Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Paulsen Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
956,396 games: White 49.4% / Draw 3.9% / Black 46.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 700,554701K | ||
| 78,06378K | ||
| 56,04356K | ||
| 39,29739K | ||
| 37,63238K | ||
| 13,28213K | ||
| 9,0299,029 | ||
| 8,6998,699 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 20, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. O-O b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. Bf4 Be7 10. Rc1 Rc8 11. Qe2 Nf6
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 50% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 59% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 22K | |
| 1400–1799 | 271K | |
| 1800–2199 | 633K | |
| 2200 and up | 124K | |
| Masters, over the board | 433 |
Master games
- Minasian, A. – Ehlvest, J.
- Brodda, W. – Lecroq, M.
- Kamsky, G. – Andreikin, D.
- Berg, E. – Khairullin, I.
- Ohtake, S. – Winkler, D. T.
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, Paulsen 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 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 a6 (6 moves).
In 956,396 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.4%, Black 46.8% and 3.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. O-O, in 73% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Morphy Defense Deferred.
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, Paulsen Formation
The most played answer, 7. O-O, also scores best for White: 52.0%, with White winning 50.0% and Black 46.1% of 701K games. Of the main answers, 7. a4 scores lowest: 48.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. O-O.
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, Paulsen Formation has gained ground since 2016: 0.037% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.031%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.031% | 10,983 |
| 2017 | 0.035% | 19,230 |
| 2018 | 0.038% | 29,726 |
| 2019 | 0.038% | 47,862 |
| 2020 | 0.036% | 104,326 |
| 2021 | 0.034% | 133,559 |
| 2022 | 0.038% | 141,750 |
| 2023 | 0.039% | 146,462 |
| 2024 | 0.038% | 135,479 |
| 2025 | 0.037% | 128,912 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.039% | 42,679 |
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Paulsen Formation (B21)”. Lichess data as of 20 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-accepted-paulsen-formation