Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,077,441 games: White 45.4% / Draw 5.7% / Black 48.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 929,076929K | ||
| 40,58441K | ||
| 39,88540K | ||
| 27,85128K | ||
| 20,81821K | ||
| 11,33311K | ||
| 2,8982,898 | ||
| 1,2931,293 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. e5 Nd5 5. cxd4 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bb5 dxe5
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 52% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 56% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 34K | |
| 1400–1799 | 219K | |
| 1800–2199 | 669K | |
| 2200 and up | 258K | |
| Masters, over the board | 698 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Naroditsky, D. – Van Foreest, J.
- Adams, M. – Anand, V.
- Ohtake, S. – Cipolli, A. C. R.
- Ohtake, S. – Bjuhr, A.
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 Declined, Alapin Formation (ECO B21, Semi-Open Games) is a declined gambit in the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 (3 moves).
In 1,077,441 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.4%, Black 48.9% and 5.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. e5, in 86% of those games.
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Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation dipped to 0.037% of Lichess games in 2021 and has recovered since: 0.045% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.04% | 14,351 |
| 2017 | 0.041% | 22,660 |
| 2018 | 0.045% | 35,119 |
| 2019 | 0.041% | 51,478 |
| 2020 | 0.041% | 119,439 |
| 2021 | 0.037% | 145,704 |
| 2022 | 0.04% | 150,274 |
| 2023 | 0.042% | 157,690 |
| 2024 | 0.044% | 156,614 |
| 2025 | 0.045% | 155,551 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.046% | 50,364 |
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 Declined, Alapin Formation (B21)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-declined-alapin-formation