Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation
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Statistics from Lichess
10,014,714 games: White 49.5% / Draw 5.6% / Black 44.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,682,4752.7M | ||
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | 2,391,0412.4M | |
| Sicilian Defense | 1,407,8021.4M | |
| 1,155,5821.2M | ||
| 652,623653K | ||
| 624,526625K | ||
| 373,284373K | ||
| 365,911366K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.26 The position is about equal
Best play: 2. e4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Bc4 d6 5. d3 Be7 6. a4 Nf6
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 50% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.8M | |
| 1400–1799 | 4.4M | |
| 1800–2199 | 5.8M | |
| 2200 and up | 1.6M | |
| Masters, over the board | 33K |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Grischuk, A.
- Ding, L. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- Kramnik, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
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
Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation (ECO A04, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 c5 (1 move).
In 10,014,714 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.5%, Black 44.9% and 5.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. g3, in 27% of those games.
It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Zukertort Opening: Speelsmet Gambit and Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation. In all, 5 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation
The most played answer, 2. g3, also scores best for White: 54.1%, with White winning 51.1% and Black 43.0% of 2.7M games. Of the main answers, 2. d4 scores lowest: 49.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 2. e4.
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 Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation has stayed between 0.35% and 0.43% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.39% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.35% | 123,892 |
| 2017 | 0.37% | 202,158 |
| 2018 | 0.42% | 327,393 |
| 2019 | 0.43% | 540,561 |
| 2020 | 0.41% | 1,214,868 |
| 2021 | 0.37% | 1,463,451 |
| 2022 | 0.37% | 1,404,549 |
| 2023 | 0.37% | 1,399,467 |
| 2024 | 0.38% | 1,365,169 |
| 2025 | 0.39% | 1,364,478 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.4% | 441,824 |
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 (4)
- A04 Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 2. e3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. dxc5 Qa5+
- A04 Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Polish Variation 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qb6
- A04 Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qa5+
- A04 Speelsmet Gambit 2. d4 cxd4 3. e3
Transpositions
All 5 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation (A04)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-sicilian-invitation