Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Kan Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
648,936 games: White 49.5% / Draw 3.8% / Black 46.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 497,353497K | ||
| 34,05934K | ||
| 33,79534K | ||
| 27,17727K | ||
| 21,43021K | ||
| 12,28712K | ||
| 8,8658,865 | ||
| 5,9755,975 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.17 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Bf4 Nc6 7. Be2 Bc5 8. O-O Nge7 9. Bd6 Bxd6 10. Qxd6 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 51% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 9,429 | |
| 1400–1799 | 160K | |
| 1800–2199 | 439K | |
| 2200 and up | 87K | |
| Masters, over the board | 147 |
Master games
- Ohtake, S. – Winkler, D. T.
- Moiseenko, V. – Alekseev, E.
- Arenas Vanegas, D. – Bruzon Batista, L.
- Berg, E. – Miezis, N.
- Berg, E. – Luch, 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, Kan Formation (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 e6 5. Nf3 a6 (5 moves).
In 648,936 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.5%, Black 46.7% and 3.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bc4, in 77% 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: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Kan Formation
6. Bd3 scores best for White: 51.8%, with White winning 49.8% and Black 46.3% of 34K games. The most played answer, 6. Bc4, scores lowest: 51.6% in 497K games. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Bf4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Kan Formation has gained ground since 2016: 0.027% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.021%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.021% | 7,336 |
| 2017 | 0.023% | 12,711 |
| 2018 | 0.025% | 19,895 |
| 2019 | 0.025% | 30,789 |
| 2020 | 0.023% | 66,635 |
| 2021 | 0.022% | 85,141 |
| 2022 | 0.024% | 91,836 |
| 2023 | 0.027% | 101,156 |
| 2024 | 0.027% | 95,769 |
| 2025 | 0.027% | 95,162 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.028% | 30,816 |
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, Kan Formation (B21)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-accepted-kan-formation