Opening name: Open Sicilian
Opening line: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3
Lichess Board
Wikibooks Page
Winning percentages
White: 141020 (32.31%)
Black: 110571 (25.33%)
Draws: 184929 (42.36%)
Open Sicilian
2. Nf3
White's move 2. Nf3 increased her control of the d4 square, enabling her to play d4 next move. Black cannot hope to resist White's plan any further, and should go about his own development.
2...d6 is the main line move, controlling e5 for a potential advance of the e-pawn and letting the queen's bishop out, while also holding down the c-pawn in case White should go down a different path.
2...e6 is an older move freeing the king's bishop although d6 will often follow soon.
2...Nc6 reserves options in the centre and keeps an eye on d4, as does 2...g6 planning Bg7, and 2...a6 can restrain some of White's longer-term plans and provide the springboard for a b5 advance, though it neglects the centre.
There are many slightly different Sicilians with similar plans for Black, in which various combinations of these moves may turn up in almost any order.
The one significant departure from the main lines is 2...Nf6, evoking Alekhine's Defence by attacking the e-pawn to tempt it forward.
Most popular responses
2...Nc6 (Open Sicilian with 2...Nc6) Here Black has decided to play Nc6 instead of d6 or other moves. If Black plays pawn to d5 later on then he has saved a tempo by not playing d6 first. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (133728869 games)
2...d6 (Open Sicilian) Black's 2...d6 gives him the option of several popular attacking lines, controls the e5 square, supports the c-pawn and activates his queen's bishop. White's rationale for playing 2. Nf3 was to support a 3. d4 advance which he may now play. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (105668858 games)
2...e6 (Sicilian with 2...e6) Sicilian Paulsen; Taimanov; Scheveningen are all possible. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (61670313 games)
2...g6 (Sicilian - Hyper-Accelerated Dragon) This early g6 in the Sicilian signifies the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon, also called the Hungarian variation (not to be mistaken with the Hungarian Defense, which appears after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7). The main idea in the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon (HAD) is to delay d6, in order to be able to play the liberating d5 push in one go. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (14557130 games)
2...a6 (Sicilian - O'Kelly variation) This early a6 prevents White from occupying b5, so after 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 and then 6. Nb5 is prevented. The main problem with this variation is how to deal with 3. c3, which transposes to an Alapin Sicilian with the useless a6 move. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (6517845 games)
2...Nf6 (Sicilian - Nimzovitch Variation) This attack on the e4 pawn is similar to the Alekhine's Defence. White normally plays e5 here as well. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (3380933 games)
Engine Evaluation
Depth: 48
Score: +0.22
Best Move: d6
PV Line: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5
Historical games for Open Sicilian
| Game | Result | Year |
| Caruana, F. (2818) vs Carlsen, M. (2882) | 1-0 | 2019 |
| Carlsen, Magnus (2863) vs Caruana, Fabiano (2835) | 1/2-1/2 | 2020 |
| Caruana, Fabiano (2835) vs Carlsen, Magnus (2863) | 1-0 | 2020 |
| Caruana, Fabiano (2835) vs Carlsen, Magnus (2863) | 0-1 | 2020 |
| Caruana, Fabiano (2835) vs Carlsen, Magnus (2863) | 1-0 | 2020 |
| Caruana, Fabiano (2835) vs Carlsen, Magnus (2863) | 1-0 | 2020 |
| Caruana, Fabiano (2835) vs Carlsen, Magnus (2863) | 1-0 | 2020 |
| Caruana, F. (2819) vs Carlsen, M. (2875) | 1-0 | 2019 |
| Caruana, F. (2819) vs Carlsen, M. (2875) | 1/2-1/2 | 2019 |
| Caruana, Fabiano (2828) vs Carlsen, Magnus (2863) | 1/2-1/2 | 2020 |