Owen Defense: Smith Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
635,559 games: White 48.4% / Draw 3.8% / Black 47.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 270,822271K | ||
| 181,910182K | ||
| 80,51681K | ||
| 34,48134K | ||
| 24,22024K | ||
| 11,86312K | ||
| 10,49910K | ||
| 5,5855,585 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.65 Black is slightly better
Best play: 3... Bxe4 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. d5 e6 6. a3 Nf6 7. Bc4 c6 8. dxe6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 50% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 429K | |
| 1400–1799 | 754K | |
| 1800–2199 | 249K | |
| 2200 and up | 4,166 | |
| Masters, over the board | 3 |
Master games
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Owen Defense: Smith Gambit (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Owen Defense, reached after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nf3 (3 moves).
In 635,559 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.4%, Black 47.7% and 3.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Bxe4, in 43% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Owen Defense: Smith Gambit
The most played answer, 3…Bxe4, also scores best for Black: 51.6%, with Black winning 49.8% and White 46.5% of 271K games. Of the main answers, 3…g6 scores lowest: 48.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…Bxe4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Owen Defense: Smith Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.024% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.019% (its peak: 0.027% in 2022).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.019% | 6,631 |
| 2017 | 0.019% | 10,399 |
| 2018 | 0.019% | 14,915 |
| 2019 | 0.022% | 27,976 |
| 2020 | 0.024% | 69,609 |
| 2021 | 0.027% | 103,972 |
| 2022 | 0.027% | 101,306 |
| 2023 | 0.026% | 97,573 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 88,683 |
| 2025 | 0.024% | 81,572 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.022% | 24,451 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Owen Defense: Smith Gambit (B00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/owen-defense-smith-gambit