Sicilian Defense: Marshall Counterattack
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Statistics from Lichess
1,613,916 games: White 48.8% / Draw 4.6% / Black 46.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 989,771990K | ||
| 212,988213K | ||
| French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch System | 196,221196K | |
| 86,50587K | ||
| 55,77856K | ||
| 28,82029K | ||
| French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line | 9,4909,490 | |
| 8,2898,289 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.84 White is better
Best play: 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bb5+ Nc6 6. O-O Nf6 7. Re1+ Be6 8. Bg5 Be7
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 (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 577K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.4M | |
| 1800–2199 | 831K | |
| 2200 and up | 38K | |
| Masters, over the board | 63 |
Master games
- Giri, A. – Golubov, S.
- Grischuk, A. – Golubov, S.
- Kamsky, G. – Yuffa, D.
- Svidler, P. – Golubov, S.
- Fedoseev, V. – Golubov, S.
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: Marshall Counterattack (ECO B40, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 d5 (3 moves).
In 1,613,916 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 46.7% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. exd5, in 61% 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: Marshall Counterattack
4. Nc3 scores best for White: 53.7%, with White winning 51.7% and Black 44.2% of 87K games. The most played, 4. exd5, scores 51.9% in 990K games, and 4. e5 scores lowest: 48.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. exd5.
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: Marshall Counterattack has stayed between 0.058% and 0.068% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.06% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.058% | 20,605 |
| 2017 | 0.059% | 32,250 |
| 2018 | 0.061% | 47,569 |
| 2019 | 0.061% | 76,443 |
| 2020 | 0.067% | 195,048 |
| 2021 | 0.068% | 267,493 |
| 2022 | 0.062% | 234,517 |
| 2023 | 0.061% | 228,623 |
| 2024 | 0.06% | 214,880 |
| 2025 | 0.06% | 207,214 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.058% | 63,398 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Marshall Counterattack (B40)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-marshall-counterattack