Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Smith-Morra Declined
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4
The Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Smith-Morra Declined is a chess opening classified as ECO B22, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 4,283 times by this move order. White won 46%, 6% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 5. cxd4 (73% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 70; best line 5. cxd4 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bc4 Nb6)
- ECO
- B22
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp1ppppp/8/3nP3/3p4/2P5/PP3PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 125 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2,048 | |
| 2000+ | 2,110 | |
| All | 4,283 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. cxd4 | 3,109 (73%) | |
| 5. Nf3 | 910 (21%) | |
| 5. Qxd4 | 195 (5%) | |
| 5. Bc4 | 50 (1%) | |
| 5. c4 | 16 (0%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 2 (0%) | |
| 5. f4 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
9,159 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 34%, draw 24%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- GM Levon Aronian (2785) – GM Leinier Dominguez Perez (2756) 1/2-1/2 · American Cup Elim · 2022-04-26
- GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2764) – GM Anish Giri (2764) 0-1 · Online Olym Top DivB 2020 · 2020-08-21
- GM Evgeny Alekseev (2678) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2777) 1/2-1/2 · 21st TCh-RUS 2014 · 2014-04-10
- GM Levon Aronian (2745) – GM Vladislav Artemiev (2701) 0-1 · Chessable Masters Div 1 L · 2023-04-05
- GM Olexandr Bortnyk (2598) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) 0-1 · Katara Bullet Final 2021 · 2021-06-23
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM ShMat (2881) – nuitet868688 (2724) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- GM athena-pallada (2930) – josedavid321 (2653) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Tarnished_3 (2767) – FM Buyofl (2699) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 1. e4 c5 2. c3
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.