Sicilian Defense: Portsmouth Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
715,348 games: White 52.9% / Draw 3.8% / Black 43.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 361,715362K | ||
| 216,591217K | ||
| 43,06043K | ||
| 35,27035K | ||
| 21,38421K | ||
| 17,93218K | ||
| 4,9424,942 | ||
| 4,6324,632 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.29 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Nxb4 4. c3 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 e6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 50% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 23K | |
| 1400–1799 | 172K | |
| 1800–2199 | 476K | |
| 2200 and up | 115K | |
| Masters, over the board | 110 |
Master games
- Christiansen, J. – Kuzubov, Y.
- Gareev, T. – Sivuk, V.
- Moussard, J. – Matlakov, M.
- Yoo, C. W. – Moiseenko, A.
- Yoo, C. W. – Praggnanandhaa, R.
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
Sicilian Defense: Portsmouth Gambit (ECO B30, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. b4 (3 moves).
In 715,348 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.9%, Black 43.3% and 3.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…cxb4, in 51% 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: Portsmouth Gambit
3…b6 scores best for Black: 46.6%, with Black winning 44.5% and White 51.2% of 43K games. The most played answer, 3…cxb4, scores lowest: 43.8% in 362K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3…Nxb4.
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 Sicilian Defense: Portsmouth Gambit is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.042% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.014%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.014% | 5,139 |
| 2017 | 0.016% | 8,841 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 12,113 |
| 2019 | 0.017% | 20,793 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 43,015 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 54,516 |
| 2022 | 0.021% | 80,134 |
| 2023 | 0.036% | 134,886 |
| 2024 | 0.043% | 153,686 |
| 2025 | 0.042% | 145,538 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.04% | 43,511 |
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. “Sicilian Defense: Portsmouth Gambit (B30)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-portsmouth-gambit