Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian

ECO B30beginner

2...Nc6 is the oldest way to play the Sicilian and still one of the most practical. Black develops a piece to its natural square and postpones every structural commitment: ...d6, ...e6 and ...g6 all remain available, so the eventual system can be chosen after seeing what White does. The cost is that it invites 3.Bb5, the Rossolimo, which is one of White's most respected anti-Sicilians. What remains is a flexible, low-theory Sicilian that still leaves the position fundamentally unbalanced.

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Main line

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bf1 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1.e4 White pushes the pawn from e2 out to e4, planting it boldly on a light square in the middle of the board. This is a friendly first move that grabs space and opens lines so the bishops and queen can join the game soon.
1...c5 Black plays c5, advancing the pawn two squares from its starting square. This is the Sicilian Defense, a standard response that indirectly challenges White's center.
2.Nf3 White moves their knight from g1 to f3. This is a good developing move that helps get your pieces into the game.
2...Nc6 Black moves their knight out from the side to a new, more active square. This is a good development move.
3.Bb5 Your bishop moves to b5, developing it from its starting square. It now controls key central squares, establishing a useful diagonal from the kingside flank.
3...e6 Black moves the e-pawn to e6, preparing to challenge White's center with ...d5 and develop the light-squared bishop.
4.O-O White moves their king from e1 to g1. This is a special move called kingside castling. It's a good, safe move that helps get your king to a safer spot.
4...Nge7 Black moves their knight from g8 to e7. This is a good developing move that brings the knight into the game.
5.Re1 White moves their rook from f1 to e1. This is a good move because it gets a strong piece off the back row and into the game. Keep developing your pieces!
5...a6 Black moved a pawn from a7 to a6. This is a safe first step for that pawn. It's a good start to make space for your pieces!
6.Bf1 The bishop moves back from b5 to f1. It's a safe move, putting the bishop on its starting square.
6...d5 Black strides the pawn up to d5, a light square right in the center. With pawns now on c5 and d5, Black is staking a strong claim in the middle and keeping White's pawn on e4 company face to face.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	35	57.1%	0%	42.9%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
600-800	107	36.4%	2.8%	60.7%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O
800-1000	30	40%	0%	60%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1
1000-1200	82	50%	3.7%	46.3%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7
1200-1400	68	57.4%	2.9%	39.7%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bf1
1400-1600	70	45.7%	2.9%	51.4%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bf1 d5
1600-1800	79	58.2%	1.3%	40.5%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bf1
1800-2000	49	55.1%	6.1%	38.8%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bf1 d5
2000-2200	148	49.3%	4.7%	45.9%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bf1 d5
2200-2400	204	49%	6.4%	44.6%	1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bf1 d5

Most played continuations (2200-2400 rating)

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bf1 d5:

exd5 — played 69.6% of the time (White wins 50%, draws 6.3%, Black wins 43.7%)
e5 — played 15.2% of the time (White wins 58.1%, draws 6.5%, Black wins 35.5%)
d3 — played 6.4% of the time (White wins 38.5%, draws 7.7%, Black wins 53.8%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called the Old Sicilian?

Because 2...Nc6 predates the modern preference for 2...d6 and 2...e6 by a long way — it was the standard treatment when the Sicilian was first taken seriously. The name reflects history rather than any judgement about strength; it remains entirely sound.

What is Black's advantage in delaying the pawn moves?

Information. Committing to ...d6 tells White you are heading for a Najdorf or Dragon structure and lets him choose the system that troubles it most. Developing first keeps several destinations open, so White has to make his own commitment before Black does.

Is the Rossolimo a problem for Old Sicilian players?

It is the main reason people choose something else. 3.Bb5 sidesteps the Open Sicilian entirely and heads for a structural game about Black's doubled pawns, which is a genuinely different skill set. If you play 2...Nc6 you need an answer to it — and that answer is most of the theory you will need.