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Sicilian, Closed (B25)
1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3 g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 d3 d6

Number of games in database: 6538
Years covered: 1867 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 37.5%
   Black wins 33.5%
   Draws 29.0%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Ilmars Starostits  83 games
Herbert Bastian  49 games
Mohamed Tissir  43 games
Miso Cebalo  19 games
Pavel Potapov  16 games
Mathias Womacka  15 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Lasker vs W E Napier, 1904
Sutovsky vs Smirin, 2002
Spassky vs Geller, 1968
S Iuldachev vs Aronian, 2004
Tiviakov vs Shirov, 2010
Steinitz vs H G Voigt, 1885
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 page 1 of 262; games 1-25 of 6,538 
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. G Neumann vs G MacDonnell ½-½6118677th BCA Congress, DundeeB25 Sicilian, Closed
2. Steinitz vs J Walsh 1-0151870Blindfold simul, 6bB25 Sicilian, Closed
3. Winawer vs Andreas Ascharin / Emmanuel Schiff 0-1301875Consultation gameB25 Sicilian, Closed
4. Chigorin vs Schiffers ½-½411879Chigorin - Schiffers, 3rd MatchB25 Sicilian, Closed
5. F Riemann vs Paulsen  ½-½32188013th WSB Congress, BraunschweigB25 Sicilian, Closed
6. Goudjou / Girod vs de Riviere  1-0591881Consultation gameB25 Sicilian, Closed
7. C Schmid vs Paulsen ½-½6418812nd DSB Congress, BerlinB25 Sicilian, Closed
8. Englisch vs Paulsen 1-0451882ViennaB25 Sicilian, Closed
9. Mackenzie vs Paulsen 1-0351882ViennaB25 Sicilian, Closed
10. Wittek vs Paulsen  ½-½611882ViennaB25 Sicilian, Closed
11. Winawer vs Paulsen 1-0301882ViennaB25 Sicilian, Closed
12. Winawer vs Bird 1-0851882ViennaB25 Sicilian, Closed
13. Winawer vs B Fleissig 0-1651882ViennaB25 Sicilian, Closed
14. Englisch vs Chigorin 1-0481883LondonB25 Sicilian, Closed
15. Blackburne vs Bird ½-½761883LondonB25 Sicilian, Closed
16. Gunsberg vs Bird ½-½5018833rd DSB Congress, NurembergB25 Sicilian, Closed
17. W Siebenhaar vs C Messemaker  0-1211884DCA Congress 12thB25 Sicilian, Closed
18. W Siebenhaar vs R Loman 0-1421884DCA Congress 12thB25 Sicilian, Closed
19. W Pollock vs R Loman  1-0431884Counties CA Congress Class 1, Div. 2 playoffB25 Sicilian, Closed
20. Steinitz vs H G Voigt 0-1121885Casual gameB25 Sicilian, Closed
21. Gunsberg vs Bird 1-03018851st BCA Congress, LondonB25 Sicilian, Closed
22. J Berger vs Tarrasch ½-½4218854th DSB Congress, HamburgB25 Sicilian, Closed
23. J Berger vs Bird ½-½7318854th DSB Congress, HamburgB25 Sicilian, Closed
24. Gunsberg vs Bird  1-0421885CCA MastersB25 Sicilian, Closed
25. Burn vs Bird  0-1281886Bird - Burn mB25 Sicilian, Closed
 page 1 of 262; games 1-25 of 6,538 
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-24-05  chess man: Take a look at game #17 Smyslov vs. Kotov.
Mar-16-06  Knight13: White wins 25.8%
Black wins 39.2%

Come on it can't be that bad a opening for White!

Mar-17-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  IMlday: Heh! It's just easier to play the line mechanically with Black than White. From the database, "Lawrence Day" and B25 gives +8=3-2 with one loss being where I was Black and one where I was up Q for R before falling asleep.
May-07-08  Elxiddicus: I like to play the 6. f4 line, even though my computer hates it, and my opponents seem to have a much easier time defeating it than anything else. Anybody have any basic tips on how to gain an advantage out of the f4 line?
Feb-07-09  number 23 NBer: Why does the total percentage add up to 100.1%?
Feb-07-09  whiteshark: <number 23 NBer> rounding differences

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