Sicilian Defense 3. d4 cxd4
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Statistics from Lichess
39,261,483 games: White 48.1% / Draw 5.0% / Black 46.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 35,350,12435.4M | ||
| Chekhover Variation | 2,178,5142.2M | |
| Modern Variations, Tartakower | 1,275,5091.3M | |
| 303,432303K | ||
| 102,483102K | ||
| 13,47913K | ||
| 10,79711K | ||
| 7,2917,291 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.25 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 50% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 3.1M | |
| 1400–1799 | 16M | |
| 1800–2199 | 23.3M | |
| 2200 and up | 5.6M | |
| Masters, over the board | 179K |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Grischuk, A.
- Ding, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Ding, L.
- Ding, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Karjakin, S. – Carlsen, M.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense (ECO B50, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 (3 moves).
In 39,261,483 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 46.9% and 5.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nxd4, in 90% of those games.
It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line and Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation. In all, 99 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 3…cxd4
4. Qxd4 (Chekhover Variation) scores best for White: 53.2%, with White winning 50.2% and Black 43.9% of 2.2M games. The most played answer, 4. Nxd4, scores lowest: 50.4% in 35.4M games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Nxd4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
This line has lost ground since 2016: 1.2% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 1.7% (its peak: 2.0% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.7% | 593,491 |
| 2017 | 1.9% | 1,021,825 |
| 2018 | 2.0% | 1,535,257 |
| 2019 | 1.8% | 2,294,730 |
| 2020 | 1.9% | 5,551,845 |
| 2021 | 1.7% | 6,664,435 |
| 2022 | 1.5% | 5,649,951 |
| 2023 | 1.4% | 5,164,166 |
| 2024 | 1.3% | 4,685,241 |
| 2025 | 1.2% | 4,227,050 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 1.2% | 1,299,587 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (4)
Transpositions
All 99 named lines that continue from here
No line matches.
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Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense (B50)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-4