Sicilian Defense: Magnus Smith Trap
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 g6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5
The Sicilian Defense: Magnus Smith Trap is a chess opening classified as ECO B57, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 g6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 9 times by this move order. White won 44%, 0% were drawn and Black won 56%. The most popular continuation is 8… dxe5 (33% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.66 (Stockfish, depth 42; best line 8… Ng4 9. exd6 Qxd6 10. f3 Ne5 11. Bb3)
- ECO
- B57
- Moves
- 15 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/p3pp1p/2pp1np1/4P3/2B5/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 0 8- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 g6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 3 | |
| 2000+ | 6 | |
| All | 9 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8… dxe5 | 3 (33%) | |
| 8… Ng4 | 3 (33%) | |
| 8… Nd7 | 1 (11%) | |
| 8… d5 | 1 (11%) | |
| 8… Nd5 | 1 (11%) |
Master games
32 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 9%, Black 47%). The strongest:
- GM Jacek Tomczak (2561) – CM Thomas Bauer (2242) 1-0 · Titled Tue 18th Feb Late · 2025-02-18
- CM Pablo Lalanne (2208) – FM Pedro Ramon Martinez Reyes (2376) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 23rd May Late · 2023-05-23
- FM Viktor Poddubnyi (2304) – CM Thomas Bauer (2242) 0-1 · Titled Tue 25th Feb Early · 2025-02-25
- FM Andrey Levitskiy (2274) – CM Thomas Bauer (2242) 0-1 · Titled Tue 4th Feb Early · 2025-02-04
- Simon Heinrici (2046) – IM Georg Froewis (2434) 0-1 · XVII Sant Marti Open 2015 · 2015-07-13
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Magnus Smith Trap and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Hisoka84 (2413) – CM camilomunoz0107 (2420) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- ahmad13516 (2226) – kartal19031903 (2201) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Karen1303 (2193) – kartal19031903 (2201) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Open (4. Nxd4 Nf6) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
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.