Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Deferred
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Statistics from Lichess
1,096,719 games: White 50.1% / Draw 4.3% / Black 45.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 545,596546K | ||
| 124,423124K | ||
| 114,546115K | ||
| 110,164110K | ||
| 93,45993K | ||
| 73,90874K | ||
| 16,19816K | ||
| 2,8722,872 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... dxc3 5. Nxc3 d6 6. e5 Nc6 7. Bf4 d5 8. Bd3 Nge7 9. h4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 52% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 28K | |
| 1400–1799 | 289K | |
| 1800–2199 | 736K | |
| 2200 and up | 153K | |
| Masters, over the board | 165 |
Master games
- Minasian, A. – Ehlvest, J.
- Moiseenko, V. – Alekseev, E.
- Dragnev, V. – Mastrovasilis, D.
- Schmidt, H. – Zakhartsov, V. V.
- Garcia Palermo, C. H. – Panno, O.
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 Deferred (ECO B40, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. c3 (4 moves).
In 1,096,719 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.1%, Black 45.6% and 4.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…dxc3, in 50% 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 Deferred
4…Nf6 scores best for Black: 50.9%, with Black winning 48.2% and White 46.5% of 115K games. The most played, 4…dxc3, scores 47.3% in 546K games, and 4…a6 scores lowest: 46.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…dxc3.
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
Popularity by year
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Deferred has stayed between 0.038% and 0.05% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.044% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.044% | 15,661 |
| 2017 | 0.047% | 25,924 |
| 2018 | 0.05% | 39,393 |
| 2019 | 0.047% | 58,700 |
| 2020 | 0.043% | 126,049 |
| 2021 | 0.038% | 150,210 |
| 2022 | 0.041% | 152,714 |
| 2023 | 0.042% | 156,598 |
| 2024 | 0.042% | 151,562 |
| 2025 | 0.044% | 152,016 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.044% | 48,528 |
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 Deferred (B40)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-smith-morra-gambit-deferred