Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
129,871 games: White 50.0% / Draw 6.2% / Black 43.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 59,74860K | ||
| 27,75028K | ||
| 15,90416K | ||
| 10,39310K | ||
| 4,7864,786 | ||
| 4,6374,637 | ||
| 2,8312,831 | ||
| 1,2171,217 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.39 White is slightly better
Best play: 4... e5 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bxd3 Nc6 7. a3 Bc5 8. b4 Bb6 9. c5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation (ECO B21, Semi-Open Games) is a declined gambit in the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3 4. c4 (4 moves).
In 129,871 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.0%, Black 43.8% and 6.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nc6, in 46% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation
4…g6 scores best for Black: 47.7%, with Black winning 44.4% and White 49.0% of 16K games. The most played answer, 4…Nc6, scores lowest: 46.8% in 60K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4…e5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation (B21)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-declined-dubois-variation