Closed (1… c5 2. Nc3) B23 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3
Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. b3
Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. g4
Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. Ne2
Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. Ke2
Sicilian Defense: Kronberger Variation B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. Na3
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Dunne Attack B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. g3
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack (1… c5 2. f4) B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. f4
Sicilian Defense: Mengarini Variation B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. a3
Sicilian Defense: Myers Attack, with a4 B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. a4
Sicilian Defense: Myers Attack, with h4 B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. h4
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit (1… c5 2. d4) B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. d4
Sicilian Defense: Staunton-Cochrane Variation B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. c4
Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. b4
Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20 · 1. e4 c5 2. d3 Nc6 3. c3 d6 4. f4

More Sicilian Defense lines (all)

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.