1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 opens the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... e6, ECO B62. With 539,412 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... 6.Bg5. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Vlastimil Jansa (58 games), Semen I Dvoirys (55 games), Thomas Luther (54 games). Black-side regulars include Zdenko Kozul (206 games), Vasilios Kotronias (90 games), Konstantin Z Lerner (79 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 6,756 of them on record — with White winning 49.2% and Black 47.4%. By 1800, popularity is 0.01% and White's score is 47.2% to Black's 48%. Among 2500-rated players the line appears in 0.30% of games and draws spike to 8.5%, indicating tight preparation. Positions also become less sharp as level rises (sharpness 0.97 → 0.92).
Time Control Patterns
Look at the same opening across time controls and blitz stands out. In bullet, it appears in 0.01% of games (202,737); White wins 47.3%. Blitz shows 0.01% adoption across 477,496 games, White scoring 47.4%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.01% — 61,916 games, White 48.3%.
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 Bb5, played 39.2% of the time. There are 5 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 69% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.73. By 2500, Qd2 dominates at 76.2% of replies; only 3 viable alternatives remain and 92.1% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.32. That entropy collapse is the signature of a line where preparation pays off: at the top, players know the best move and play it.
Historical Trends
Tracking the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... e6 year over year shows a clear story. Adoption peaked in 2020 at 0.01% (78,530 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.01% — a 50% shift overall, leaving the line on the rise.
Main Lines and Variations
From the position after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6, the recognised continuations are:
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 59.8% — versus 79.1% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Bxf6 (played 11.5% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- 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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