Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Scandinavian Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
785,136 games: White 46.2% / Draw 6.0% / Black 47.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 440,381440K | ||
| 130,811131K | ||
| 120,383120K | ||
| 65,26865K | ||
| 11,46211K | ||
| 3,9593,959 | ||
| 3,5583,558 | ||
| 3,4353,435 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. cxd4 e5 6. Nf3 exd4 7. Qxd4 Nf6 8. Nc3 Qe6+
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 53% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 19K | |
| 1400–1799 | 157K | |
| 1800–2199 | 545K | |
| 2200 and up | 126K | |
| Masters, over the board | 141 |
Master games
- Pantsulaia, L. – Jobava, B.
- Domingo Nunez, R. – Chigaev, M.
- Topalovic, Z. – Koziak, V.
- Senador, E. – Ehlvest, J.
- Tinture, L. – Kuznetsov, S. P.
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, Scandinavian 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 d5 (3 moves).
In 785,136 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.2%, Black 47.8% and 6.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. exd5, in 56% 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 Declined, Scandinavian Formation
The most played answer, 4. exd5, also scores best for White: 51.7%, with White winning 48.3% and Black 44.9% of 440K games. Of the main answers, 4. cxd4 scores lowest: 43.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. exd5.
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, Scandinavian Formation dipped to 0.027% of Lichess games in 2021 and has recovered since: 0.033% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.032% | 11,289 |
| 2017 | 0.035% | 19,098 |
| 2018 | 0.037% | 28,742 |
| 2019 | 0.034% | 42,793 |
| 2020 | 0.029% | 86,296 |
| 2021 | 0.027% | 105,542 |
| 2022 | 0.028% | 106,319 |
| 2023 | 0.029% | 110,185 |
| 2024 | 0.03% | 106,914 |
| 2025 | 0.033% | 116,146 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.035% | 38,124 |
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, Scandinavian Formation (B21)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-declined-scandinavian-formation