Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Fianchetto Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
560,435 games: White 53.7% / Draw 3.9% / Black 42.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 503,203503K | ||
| 12,52913K | ||
| 11,02711K | ||
| 7,4327,432 | ||
| 5,9575,957 | ||
| 5,5205,520 | ||
| 5,5125,512 | ||
| 2,8022,802 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Bc4 Bg7 7. e5 Nh6 8. O-O O-O 9. Bf4 d6 10. exd6 exd6
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 worse this line does for Black: Black scores 49% under 1400, 45% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 31K | |
| 1400–1799 | 250K | |
| 1800–2199 | 355K | |
| 2200 and up | 34K | |
| Masters, over the board | 32 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Nakamura, H.
- Gilevych, A. – Vallejo Pons, F.
- Cabrilo, G. – Kovacevic, A.
- Tompa, J. – Ribli, Z.
- Topalovic, Z. – Cebalo, M.
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: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Fianchetto Defense (ECO B21, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 g6 (5 moves).
In 560,435 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.7%, Black 42.4% and 3.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bc4, in 90% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Fianchetto Defense has gained ground since 2016: 0.023% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.016%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.016% | 5,640 |
| 2017 | 0.018% | 9,744 |
| 2018 | 0.021% | 16,278 |
| 2019 | 0.023% | 28,618 |
| 2020 | 0.021% | 62,481 |
| 2021 | 0.02% | 79,792 |
| 2022 | 0.021% | 80,011 |
| 2023 | 0.022% | 82,769 |
| 2024 | 0.022% | 78,756 |
| 2025 | 0.023% | 79,707 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.024% | 26,837 |
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: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Fianchetto Defense (B21)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-accepted-fianchetto-defense