Sicilian Defense: Closed 5…d6 6. Be3
Also known as Closed Sicilian
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Statistics from Lichess
287,306 games: White 50.8% / Draw 6.0% / Black 43.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 111,901112K | ||
| 67,47667K | ||
| 44,49544K | ||
| 25,65126K | ||
| 11,30111K | ||
| 6,7016,701 | ||
| 5,0825,082 | ||
| 4,6744,674 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.16 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Rb8 7. a4 a6 8. Nge2 Nf6 9. Qc1 b5 10. axb5 axb5 11. Bh6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1,882 | |
| 1400–1799 | 21K | |
| 1800–2199 | 159K | |
| 2200 and up | 112K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,928 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Wojtaszek, R.
- Short, N. D. – Kasparov, G.
- Adams, M. – Kasparov, G.
- Adams, M. – Kramnik, V.
- Adams, M. – Anand, V.
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 B26, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Closed, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. Be3 (6 moves).
In 287,306 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.8%, Black 43.2% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nf6, in 39% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 6. Be3
6…Rb8 scores best for Black: 52.2%, with Black winning 48.6% and White 44.3% of 26K games. The most played, 6…Nf6, scores 45.0% in 112K games, and 6…e6 scores lowest: 43.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Rb8.
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
This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.0098% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.012% (its peak: 0.016% in 2020).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,263 |
| 2017 | 0.013% | 6,967 |
| 2018 | 0.014% | 11,054 |
| 2019 | 0.014% | 17,168 |
| 2020 | 0.016% | 45,984 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 43,492 |
| 2022 | 0.01% | 37,939 |
| 2023 | 0.0099% | 37,071 |
| 2024 | 0.0092% | 33,161 |
| 2025 | 0.0098% | 33,859 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 11,611 |
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: Closed (B26)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-closed-8