B24

Sicilian Defense: Closed 3. g3 g6

Also known as Closed Sicilian

Chess diagram: Sicilian Defense: Closed after 3…g6

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Statistics from Lichess

1,130,290 games: White 49.4% / Draw 6.2% / Black 44.4%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next move	Games	White / Draw / BlackW / D / B
	1,080,9371.1M
	39,66440K
	3,8743,874
	2,8032,803
	960960
	693693
	248248
	233233

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.04 The position is about equal

Best play: 4. Nge2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. Bg2 Rb8 7. a4 e5 8. Nd5 Nge7

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

By rating

The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 51% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up and 54% in master games (wins plus half the draws).

Players	Games	White / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400	15K
1400–1799	129K
1800–2199	668K
2200 and up	367K
Masters, over the board	7,345

Master games

Nepomniachtchi, I. – Vachier Lagrave, M. ½–½, 2020
Mamedyarov, S. – Wang Yue 1–0, 2014
Short, N. – Nakamura, H. 0–1, 2013
Adams, M. – Kramnik, V. ½–½, 1999
Adams, M. – Anand, V. 1–0, 1998

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 27, 2026

Overview

Sicilian Defense: Closed (ECO B24, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Fianchetto Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 (3 moves).

In 1,130,290 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.4%, Black 44.4% and 6.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Bg2, in 96% of those games.

It continues into one named variation. In all, 8 named lines continue from it.

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Description

Popularity by year

This line peaked in 2020 at 0.056% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.043% in 2025.

0.039%0.043%0.056%

Numbers by year

Year	Share of games	Games
2016	0.039%	13,779
2017	0.043%	23,633
2018	0.049%	38,297
2019	0.053%	66,715
2020	0.056%	165,098
2021	0.042%	162,942
2022	0.039%	145,006
2023	0.04%	150,665
2024	0.04%	142,635
2025	0.043%	150,692
2026 (Jan–Apr)	0.048%	52,128

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 (1)

B24 Closed 4. Bg2 Bg7

All 8 named lines that continue from here

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Closed (B24)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-closed-4