There are so many variations of the Sicilian Defense, I have found that it can be difficult to remember which variation a game has reached. So here is an easy reference for recognizing one from another.

Think of this article as like a globe: it helps you recognize different countries and their names. Then in the future you can go on to learn about specific countries in as much detail suits your interests. I will be adding links to Wikibooks to make this easy.

I have included the common opening lines but there can be other move orders to reach the same variations and one variation frequently transposes into another. Some of the variations grouped under 2.Nc6 could go under 2.d6 or vice versa.

I did not include the Hedgehog here because it is an opening system rather than an opening variation. For information on that system see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljFcH945UwI

Open Sicilians

2...Nc6 variations

Sveshnikov

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chess_Opening_Theory/1._e4/1...c5/2._Nf3/2...d6/3._d4/3...cxd4/4._Qxd4

Godiva

2...e6 (French)

Paulsen-Basman

Kveinis

Four Knights

2...d6

Prins

Kupreichik 

Dragon

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chess_Opening_Theory/1._e4/1...c5/2._Nf3/2...d6/3._d4/3...cxd4/4._Nxd4/4...Nf6/5._Nc3/5...g6

Dragodorf

Najdorf

Najdorf, English Attack

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chess_Opening_Theory/1._e4/1...c5/2._Nf3/2...d6/3._d4/3...cxd4/4._Nxd4/4...Nf6/5._Nc3/5...a6/6._Be3

Najdorf, Opocensky Variation

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chess_Opening_Theory/1._e4/1...c5/2._Nf3/2...d6/3._d4/3...cxd4/4._Nxd4/4...Nf6/5._Nc3/5...a6/6._Be2

Miscellaneous

O'Keilly

Nimzowitsch variation

Mengarini

Katalimov

Snyder

Keres

Lasker-Dunne Attack

Staunton-Cochrane variation

Anti-Sicilians

Closed

Closed, Fianchetto variation

Grand-Prix Attack

Alapin

Smith-Morra Gambit

Wing Gambit

Rossolimo

Moscow