1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 opens the Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack, 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 Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation. 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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