Sicilian Defense: Magnus Smith Trap
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Statistics from Lichess
38,400 games: White 66.9% / Draw 3.9% / Black 29.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 14,71315K | ||
| 7,9907,990 | ||
| 6,4976,497 | ||
| 3,0663,066 | ||
| 2,7002,700 | ||
| 1,6881,688 | ||
| 1,3671,367 | ||
| 178178 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.50 White is slightly better
Best play: 8... Ng4 9. exd6 Qxd6 10. f3 Ne5 11. Bb3 Bg7 12. Bg5 h6 13. Be3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Magnus Smith Trap (ECO B57, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 g6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5 (8 moves).
In 38,400 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 66.9%, Black 29.2% and 3.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Ng4, in 38% 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 Sicilian Defense: Magnus Smith Trap
The most played answer, 8…Ng4, also scores best for Black: 39.7%, with Black winning 37.6% and White 58.1% of 15K games. Of the main answers, 8…dxe5 scores lowest: 11.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8…Ng4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Magnus Smith Trap (B57)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-magnus-smith-trap