1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 opens the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7, ECO B67. With 89,863 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... a6. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Vlastimil Jansa (21 games), Vitaly Tseshkovsky (20 games), Oleg Korneev (18 games). Black-side regulars include Zdenko Kozul (181 games), Alojzije Jankovic (49 games), Lars Ake Schneider (46 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. The 1200 bracket has 195 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 47.7%, Black 47.7%, 4.6% are drawn. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.00% of games; White wins 46%, Black 48.7%, draws 5.4%. At the top end (2500+ Elo), popularity is 0.13% with 8.8% draws — a clear sign of how much theory rules the line at master level.
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 f4, played 72.8% of the time. There are 2 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 88.2% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.53. By 2500, f4 dominates at 54.2% of replies; only 3 viable alternatives remain and 93.8% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.77. Move diversity stays high even at master level, suggesting the opening doesn't force one specific response.
Main Lines and Variations
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7, 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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