Starting from 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7, players enter the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Qc7 — ECO B47. With 1,183,017 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... 5.Nc3. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Jonny Hector (61 games), Alexei Shirov (52 games), Michael Adams (45 games). Black-side regulars include Milan Matulovic (155 games), Igor Miladinovic (129 games), Jozsef Horvath (100 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
Popularity and results vary sharply by rating level. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 20,601 of them on record — with White winning 45.7% and Black 51.4%. Move up to 1800 Elo and the share shifts to 0.03%, with White winning 43.1% versus Black's 52.4%. At the top end (2500+ Elo), popularity is 0.33% with 9.1% draws — a clear sign of how much theory rules the line at master level. Positions also become less sharp as level rises (sharpness 0.97 → 0.91).
Time Control Patterns
Look at the same opening across time controls and blitz stands out. In bullet, it appears in 0.02% of games (609,107); White wins 45.8%. Blitz shows 0.03% adoption across 1,043,399 games, White scoring 44.8%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.01% — 139,618 games, White 42.9%. White's score swings 2.9pp across formats, so time control isn't just a stylistic choice here — it shifts the actual results.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Qc7. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Be3, played 25.7% of the time. There are 7 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 58.3% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 3.08. By 2500, Be3 dominates at 45.6% of replies; only 4 viable alternatives remain and 74.2% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 2.57. 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
Year-over-year data tells you whether this opening is a contemporary fixture or a fading one. Adoption peaked in 2016 at 0.03% (18,673 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.02% — a 95% shift overall, leaving the line on the rise.
Main Lines and Variations
From the position after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7, 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 58.6% — versus 73.1% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Bb5 (played 11.2% 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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