Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3......... Bd7

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Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3...... Bd7

+100%

B671.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7

Jan 2, 2028

2 min read

TL;DR

Black completes development with ...Bd7 before deciding on the king's home — opposite-side castling looms but isn't yet committed. Keeps White guessing about which flank to storm, and prepares the typical ...Rc8 + ...b5 queenside lever.

Reviewed by

IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator

International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.

In This Article

• History and Notable Players
• Performance Across Rating Levels
• Move Diversity and Theory Depth
• Main Lines and Variations
• Common Mistakes
• Practice on Chessiverse

Summary

• e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 opens the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7, ECO B67. With 89,863 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... a6. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Vlastimil Jansa (21 games), Vitaly Tseshkovsky (20 games), Oleg Korneev (18 games). Black-side regulars include Zdenko Kozul (181 games), Alojzije Jankovic (49 games), Lars Ake Schneider (46 games).

Performance Across Rating Levels

The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. The 1200 bracket has 195 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 47.7%, Black 47.7%, 4.6% are drawn. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.00% of games; White wins 46%, Black 48.7%, draws 5.4%. At the top end (2500+ Elo), popularity is 0.13% with 8.8% draws — a clear sign of how much theory rules the line at master level.

Move Diversity and Theory Depth

Looking at move selection shows how forcing — or not — the position really is. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is f4, played 72.8% of the time. There are 2 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 88.2% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.53. By 2500, f4 dominates at 54.2% of replies; only 3 viable alternatives remain and 93.8% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.77. Move diversity stays high even at master level, suggesting the opening doesn't force one specific response.

Main Lines and Variations

After 1.e4 C5 2.Nf3 D6 3.d4 Cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 E6 7.Qd2 A6 8.0-0-0 Bd7, The Established Follow-ups Are

• Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Be7

Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.

Common Mistakes

• 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

Ready to try the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7 against a bot? Pick an opponent at your level and play a game.

Quick Facts

Main Line1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7

DifficultyExpert

Parent OpeningSicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... a6

Style

Theoretician openings have deep, well-studied lines where knowledge of specific variations gives a significant advantage. Preparation and memorization of key lines are essential.

89,863games on Lichess

47%

7.1%

45.8%

White wins Draws Black wins

Top Players

As White

• Vlastimil Jansa21 games
• Vitaly Tseshkovsky20 games
• Oleg Korneev18 games

As Black

• Zdenko Kozul181 games
• Alojzije Jankovic49 games
• Lars Ake Schneider46 games

Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid)

Most Popular At2500

SharpnessCalm

Popularity by Rating

Percentage of all games at each rating bracket that feature this opening.

Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid games)

Theory Adherence by Rating

How often players choose the single most popular move at this position. Higher = more predictable play.

White to move after the opening line

Popularity Over Time

Share of all Lichess blitz + rapid games featuring this opening, by year.

Top Moves by Rating

White to move after the opening line

RatingMost Popular2nd3rd

400f4100%——

1000f453.3�20%Nxc613.3%

1200f472.8�10.8%Nxc64.6%

1400f459.3�16.9%Kb110.2%

1600f451�19.5%Kb111.8%

1800f452�23.2%Kb111.1%

2000f453.3�23.6%Kb112.2%

2200f454.2�26%Kb111.3%

2500f454.2�25.6%Kb114%

Popularity by Time Control

Bullet

<0.01"K

Blitz

<0.01�K

Rapid

<0.01%6K

3% more decisive in bullet

Raw data tables (Lichess blitz + rapid)

Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3...... Bd7: popularity and win rates by player rating Rating (Elo) Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness 400 0.00 1 100.0 0.0 0.0 1.000 1000 0.00 15 46.7 53.3 0.0 1.000 1200 0.00 195 47.7 47.7 4.6 0.954 1400 0.00 456 50.0 43.4 6.6 0.934 1600 0.00 893 49.9 43.7 6.4 0.936 1800 0.00 3,445 46.0 48.7 5.4 0.946 2000 0.00 15,537 45.9 47.6 6.5 0.935 2200 0.03 51,615 47.5 45.6 6.9 0.931 2500 0.13 17,706 46.6 44.6 8.8 0.912 Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3...... Bd7: move-choice theory adherence by rating Rating (Elo) Top move Top move % Viable moves Theory % Entropy 400 f4 100.0 1 100.0 0.000 1000 f4 53.3 5 86.7 1.857 1200 f4 72.8 2 88.2 1.530 1400 f4 59.3 3 86.4 1.994 1600 f4 51.0 3 82.3 2.262 1800 f4 52.0 3 86.3 2.104 2000 f4 53.3 3 89.1 1.989 2200 f4 54.2 3 91.5 1.868 2500 f4 54.2 3 93.8 1.766 Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3...... Bd7: popularity over time Year Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % 2013 0.00 1 0.0 100.0 0.0 2014 0.00 72 40.3 58.3 1.4 2015 0.00 260 41.9 53.1 5.0 2016 0.00 537 44.3 49.2 6.5 2017 0.00 899 44.8 48.7 6.5 2018 0.00 1,833 46.8 47.5 5.8 2019 0.00 3,681 45.8 47.6 6.6 2020 0.00 12,351 46.1 46.1 7.8 2021 0.00 14,754 46.5 46.3 7.2 2022 0.00 15,066 47.4 45.4 7.1 2023 0.00 16,197 47.3 45.3 7.4 2024 0.00 16,030 47.7 45.3 7.0 2025 0.00 14,242 47.7 45.6 6.7 Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3...... Bd7: popularity by time control Format Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness bullet 0.00 21,928 45.7 49.0 5.3 0.947 blitz 0.00 84,183 47.1 45.8 7.1 0.929 rapid 0.00 5,680 45.7 45.8 8.5 0.915 Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3...... Bd7: top candidate moves by rating bracket Rating (Elo) 1st move 1st % 2nd move 2nd % 3rd move 3rd % 400 f4 100.0 — — — — 1000 f4 53.3 f3 20.0 Nxc6 13.3 1200 f4 72.8 f3 10.8 Nxc6 4.6 1400 f4 59.3 f3 16.9 Kb1 10.2 1600 f4 51.0 f3 19.5 Kb1 11.8 1800 f4 52.0 f3 23.2 Kb1 11.1 2000 f4 53.3 f3 23.6 Kb1 12.2 2200 f4 54.2 f3 26.0 Kb1 11.3 2500 f4 54.2 f3 25.6 Kb1 14.0 Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3...... Bd7: top practitioners by side Side Player Games White Vlastimil Jansa 21 White Vitaly Tseshkovsky 20 White Oleg Korneev 18 Black Zdenko Kozul 181 Black Alojzije Jankovic 49 Black Lars Ake Schneider 46

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7?

The Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7 begins with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 and is classified under ECO code B67.

Is the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7 good for beginners?

The Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7 can be played at any level. Beginners should focus on understanding the key strategic ideas rather than memorizing long theoretical lines. Our AI bots at various rating levels provide a great way to practice the opening concepts.

What are the main variations of the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7?

The main continuations include: Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Be7. Each variation leads to distinct types of positions with their own strategic themes.

What are the win rates for the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3... Bd7?

In a database of 89,863 master games, White wins 47% of the time, Black wins 45.8%, and 7.1% are drawn. Notable players on the White side include Vlastimil Jansa and Vitaly Tseshkovsky. On the Black side, Zdenko Kozul and Alojzije Jankovic are among the most frequent practitioners.

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Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack

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Reviewed by

IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator

International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.

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