Pterodactyl Defense: Sicilian, Pteranodon
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Statistics from Lichess
32,041 games: White 48.0% / Draw 4.8% / Black 47.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Pterodactyl, Exchange Variation | 29,79130K | |
| 1,2641,264 | ||
| 764764 | ||
| 200200 | ||
| 1111 | ||
| 33 | ||
| 33 | ||
| 22 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.29 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Qxc3+ 7. Bd2 Qxc5 8. Bd3 Nf6 9. h3 d6 10. O-O O-O 11. Qe1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Pterodactyl Defense: Sicilian, Pteranodon (ECO B27, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Pterodactyl Defense: Sicilian, Rhamphorhynchus, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. dxc5 Qa5+ 5. Nc3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 (6 moves).
In 32,041 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 47.2% and 4.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Qxc3+, in 93% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Pterodactyl, Exchange Variation.
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Variations (1)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Pterodactyl Defense: Sicilian, Pteranodon (B27)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pterodactyl-defense-sicilian-pteranodon