Sicilian Defense:Modern Variations

It is reached after 4 moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense.

White is to move and has 28 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 669,820 different games. Those games reach 225,404 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 144 further lines after this position, such as Sicilian Defense (3. d4) and Moscow Variation (3. Bb5+).

The same moves can be played in 4 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. Nf3 c5 2. e4 d6, which starts as the Zukertort Opening.