Starting from 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.f3 e5 6.Bb5+, players enter the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... 6.Bb5+ — ECO B55. Lichess records 27,463 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 Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... 4.Nxd4. On the White side, Valeri Yandemirov (13 games), Evgeny Shaposhnikov (10 games), Giulio Borgo (9 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Eduard Andreev (3 games), Mathias Womacka (3 games), Walter Niephaus (3 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
Popularity and results vary sharply by rating level. The 1200 bracket has 700 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 47%, Black 50.4%, 2.6% are drawn. Move up to 1800 Elo and the share shifts to 0.00%, with White winning 55.1% versus Black's 39.6%. At 2500, 0.02% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 12.1% — the line is well-mapped at this level. White's score improves by 10.0pp from the 1200 bracket to the 2500 bracket — the line rewards preparation.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... 6.Bb5+. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Bd7, played 73% of the time. There are 2 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 99.3% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.05. By 2500, Nbd7 dominates at 67.3% of replies; only 2 viable alternatives remain and 99.9% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 0.93.
Common Mistakes
- 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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