1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Be2 opens the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... 7.Be2, ECO B49. With 310,231 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.Be3. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Falko Bindrich (12 games), Alexei Shirov (10 games), Ante Brkic (9 games). Black-side regulars include Mark E Taimanov (11 games), Hansjuerg Kaenel (10 games), Igor Miladinovic (10 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. At 1200 Elo, the opening shows up in 0.00% of games (2,907 samples). White scores 47.1%, Black 50.7%, draws 2.3%. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.01% of games; White wins 44%, Black 51.2%, draws 4.9%. At the top end (2500+ Elo), popularity is 0.02% with 10.1% draws — a clear sign of how much theory rules the line at master level. Positions also become less sharp as level rises (sharpness 0.98 → 0.90).
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Nf6, played 48.7% of the time. There are 3 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 81.6% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.31. By 2500, Nf6 dominates at 82.5% of replies; only 2 viable alternatives remain and 99.1% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 0.77. 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... 7.Be2 year over year shows a clear story. Adoption peaked in 2015 at 0.01% (2,514 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.01% — a 12% shift overall, leaving the line on the rise.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 87.1% — versus 95% at 2000. The most popular deviation is b5 (played 32.3% 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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