Sicilian Defense · As White · updated November 2026
Play against the Sicilian like Aram Hakobyan
A repertoire against the Sicilian built from 218 of Aram Hakobyan's public Chess.com blitz games. At every position you play the move Aram Hakobyan chose most often. Where Aram Hakobyan has fewer than 3 games, the course takes the other top-50 players' most played move, then Stockfish's. Learn a line on the board, then each position comes back in a short daily review until it sticks.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Aram Hakobyan or Chess.com.
- Aram Hakobyan was #34 in Chess.com blitz in November 2026 (3,226) and scored 55% against opponents averaging 3,156 in these games.
- You play Aram Hakobyan's own move in 24 of 40 positions.
- The whole course is free, and it is updated monthly.
Train lines
Learn a new line move by move. Lines due for review go to your daily review first.
Free · first 5 lines need no account
Blitz rank
#34
Chess.com
Rating
3,226
Games
218
in this opening
Score
55%
in these games
Opponents
3,156
average rating
Lines to learn
- Next
Line 1 · 7% at top level
2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.a3 Nf6 6.Bd3 Qc7 7.O-O Bc5 8.Nf3
- New
Line 2 · 6% at top level
2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 Be6 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.O-O-O
- New
Line 3 · 6% at top level
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.O-O Bg7 5.Re1 e5 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.a3 a5 8.d3
- New
Line 4 · 6% at top level
2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3
- New
Line 5 · 6% at top level
2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4
- New
Line 6 · 5% at top level
2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3
- New
Line 7 · 5% at top level
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 Bb7 8.a4 Ng6 9.Re1 Rc8 10.Na3
- New
Line 8 · 5% at top level
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 c4 8.a4
- New
Line 9 · 5% at top level
2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 h5 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.O-O-O Rc8 11.Kb1
Ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. Learned lines join your daily review.
Aram Hakobyan's main line against the Sicilian, move by move
The most common line at top level: 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.a3 Nf6 6.Bd3 Qc7 7.O-O Bc5 8.Nf3.
- 2.Nf3 Your move · Aram Hakobyan's games Aram Hakobyan played 2.Nf3 in 165 games, scoring 51%.
- 2…e6 Reply · Aram Hakobyan's games A common reply here is 2…e6. At top level, this comes up about 24% of the time.
- 3.d4 Your move · Aram Hakobyan's games Aram Hakobyan played 3.d4 in 19 games, scoring 68%.
- 3…cxd4 Reply · Aram Hakobyan's games A common reply here is 3…cxd4.
- 4.Nxd4 Your move · Aram Hakobyan's games Aram Hakobyan played 4.Nxd4 in 13 games, scoring 69%.
- 4…a6 Reply · Aram Hakobyan's games A common reply here is 4…a6. At top level, this comes up about 11% of the time.
- 5.a3 Your move · Aram Hakobyan's games Aram Hakobyan played 5.a3 in 3 games, scoring 100%.
- 5…Nf6 Reply · Aram Hakobyan's games A common reply here is 5…Nf6. At top level, this comes up about 7% of the time.
- 6.Bd3 Your move · Top-50 players Aram Hakobyan has too few games here, so this is the other top players' most played move.
- 6…Qc7 Reply · Top-50 players In the other top players' games, a common reply here is 6…Qc7.
- 7.O-O Your move · Stockfish The games give no move to follow here, so this is Stockfish's choice.
- 7…Bc5 Reply · Top-50 players In the other top players' games, a common reply here is 7…Bc5.
- 8.Nf3 Your move · Stockfish The games give no move to follow here, so this is Stockfish's choice.
Questions about this course
- How does Aram Hakobyan play against the Sicilian?
- After 1.e4 c5, Aram Hakobyan's most common line is 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.a3 Nf6 6.Bd3 Qc7 7.O-O Bc5 8.Nf3. At top level it comes up about 7% of the time.
- Is this Aram Hakobyan's course?
- No. ChessDrills builds it automatically from Aram Hakobyan's public Chess.com blitz games.
- What is this Sicilian course based on?
- 218 of Aram Hakobyan's Chess.com blitz games in the Sicilian Defense as White, against opponents with an average rating of 3,156. Aram Hakobyan scored 55% in them.
- How many lines does the course have?
- 9 lines covering 40 positions, ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. The first 5 lines need no account; saving your progress with an email unlocks the rest, free.
- Who is Aram Hakobyan?
- GM Aram Hakobyan was ranked number 34 on the Chess.com blitz leaderboard with a rating of 3,226 when this course was built.