1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 opens the Reversed Sicilian: 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3... d6, ECO A26. With 54,018 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Reversed Sicilian: 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3... Nc6. On the White side, Normunds Miezis (31 games), Istvan Csom (14 games), Ian Snape (11 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Eirik Gullaksen (8 games), Joseph G Gallagher (8 games), Sasa Martinovic (8 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
Popularity and results vary sharply by rating level. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 849 of them on record — with White winning 52.5% and Black 43.8%. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.00% of games; White wins 46.3%, Black 48%, draws 5.7%. At 2500, 0.01% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 11% — the line is well-mapped at this level. White's edge erodes by 5.4pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Looking at move selection shows how forcing — or not — the position really is. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Nf3, played 59.4% of the time. There are 4 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 79.9% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.17. By 2500, e4 dominates at 34.2% of replies; only 4 viable alternatives remain and 78.2% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 2.34. Even elite players don't fully agree on the best continuation here, which keeps the position dynamic.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 77.5% — versus 82.9% at 2000. The most popular deviation is a3 (played 6.3% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Ignoring the kingside attack — In sharp Sicilian lines, White typically castles long and pushes the h-pawn. Without your own counterplay on the queenside or in the centre, White's attack lands first.
Practice on Chessiverse
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