Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
28,702,384 games: White 45.0% / Draw 4.1% / Black 50.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 11,721,63311.7M | ||
| 9,860,8089.9M | ||
| 4,701,6504.7M | ||
| 967,220967K | ||
| 715,009715K | ||
| 363,546364K | ||
| 221,589222K | ||
| 60,60561K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e5 d5 6. exf6 dxc4 7. fxg7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 48% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 14.3M | |
| 1400–1799 | 30.1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 12.9M | |
| 2200 and up | 284K | |
| Masters, over the board | 162 |
Master games
- Fedoseev, V. – Antipov, M.
- Flores, D. – Abdusattorov, N.
- Rasik, V. – Smirin, I.
- Cicak, S. – Cramling, P.
- Rasik, V. – Ftacnik, L.
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: Bowdler Attack (ECO B20, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 (2 moves).
In 28,702,384 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.0%, Black 50.9% and 4.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…e6, in 41% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack
The most played answer, 2…e6, also scores best for Black: 54.0%, with Black winning 51.9% and White 43.8% of 11.7M games. Of the main answers, 2…d6 scores lowest: 51.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…e6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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
The Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack has lost ground since 2016: 0.99% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 1.4%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.4% | 502,759 |
| 2017 | 1.2% | 675,626 |
| 2018 | 1.1% | 851,573 |
| 2019 | 1.2% | 1,456,773 |
| 2020 | 1.2% | 3,424,961 |
| 2021 | 1.2% | 4,821,813 |
| 2022 | 1.1% | 4,261,228 |
| 2023 | 1.1% | 4,041,958 |
| 2024 | 1.0% | 3,717,499 |
| 2025 | 0.99% | 3,428,488 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.95% | 1,046,093 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack (B20)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-bowdler-attack