1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Bc4 Nc6 opens the Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Leonhardt Variation, ECO B88. Lichess records 597,264 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Nick E De Firmian (33 games), Dragoljub Velimirovic (30 games), Robert James Fischer (23 games). Black-side regulars include Ildiko Madl (35 games), Zigurds Lanka (28 games), Enrico Paoli (27 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
Popularity and results vary sharply by rating level. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 28,550 of them on record — with White winning 45% and Black 51.4%. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.02% of games; White wins 45.7%, Black 49.7%, draws 4.6%. At 2500, 0.06% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 7.4% — the line is well-mapped at this level.
Time Control Patterns
The Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Leonhardt Variation skews toward blitz chess. In bullet, it appears in 0.01% of games (203,690); White wins 47.1%. Blitz shows 0.01% adoption across 484,998 games, White scoring 46.4%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.01% — 112,266 games, White 44.5%. White's score swings 2.6pp across formats, so time control isn't just a stylistic choice here — it shifts the actual results.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo (28,550 games), the top reply is Nxc6, played 36.6% of the time. Four other moves each take at least 5% of games, and the top three moves account for 75.7% of games. Entropy: 2.58. By 2500 (8,291 games), Be3 takes over as the top reply at 48.5%; only two other moves still reach 5% and the top three moves account for 93.5% of games. Entropy drops to 1.79. The narrowing is significant — strong players consolidate around a small set of best moves, while amateurs scatter across many plausible-looking options.
Historical Trends
Tracking the Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Leonhardt Variation year over year shows a clear story. Adoption peaked in 2015 at 0.02% (4,054 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.01%, 47% below the peak and 44% under its 2013 level, leaving the line in decline.
Main Lines and Variations
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Bc4 Nc6, the established follow-ups are:
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
Common Mistakes
- Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
- 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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