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Sicilian Defense · As White · updated October 2026

Play against the Sicilian like Manu David

A repertoire against the Sicilian built from 357 of Manu David's public Chess.com blitz games. At every position you play the move Manu David chose most often. Where Manu David 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 Manu David or Chess.com.

  • Manu David was #42 in Chess.com blitz in October 2026 (3,203) and scored 54% against opponents averaging 3,034 in these games.
  • You play Manu David's own move in 40 of 40 positions.
  • The whole course is free, and it is updated monthly.

Free · first 5 lines need no account

Blitz rank

#42

Chess.com

Rating

3,203

Games

357

in this opening

Score

54%

in these games

Opponents

3,034

average rating

More about Manu David

Use arrow keys to navigate the board. Press Enter to select a piece, then use arrow keys and Enter to move. Press Escape to cancel a move.
Line 1 after 7 moves

Lines to learn

  1. Line 1 · 6% at top level

    2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4

  2. Line 2 · 6% at top level

    2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Bc4 e6 5.d3 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Bb3 Nc6 8.Re1

  3. Line 3 · 6% at top level

    2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4 Nf6 6.Bd3

  4. Line 4 · 6% at top level

    2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Bc4 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.Re1 O-O 7.d4 cxd4 8.cxd4

  5. Line 5 · 5% at top level

    2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6 7.exd6 Bxd6 8.Bd3 O-O 9.O-O

  6. Line 6 · 4% at top level

    2.Nf3 g6 3.c3

  7. Line 7 · 4% at top level

    2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Bc4 e6 5.d3 Nc6 6.O-O Be7 7.Bb3 O-O 8.Re1

  8. Line 8 · 4% at top level

    2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6 7.exd6 e6 8.Nc3 Bxd6 9.Bd3 O-O 10.O-O

  9. Line 9 · 4% at top level

    2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Bc4 Nxe4 5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qxe4

  10. Line 10 · 3% at top level

    2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.d3 e6 6.O-O

  11. Line 11 · 3% at top level

    2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6 7.exd6 Qxd6 8.Nc3 Bg4 9.Bc4

Ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. Learned lines join your daily review.

Manu David's main line against the Sicilian, move by move

The most common line at top level: 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4.

  1. 2.Nf3 Your move · Manu David's games Manu David played 2.Nf3 in 357 games, scoring 54%.
  2. 2…Nc6 Reply · Manu David's games A common reply here is 2…Nc6. At top level, this comes up about 28% of the time.
  3. 3.c3 Your move · Manu David's games Manu David played 3.c3 in 100 games, scoring 54%.
  4. 3…d5 Reply · Manu David's games A common reply here is 3…d5. At top level, this comes up about 6% of the time.
  5. 4.exd5 Your move · Manu David's games Manu David played 4.exd5 in 23 games, scoring 61%.
  6. 4…Qxd5 Reply · Manu David's games A common reply here is 4…Qxd5.
  7. 5.d4 Your move · Manu David's games Manu David played 5.d4 in 21 games, scoring 60%.

Questions about this course

How does Manu David play against the Sicilian?
After 1.e4 c5, Manu David's most common line is 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4. At top level it comes up about 6% of the time.
Is this Manu David's course?
No. ChessDrills builds it automatically from Manu David's public Chess.com blitz games.
What is this Sicilian course based on?
357 of Manu David's Chess.com blitz games in the Sicilian Defense as White, against opponents with an average rating of 3,034. Manu David scored 54% in them.
How many lines does the course have?
11 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 Manu David?
FM Manu David was ranked number 42 on the Chess.com blitz leaderboard with a rating of 3,203 when this course was built.