Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,533,441 games: White 47.8% / Draw 5.4% / Black 46.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,214,3471.2M | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation | 129,925130K | |
| 129,424129K | ||
| 42,96043K | ||
| 9,2179,217 | ||
| 2,3382,338 | ||
| 1,3331,333 | ||
| 946946 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.65 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Bxd3 Nc6 5. c4 e5 6. a3 Bc5 7. b4 Bb6 8. Nc3 d6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 52% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 15K | |
| 1400–1799 | 268K | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.1M | |
| 2200 and up | 243K | |
| Masters, over the board | 352 |
Master games
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Nakamura, H.
- Grigoryan, K. – Moussard, J.
- Becerra Rivero, J. – Finegold, B.
- Mons, L. – Naiditsch, A.
- Berg, E. – Blomqvist, E.
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, Push Variation (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 d3 (3 moves).
In 1,533,441 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 46.9% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Bxd3, in 79% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation.
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 Declined, Push Variation
4. c4 (Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation) scores best for White: 53.1%, with White winning 50.0% and Black 43.8% of 130K games. The most played answer, 4. Bxd3, scores lowest: 50.3% in 1.2M games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Bxd3.
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 Declined, Push Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.077% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.056% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.065% | 23,103 |
| 2017 | 0.07% | 38,691 |
| 2018 | 0.077% | 60,346 |
| 2019 | 0.072% | 90,249 |
| 2020 | 0.064% | 187,602 |
| 2021 | 0.058% | 225,113 |
| 2022 | 0.057% | 214,958 |
| 2023 | 0.056% | 211,686 |
| 2024 | 0.056% | 201,229 |
| 2025 | 0.056% | 193,750 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.057% | 61,961 |
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 Declined, Push Variation (B21)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-declined-push-variation