1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 opens the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... 6.Be3, ECO B48. With 554,986 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... Qc7. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Jonny Hector (39 games), Alexander Motylev (36 games), Oleg Korneev (36 games). Black-side regulars include Igor Miladinovic (58 games), Bartlomiej Macieja (42 games), Pia Cramling (40 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. The 1200 bracket has 6,651 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 47.6%, Black 49.6%, 2.8% are drawn. By 1800, popularity is 0.02% and White's score is 43.7% to Black's 51.6%. Among 2500-rated players the line appears in 0.15% of games and draws spike to 8.6%, indicating tight preparation. 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 0.01% of games (260,755); White wins 45.4%. Blitz shows 0.01% adoption across 492,508 games, White scoring 44.9%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.01% — 62,478 games, White 44.2%.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is a6, played 58.7% of the time. There are 3 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 89% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.93. By 2500, a6 dominates at 91.5% of replies; only 2 viable alternatives remain and 99.9% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 0.44. 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
Long-term, the trajectory of this opening is informative. Adoption peaked in 2016 at 0.01% (8,889 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.01% — a 106% shift overall, leaving the line on the rise.
Main Lines and Variations
The main branches off 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 include:
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 80.8% — versus 99.6% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Bb4 (played 11% 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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