Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6
The Delayed Alapin with d6 is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3, where White prepares d4 so a pawn can recapture there. Black must react before the big center lands, while White wants d4 with c3 support and a calm space edge.
- Moves
- 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3
- ECO
- B50
- Engine
- −0.04 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 5,728 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 51.3%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- Answer 3...Nf6 with Be2 to cover the king, then castle and push d4 when ready.
- If Black grabs with ...Nxe4 too early, Qa4+ hits king and knight together and wins the piece.
- Against slower moves like ...g6 or ...Nc6, play d4 at once and recapture with the c-pawn.
- After a fianchetto, Bb5+ can trade light bishops and leave Black's d5 square weaker.
Black
- 3...Nf6 is best: it hits e4 at once, so d4 is harder to arrange without loose pawns.
- Follow with ...g6 and ...Bg7, as the top engine line shows, so the bishop aims at d4.
- Meet Bb5+ with ...Nbd7 and keep the c8 bishop for later play on the light squares.
- Avoid lazy moves that let White play d4 for free and keep both center pawns.
Plans and pawn structure
This is a fight over d4. If White gets d4 with cxd4 available, the e4 and d4 pawns give lasting space and Black's ...d6 setup becomes passive. That is why ...Nf6 matters: it ties White to e4, so White spends time on Be2 and O-O. Black then completes ...g6 and ...Bg7 with pressure on the long diagonal. White later tries Re1 and d4 with good timing, while Black looks for ...Nc6 and ...O-O to keep d4 under fire.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.04: level. Its three top choices for Black:
- −0.04 3...Nf6 4.Be2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.Bb5+
- +0.63 3...g6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bg7 6.O-O
- +0.71 3...Nc6 4.d4 e6 5.dxc5 Nf6 6.Bd3
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
5,728 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 51.3%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Where it goes next
- Delayed Alapin Variation, Basman-Palatnik Double Gambit3...Nf6 · rare
How to play against it
With Black, play 3...Nf6 before anything else, so e4 needs care at once. Do not take on e4 while Qa4+ is possible, because the check also hits the knight. Build ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...O-O so that d4 always costs White something, and meet Bb5+ with ...Nbd7.
Questions
What are the moves of the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6?
The Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 starts 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3. Its ECO code is B50.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 good for White?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.04 at depth 20, which is level. In 5,728 lichess games from our sample, White scored 51.3%. Fine for White players who want a calm game; Black should know the ...Nf6 move order and the Qa4+ trick.
What is the main idea of the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6?
White wants d4 backed by the c3 pawn. Black's best answer is ...Nf6 hitting e4, then ...g6 and ...Bg7, so White never gets the center for free.
What should Black play next?
The engine's first choice is Nf6, with g6 and Nc6 close behind. 3...Nf6 attacks e4 at once, which slows down White's plan of d4.
Related lines
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.