Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Scheveningen Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
867,185 games: White 48.8% / Draw 4.9% / Black 46.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 706,178706K | ||
| 79,88080K | ||
| 36,96037K | ||
| 10,29410K | ||
| 9,8029,802 | ||
| 6,8346,834 | ||
| 5,4035,403 | ||
| 2,7882,788 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. Qe2 a6 8. O-O Nge7 9. Be3 Ng6 10. a4 Be7 11. Nd2 Bd7
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% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 18K | |
| 1400–1799 | 226K | |
| 1800–2199 | 585K | |
| 2200 and up | 116K | |
| Masters, over the board | 355 |
Master games
- Kharlov, A. – Dolmatov, S.
- Grigoryev, V. B. – Voll, A. B.
- Tinture, L. – Stull, N.
- Cori T., D. – Cori, J.
- Lenderman, A. – Gulko, B. F.
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, Scheveningen 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 d6 6. Bc4 e6 (6 moves).
In 867,185 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 46.3% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. O-O, in 81% 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, Scheveningen Formation
7. Qe2 scores best for White: 52.8%, with White winning 50.3% and Black 44.8% of 80K games. The most played answer, 7. O-O, scores lowest: 51.6% in 706K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Qe2.
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, Scheveningen Formation peaked in 2018 at 0.041% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.031% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.033% | 11,873 |
| 2017 | 0.04% | 21,869 |
| 2018 | 0.041% | 32,455 |
| 2019 | 0.04% | 49,796 |
| 2020 | 0.038% | 110,812 |
| 2021 | 0.033% | 129,397 |
| 2022 | 0.033% | 123,716 |
| 2023 | 0.032% | 122,127 |
| 2024 | 0.031% | 112,282 |
| 2025 | 0.031% | 105,836 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.03% | 32,997 |
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, Scheveningen Formation (B21)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-accepted-scheveningen-formation