Sicilian Defense: Franco-Sicilian Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,376,840 games: White 57.3% / Draw 3.7% / Black 39.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 737,279737K | ||
| 154,685155K | ||
| 151,954152K | ||
| 81,67082K | ||
| 79,36779K | ||
| 68,94669K | ||
| 40,53741K | ||
| 22,91323K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.71 White is clearly better
Best play: 4. d5 Na5 5. d6 b6 6. Nc3 Bb7 7. e5 a6 8. Bd3 b5
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 45% under 1400, 41% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 911K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.8M | |
| 1800–2199 | 540K | |
| 2200 and up | 12K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4 |
Master games
- Sosulin, E. – Vasiliev, V. P.
- Daurelle, H. – Bonehill (+), A.
- Packroff, H. – Lindberg, W. J.
- Thurlow, K. J. – Herriot, B. J.
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: Franco-Sicilian Variation (ECO B32, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 e6 (3 moves).
In 1,376,840 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.3%, Black 39.0% and 3.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. d5, in 54% 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: Franco-Sicilian Variation
The most played answer, 4. d5, also scores best for White: 64.0%, with White winning 62.3% and Black 34.3% of 737K games. Of the main answers, 4. dxc5 scores lowest: 49.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. d5.
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
The Sicilian Defense: Franco-Sicilian Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.042% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.068%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.068% | 24,340 |
| 2017 | 0.056% | 31,027 |
| 2018 | 0.052% | 41,126 |
| 2019 | 0.06% | 74,566 |
| 2020 | 0.063% | 183,179 |
| 2021 | 0.064% | 251,725 |
| 2022 | 0.055% | 207,707 |
| 2023 | 0.05% | 189,379 |
| 2024 | 0.046% | 164,464 |
| 2025 | 0.042% | 145,337 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.039% | 43,146 |
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: Franco-Sicilian Variation (B32)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-franco-sicilian-variation