Sicilian Defense: Mengarini Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
2,662,746 games: White 49.0% / Draw 4.4% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,048,5551M | ||
| 503,839504K | ||
| 474,733475K | ||
| 255,369255K | ||
| 137,689138K | ||
| 68,69769K | ||
| 65,08565K | ||
| 56,47356K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 7, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.01 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. h3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd5 6. Nc3 Nc7 7. d4
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 better this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 43% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 285K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.2M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.6M | |
| 2200 and up | 327K | |
| Masters, over the board | 606 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Carlsen, M.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Caruana, F.
- Carlsen, M. – Inarkiev, E.
- Carlsen, M. – Guseinov, G.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Gelfand, B.
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: Mengarini Variation (ECO B20, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. a3 (2 moves).
In 2,662,746 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.0%, Black 46.6% and 4.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nc6, 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 play against the Sicilian Defense: Mengarini Variation
2…g6 scores best for Black: 52.4%, with Black winning 49.8% and White 45.1% of 255K games. The most played answer, 2…Nc6, scores lowest: 45.7% in 1M games. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…g6.
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: Mengarini Variation is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.13% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.06%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.06% | 21,335 |
| 2017 | 0.062% | 34,384 |
| 2018 | 0.078% | 61,164 |
| 2019 | 0.084% | 104,943 |
| 2020 | 0.082% | 239,602 |
| 2021 | 0.088% | 344,472 |
| 2022 | 0.092% | 344,689 |
| 2023 | 0.11% | 424,403 |
| 2024 | 0.13% | 456,185 |
| 2025 | 0.13% | 437,353 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.14% | 148,225 |
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: Mengarini Variation (B20)”. Lichess data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-mengarini-variation