Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit 2…cxd4 3. c3
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Statistics from Lichess
14,552,876 games: White 50.2% / Draw 4.4% / Black 45.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted | 9,238,0229.2M | |
| Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation | 1,532,0351.5M | |
| Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation | 1,033,3711M | |
| 890,414890K | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Scandinavian Formation | 722,199722K | |
| Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Center Formation | 312,516313K | |
| 281,300281K | ||
| 275,424275K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.16 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Be2 d6 7. O-O Be7 8. Qb3
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 52% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 44% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 875K | |
| 1400–1799 | 5.7M | |
| 1800–2199 | 9.3M | |
| 2200 and up | 1.4M | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,804 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Naroditsky, D. – Van Foreest, J.
- Adams, M. – Anand, V.
- Pantsulaia, L. – Jobava, B.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Nakamura, H.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit (ECO B21, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 (3 moves).
In 14,552,876 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.2%, Black 45.4% and 4.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…dxc3, in 63% of those games.
It branches into 6 named variations; the most played are Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted and Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation. In all, 24 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 3. c3
3…Nf6 (Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation) scores best for Black: 51.7%, with Black winning 48.8% and White 45.5% of 1M games. The most played, 3…dxc3, scores 46.7% in 9.2M games, and 3…Nc6 scores lowest: 45.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…dxc3.
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
This line has stayed between 0.53% and 0.61% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.56% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.53% | 190,663 |
| 2017 | 0.57% | 313,279 |
| 2018 | 0.61% | 477,253 |
| 2019 | 0.61% | 759,964 |
| 2020 | 0.56% | 1,642,315 |
| 2021 | 0.54% | 2,126,961 |
| 2022 | 0.56% | 2,116,080 |
| 2023 | 0.57% | 2,136,485 |
| 2024 | 0.56% | 1,995,707 |
| 2025 | 0.56% | 1,937,037 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.57% | 622,389 |
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
Variations (6)
- B21 Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted 3…dxc3
- B21 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation 3…Nf6
- B21 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Center Formation 3…e5
- B21 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation 3…d3
- B21 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Scandinavian Formation 3…d5
- B21 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Wing Formation 3…Qa5
All 24 named lines that continue from here
No line matches.
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted 3 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation 3 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Center Formation 3 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation 3 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Scandinavian Formation 3 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Wing Formation 3 moves
- B21 Chicago Defense 7 moves
- B21 Classical Formation 7 moves
- B21 Danish Variation 4 moves
- B21 Fianchetto Defense 5 moves
- B21 Finegold Defense 8 moves
- B21 Kan Formation 5 moves
- B21 Morphy Defense 6 moves
- B21 Paulsen Formation 6 moves
- B21 Pin Defense 6 moves
- B21 Scheveningen Formation 6 moves
- B21 Siberian Variation 6 moves
- B21 Sozin Formation 8 moves
- B21 Taimanov Formation 6 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation 4 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Chicago Defense 9 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Larsen Defense 8 moves
- B21 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Morphy Defense Deferred 8 moves
- B21 Siberian Trap 8 moves
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit (B21)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-2