Opening name: Open Sicilian
Opening line: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6
Lichess Board
Wikibooks Page
Winning percentages
White: 61104 (30.88%)
Black: 48319 (24.42%)
Draws: 88428 (44.69%)
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. His best alternative to this, for rapid development, is 3. Bb5+, forcing Black to block the check with a minor piece that would then be pinned to the king. Swashbuckling players might be tempted by 3. b4, planning an unopposed d4 when the Black c-pawn is diverted to b4.
Most popular responses
3. d4 (Open Sicilian) The aggressive advance of White's d-pawn forms a classical centre (pawns on e4 and d4), a strong formation which threatens to gain a large space advantage by a subsequent d5 or e5. Black is therefore compelled to break up White's centre. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (56854454 games)
3. c3 (Open Sicilian) White aims to block black's dark-square bishop from the long diagonal and support a d4 advance. Play can transpose into an Alapin. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (9444184 games)
3. Bb5 (Open Sicilian) Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ The move Bb5+ is considered an Anti-Sicilian, and is the most commonly seen thereof. White develops his bishop with a tempo, enabling kingside castling, and may seek to develop rapidly along similar lines to the Ruy Lopez in order to meet Black's later attack head-on, or simply to control d5 by playing c4 but, not wishing to have the king's bishop stuck behind the c4 pawn, exchanging it off first. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (7099794 games)
3. Bb5+ (Open Sicilian) Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ The move Bb5+ is considered an Anti-Sicilian, and is the most commonly seen thereof. White develops his bishop with a tempo, enabling kingside castling, and may seek to develop rapidly along similar lines to the Ruy Lopez in order to meet Black's later attack head-on, or simply to control d5 by playing c4 but, not wishing to have the king's bishop stuck behind the c4 pawn, exchanging it off first. Lichess Analysis - Wikibooks (7099794 games)
Engine Evaluation
Depth: 57
Score: +0.26
Best Move: d4
PV Line: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6
Historical games for Open Sicilian
| Game | Result | Year |
| Carlsen, Magnus (2863) vs Caruana, Fabiano (2835) | 1/2-1/2 | 2020 |
| Carlsen, M. (2853) vs Topalov, V. (2816) | 0-1 | 2015 |
| Carlsen, M. (2876) vs Grischuk, A. (2781) | 1-0 | 2015 |
| Carlsen, M. (2875) vs Vachier Lagrave, M. (2779) | 0-1 | 2019 |
| Carlsen, Magnus (2863) vs Ding, Liren (2791) | 1-0 | 2020 |
| Ding, Liren (2791) vs Carlsen, Magnus (2863) | 1-0 | 2020 |
| Ding, Liren (2791) vs Carlsen, Magnus (2863) | 0-1 | 2020 |
| Carlsen, Magnus (2863) vs Ding, Liren (2791) | 1/2-1/2 | 2020 |
| Vachier Lagrave, M. (2780) vs Carlsen, M. (2872) | 0-1 | 2019 |
| Karjakin, Sergey (2771) vs Carlsen, M. (2881) | 1/2-1/2 | 2014 |