Sicilian Defense:Alapin Variation

Named after Semyon Alapin. With 2. c3 White prepares d4 and avoids the main lines of the Open Sicilian.

It is reached after 3 moves: 1. e4 c5 2. c3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense.

Black is to move and has 22 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 512,192 different games. Those games reach 175,582 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 2.9 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 12 further lines after this position, such as Barmen Defense (2... d5 3. exd5 Qxd5) and Stoltz Attack (2... Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3).

The same moves can be played in 2 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. c3 c5 2. e4, which starts as the Saragossa Opening.